Слайд 2where do you stand on the topic of office politics?
Слайд 31
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3
4
5
6
Politics is caused by a bunch of scheming, self-serving, scam artists
that waste energy & time.
We need none of it!
Corporate politics is a wonderful, fun, and exciting tool that yields better decisions for companies.
We need more of it!
Politics is annoying, but I recognize that it is probably just a fact of corporate life.
I’ll play the game when I have to, hopefully not too often
Politics is bearable.
Politics is bad, but I can live with it.
I’ll just ignore it
Politics is generally good & we should all get better at it.
There is a place for politics in work
most people
Слайд 41
2
3
4
5
6
Politics is caused by a bunch of scheming, self-serving, scam artists
that waste energy & time.
We need none of it!
Corporate politics is a wonderful, fun, and exciting tool that yields better decisions for companies.
We need more of it!
Politics is annoying, but I recognize that it is probably just a fact of corporate life.
I’ll play the game when I have to, hopefully not too often
Politics is bearable.
Politics is bad, but I can live with it.
I’ll just ignore it
Politics is generally good & we should all get better at it.
There is a place for politics in work
how I want you to answer after this deck
Слайд 5i’ve got 3 questions i’d like you to consider
Слайд 6Q1: What bad experiences have you had with office politics that
create your assumptions?
Q2: Is an office without politics preferable?
Q3: Is an office without politics possible?
Слайд 7now I’ve got 1 perspective I’d like you to consider
Слайд 8politics is natural & unavoidable because people will always have different
and legitimate beliefs, issues, wants, needs, and sources of power
Слайд 9those differences are created biologically, environmentally, & because of organizational structure
Слайд 10so we’re all stuck with the differences however much we wish
it were not so
Слайд 11there must be a process to resolve conflicts that arise from
these natural and unavoidable differences
Слайд 13politics is neither good nor bad
Слайд 14however, how people implement politics can be good or bad
Слайд 15and last but not least, politics exist once there are two
or more people
Слайд 16so, don’t kid yourself, entrepreneurs
Слайд 18so what do we mean by bad politics?
Слайд 19Lying
Cheating
Stealing
Back Stabbing
Ego Tripping
Sucking Up
Manipulating
Self promotion
General Ignorance, which causes political pain to
those around you
Слайд 20and what do we mean by good politics?
Слайд 21Fair distribution of resources
The ability to invest in future firm returns,
with no immediate silo gains
Protection of minority interests
Ethical decision making
Strategic prioritization
Reduction of authoritarianism
Protection from “bad politics”
Engaging with bad politics rather than sticking our heads in the sand
Слайд 22and what do we get if we are good at good
politics
Слайд 23Get your projects up the priority list
Get resources or funding for
your project & team
Clear project barriers
Influence decision making
Compensation, acknowledgement and advancement
Get hard shit done
Help others succeed
Survive change and avoid trouble
Слайд 24here are a few really useful thoughts on the subject
Слайд 25“Politics has such a bad name that many good people persuade
themselves they want nothing to do with it. The ethical and spiritual apprehensions are understandable. But one cannot abjure politics.”
– John Gardner
Слайд 26“There is no doubt power can be used for evil purposes.
Of course most medicines can kill if taken wrongly, thousands die in automobile accidents each year, and nuclear power can provide energy or mass destruction. We do not abandon chemicals, cars or nuclear power. Instead we consider danger an incentive to get proper training.”
– Jeffrey Pfeffer
Слайд 27“Of course leaders are preoccupied with power! The significant questions are:
What means do they use to gain it? How do they exercise it? And to what ends do they exercise it?”
– John Gardner
Слайд 29“It is not enough for a leader to know the right
thing. He must be able to do the right thing. Leaders without the judgment or perception to make the right decisions fail for lack of vision. Those who know the right thing, but cannot achieve it, fail because they are ineffectual.”
Richard Nixon
Слайд 30so, how good are you at getting shit done…
Слайд 311
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I’m totally hopeless. Unless I have the authority to beat someone
to death if they don’t comply, dependent resources simply do whatever they want
I use Jedi mind powers on others – “these are not the droids that you are looking for”
I sometimes get what I want done, so long as my interests are aligned with the interests of dependent parties
I sometimes get what I want done, even if my interests are misaligned with the interests of dependent parties
I find it very difficult to get what I want done outside the scope of my direct reports
I often get what I want done, even if my interests are misaligned with the interests of dependent parties
Слайд 32what tools are in your ‘getting shit done’ tool box?
Слайд 34
Authority (or else)
Culture
(it’s right!)
Politics
(It’s in our interests)
Q: Are there
dangers of using each axis too much or too little?
What I need to use daily
What I’m good at and like
Слайд 35so with all that said, it is time to propose the
basic rule of ethical politics
Слайд 37accept that you need to be political to get shit done
Слайд 38but, in the process, never advance your own interests by harming
the business or by hurting other people
Слайд 39focus on building, protecting, and using your power
Слайд 40not on undermining the power of others
Слайд 41ok, so let’s assume that you agree with me that you
should be better at politics
Слайд 42in that case, the next step is to develop your Political
Intelligence and a plan to build and use your power
Слайд 45Title & “vestiges” of power (think corner office)
Authority to act
within a specific scope
Control of the allocation, access to, and use of specific resources “that others need”
Objective-setting, appraisal & compensation approval
Access to Information
Location in the info/social web
Centrality – how often you proxy
Connectedness – how many nodes you touch
Closeness – How close are you to connected nodes
Complexity – The # of nodes unique to you
Слайд 46political wisdom sidebar
Seasoned players know how to “create” resources to control!
Defend
your positional power from encroachment by other managers – But no Evil Politics!
Слайд 47take time to regularly update a positional power audit
Слайд 48how strong is your positional power?
Слайд 50extra credit
who has positional power around you? Why do they have
it?
Слайд 51power also comes from relationships
Слайд 52Step 1: Identify coalition partners & assess their relative power
Get out
there and meet people
Ask people in the know
Look at unit’s representation in larger decision-making
Look at who has benefited from previous decisions
Слайд 53Step 2: Create political capital
Just do a really good job
Build reciprocity
by being helpful & creating linkages. It’s never not in your Job Description
Help allies obtain greater power
Avoid ceding power to opposed alliances (but no Bad Politics, please)
Build alliances
Слайд 54political wisdom sidebar
Interdependence often arises from resource scarcity
Opposition is not about
disliking an “enemy”. It is about structural realities that drive differing, but legitimate, goals. The goals of Audit are structurally different from those of IT. It is not that they are a$$holes
Never force an ally (especially a superior) to expend their political power in your support
Use political capital before it depreciates. Reciprocity debt devalues quickly as people forget, or simply leave the firm. Political capital should not be hoarded. Capital Flow Velocity is more important
Слайд 55take time to regularly update a relational power audit
Слайд 56Answer these questions:
Q: Who do I need to succeed?
Q: Who needs
you to succeed? Can you make a power deal?
Q: Who is structurally (or otherwise) opposed?
Now fill out the table below for you (and potentially others)…
Start with those closest to you and move outwards based on prioritizing stakeholders
Слайд 58Reputation (perception is reality)
Ability to tolerate conflict and work with curmudgeons
Ability
to recognize bad politics and respond appropriately
Honesty, Trustworthiness and reliability
EQ, communication, persuasion skills and charisma
High value/demand expertise (be irreplaceable because you add value, not because you are a bottleneck)
Powerful ideas, enthusiasm, hard work and focus
Flexibility and the ability to get along
Confidence and stamina (endurance prevails over cleverness)
Слайд 59political wisdom sidebar
Invisible contributions have no political value
There’s nothing like a
perceived external threat to reduce internal conflict
Never, ever, ever send an email when you are angry
If a governor is up for re-election in 20 months, don’t bring to him a project that takes 24 months to complete
Слайд 60SHARE THIS DECK & FOLLOW ME
(please-oh-please-oh-please-oh-please)
Selena Sol asks…..
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stay up to date
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selena@selenasol.com
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/eric-tachibana/0/33/b53
Слайд 62
CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTIONS
Title Slide: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dbuedo/
Please note that all content &
opinions expressed in this deck are my own and don’t necessarily represent the position of my current, or any previous, employers