Organizational Politics

It is an integral part of our corporate existence and yet we shudder to speak about it . We speak about it in hush hush .. terms as if the censor board is after us lest we are caught talking . There are electives around Organizational politics in many prestigious management institutes . But it is something that you may tend to learn more on the job and thru experience .There is even a free link to check your political savvy and here it is :

http://www.politicalsavvy.com/docs/quiz.html

Tests how politically savvy you are and provides feedback on the score as well …

This is taken from a book -Political savvy:Joel de Luca ( author of the book )


The host of books around this topic are

Joel R. DeLuca, Ph.D. led us through a discovery-based exercise from his book Political Savvy: Systematic Approaches to Leadership Behind-the-Scenes. Until recently, few books explained how to use political competence to build one’s career, improve a team’s results or boost the company’s bottom line. Samuel B. Bacharach, director of Cornell University’s Institute for Workplace Studies, published Get Them on Your Side. Rick Brandon and Marty Seldman have written Survival of the Savvy: High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career and Company Success. Art Kleiner weighs in with Who Really Matters: The Core Group Theory of Power, Privilege, and Success and then there is The Empowered Manager - Positive Political Skills At Work by Peter Bock

These books shed light on this crucial competency-political savvy which every leader needs to master.


So in normal day to day circumstances and organizational practices like performance management ratings, career progression decisions , job person match ie placement of people in organizations , deciding colleagues for high profile assignments there is a whole host of subjective parameters and factors that come into play and then the ones who did not get positively affected by those decisions would typically say – organizational politics at play etc . But what is the extent of its importance in organizational life ? That is upto the individual employee to decide and see the extent to which it affects them and look at the way it can be positively leveraged to ensure that there is a win win situation .. In situations where the decision is unfavorable the emotional quotient rather than IQ would come in the forefront to deal with complex situations . The aspect related to EQ here is understand yourself and others ie the motives, triggers etc . This is easier said than done . We could have a situation eg where a high profile star performer gets a good rating year on year and then may be for whatever reason is given a rating which did not match the performance / output and the past track record amongst other things ? So what is the answer for this situation . It is left to your interpretation and experience to derive insights out of this situation …


In their book Political Skill At Work(By Gerald R. Ferris, Sherry L. Davidson and Pamela L. Perrewe), the authors mention that the most common and effective methods for developing political skills that lead to influence are drama-based training, executive coaching and mentoring. Networking also helps create influence. And the authors explore research showing that women and minorities tend to have less political skill than men, often because they have less power in the office than men and because women in particular may view politics as an impediment to getting the real work done.Political skill enhances the work lives of those who have it in several ways.In an environment where employers increasingly "hire for fit"--seeking candidates who seem to match well with the organization--candidates with good political skills will seem to fit anywhere because they can read the situation well and use networks effectively.



Here's a definition of Politically Savvy for your perusal

Political Savvy
The ability to exhibit confidence and professional diplomacy, while effectively relating to people at all levels internally and externally.
Key Behaviors
Demonstrates an understanding of the interrelationships, roles and responsibilities of your organization.
Develops and maintains professional relationships.
Uses knowledge of the organizational culture in making decisions and perceives the impact and implications of such decisions.
Identifies when issues need to be escalated to higher authorities and effectively alerts appropriate officials.
Demonstrates sensitivity to surroundings and acts accordingly in conversations.
Perceives organizational and political sensitivities and acts accordingly.
Understands the political environment, management priorities, staff roles and responsibilities, and grasps external factors impacting the organization.
Ensures positive outcomes and mission achievement.
Understands corporate priorities, cultural norms and unwritten rules for success.
Understands different people’s attitudes about power and politics and adapts personal approaches for optimal influence.
http://hr.od.nih.gov/workingatnih/competencies/core/political.htm

Ideas for Developing this Competency:
· Serve on a community outreach program.
· Read the newspapers, books and other publications with comprehensive political analyses (several available on-line). Expose yourself to opposing viewpoints on particular issues.
· Listen to radio and TV programs which cover political issues.
· Speak with people in your organization who understand the internal and external politics that affect the agency.
· Participate in statewide leadership team meeting in some role such as scribe or facilitator.
· Serve on a nationwide policy group.