MTV-rats out there might be familiar with Sophie Ellis Bextor's latest pop video, "Murder on the Dancefloor". Built around a dance competition, the video shows Sophie deftly twirling away with the first prize by sabotaging competitors and charming the judge. Politics 1 - Goodie Two Shoes 0. But is it really?

One of the touted aims of the New Economy was to do away with office politics and create a utopia where business values what you know over whom you know. But it seems that we have not found the map to that little patch of heaven yet. Political navigation continues to be demonstrated in every conversation, every decision and every interaction in today's organisational reality. And one of the biggest political mistakes is to assume that organisational politics doesn't exist.

Take this point of view - when we win on an issue, we call it leadership. When we lose, we call it politics. Is that necessarily accurate? Thankfully, not!

Politics is merely the way power gets played out in practical terms on a day-to-day basis. In a world fraught by constant change, competing agendas and imperfect information, the political quotient goes up. But, rather than looking at politics as a Gladiatorial-quest to squash the enemy, it's really about tapping into possibilities for action to solve problems effectively.

Rather than lament about who stabbed you in the back today, channel those creative juices into becoming a political activist to out-twirl them all!

Tip 1: Put on the rose-tinted glasses
The first thing that needs to be put right is your perception of office politics. I hear you ask: "Isn't office politics a tool for people to get what they want regardless of that concept called merit?" To paraphrase Plato, "those who think they're too smart to engage in politics will be governed by those who are dumber." Just like in "real" politics, political campaigns are, contrary to many beliefs, used to address issues that matter to people other than the campaigners themselves. If you continue to think of political campaigns as underhanded and self-aggrandising, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. So change your mindset and move forward.

Tip 2: Survey the odds
Get your intra-psychic politics right. Know exactly what you stand for, what your goals are and how you will handle conflicts that may arise out of a potential "battle". This helps you decide which battles are worth fighting for way before you get into the thick of things.

Tip 3: Nobody wins unless everybody does
The reason why advertising and marketing remains a necessity in business today is because it gets the buy-in. Appearances matter. Whether it's a product or an idea, the best-packaged one usually wins, not the best product or idea. If I'm vain and Colgate says it will make my smile bright and brilliant, I'll buy it over Darlie, which touts more flouride.

Want people to vote for you? Ask yourself, "Who do I need to help push this through, what are their own needs and how can I get them to trust me? Annie, a mid-level PR executive with a software company, was looking to launch a web initiative within the company to improve the level of communication to and from the company's employees. She had no funds and no veto from the higher ups. But she got it done. How? By positioning her idea in different ways to different people, looking for ways to get the most out of the venture for everybody and blending her goals with the goals of the people she needed on her side. If you fail to achieve that, package your project by stressing what's best for the company. Regardless of someone's loyalty standing, that kind of argument is difficult to turn down.

Tip 4: Explore opinions and shape them
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare. Come electoral campaign time, referendums are the order of the day. Politicians use opinion polls to determine if their agendas are supported, who opposes them and how deep that opposition is. What's good for electoral politics is good enough for office politics. It's not possible to shape people's opinions if you don't know what they're thinking.

Keep it simple and go after basic questions. Ask the basic questions - Do people really believe that your proposal will benefit the company? Whose support do you need? Where does the permission you need going to come from? What kind of resources will you need to achieve success for your project? You can even phrase questions in a way that actually sells your idea. This way, each opportunity for contact is maximised.

Target the right audience. Are you asking the right people? The easiest people to approach are not necessarily the best people to further your objective. Avoid reaching false conclusions by seeking wrong advice. Be clear about who has the answers to the questions you wish to ask, then make yourself stout of courage and be bold! Annie chose to target a group that would give the most opposition - the broadcast department who were already tackling employee-communications issues on their agenda. From their feedback, they treated it with little regard and couldn't see a solid strategy for it to work. This was valuable feedback to Annie, who then went back to the drawing board to come up with a comprehensive strategy that answered all the questions the broadcast team felt were unanswered.

Tip 5: You get as good as you give
More likely than not, you'll realise that nothing comes for free. But, you also don't have to conduct fund-raiser events or dig into financial coffers for big checks. Sure, you'll need resources. But often, it comes in the form of people and their capabilities or contacts. How do you get them to work with you without the proverbial cash-carrot-on-a-stick? Find out what kind of alternative "currencies" you can work with.

Personal relationships: the currency that represents the most valuable in the market. Many of the resources you need will come in the form of personal favours - whether its a referral to the right people, setting up a meeting with the CEO or seeking help in developing a strategic paper. So where is the payback for the "favourers"? Credit. If the project succeeds or gains high profile, ensure that they get credit for their part in it. Everyone wants to make a mark for himself in the organisation. If people believe in the promise of the project and its ability to earn them recognition in the process, they will be willing to do a lot.

Development of skills/Exposure: this is another currency worth mentioning. Should you be in a situation where the project requires more hands than experience, it may be a good opportunity to sell the prospect of gaining skills and exposure on a particular project or software involved. On-the-job training is something that many talented upstarts seek early in their career. Offer them the guidance and opportunity, and you may strike gold.

In the end, it's just good politics knowing what and how to make people feel good. And when they do, you will too.

Tip 6: Be prepared for the possibility of success
On your way to a successful campaign, your profile will be raised, doubt may creep into the team and jealousy will build. Any campaign will generate some kind of resistance. Essentially, you swap influence and inspiration for support from all kinds of people. You also have to deal with adversaries and opposition, which often comes quickly and from unexpected places. Hence, you need to be smart about taking in information and about dealing with misinformation.

When the stakes get higher, you will find that your supporters may fear the possibility of a public shaming due to failure. How do you deal with this? Have frequent communication with them and be upfront about the progress of the campaign. Whatever conflict or fear may arise, build a climate in which everyone will feel free to put ideas and information on the table. When you are completely open, the most effective and innovative solutions will often emerge.

What about getting out of the corporate race altogether? Shares Tom, a freelance management consultant, "I'm a product of the late 60's who tried the corporate world and quickly became disillusioned by politics, greed, lack of social conscience, ‘IN YOUR FACE’ managers, and the pecking order with it's associated maniacal battle to the top. I dropped out in the 90's and became a consultant for contract. It has its difficult moments and is not glamorous, but I have more control over my destiny. But guess what? I still have to put up with a certain degree of politics with my clients. It's not something you can totally eliminate."

Politics is here to stay, but it's not necessarily deserved of the bad press it gets. Remember, effective politics is about reaching mature compromises. Politics isn't about winning at all costs; rather, it's about maintaining relationships and getting results at the same time. How you play is up to you.