Aristotle : “Man is by nature a political animal." Love it, hate it, ignore it, practice it, avoid it, it’s a fact of organisational life. Playing politics is part of the work survival toolkit, which in our opinion at Just one in a crowd, simply cannot be avoided. Disagreements are inevitable with different personalities, values, opinions or beliefs. No organisation has infinite resources, so it is inevitable that people will jockey for time, power, money, promotions, recognition and knowledge. By not ‘managing’ politics, the organisation will be impacted by a decrease in overall productivity, lack of focus, demotivated employees, increased stress levels and act on the wrong information. Therefore, to ensure success in an organisation, you have to learn how to navigate through and adopt strategies to minimise the effect. From listening, observing and watching people in ‘power positions’ who command respect of others, I believe the following are vital to ensure personal success and enable navigation through the potential minefields of gossip, intrigue, rumour and questionable judgments that exist in most organisations. 1. Accept that politics exist To progress you have to play the game. To win a game you have to be part of it. Not all office gossip has a negative connotation; gossip is information that might just be necessary for you. Just consider the source it is from. 2. Own your own behavior Behave professionally and ethically. Protect your reputation and avoid trouble hotspots! Don’t rely on confidentiality and accept that things will be disclosed. Disengage when discussions turn to complaints or office gossip. Do what you say you’re going to do, alert people to problems and admit your mistakes! 3. Build Relationships Focus on your circle of influence. Get to know the ‘powerful’ people in the organization and make connections at all levels both through formal and informal networks. Who are the ‘real’ influencers? Who is respected? Who mentors others? Who really pulls the strings of the organization? Who are the decision makers? Who are the most important people to cultivate? Build influence by being knowledgeable, competent, trustworthy and dependable. 4. Gain visibility through promoting your accomplishments Be proud and advertise your success to make sure you are ‘noted’ and ‘known’. Attract opportunities where you can excel, challenge yourself and grow. 5. Understand the ‘informal ‘ network Who is good at what? Who knows whom? Who gets along with whom? Are there groups or cliques forming? Who wins support and respect from their peers? 6. Look to leadership to see how to act If you want to see collaboration and teamwork instead of petty rivalries and back stabbing, then set an example for your people. Act the way you want your people to act. Encourage a collaborative mindset within your team. 7. Keep one step ahead Adopt the character traits that lead to success: Learn to act Learn to read people Ingratiate yourself Be assertive Make your conscientiousness, honesty and rationality work for you Understand the motivations of others
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:40:53 +0000
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