MANAGING CAREER – THE INS AND
OUTS OF OFFICE POLITICS
| You have probably
heard the term before and probably have even experienced
it if you have ever worked in an organization. Office
politics is a fact of life in organizations. Because organizations
are made up of individuals and groups with different values,
goals and interests, the potential exists for conflict
over resources. Departmental budgets, space allocations,
project responsibilities and salary adjustments are just
a few of the example of the types of resources over which
organizational members will disagree about who gets how
much. |
| "When
employees in organizations convert their power into action,
we describe them as being engaged in office politics." |
|
To gain control over these resources, people
exert power. People want to carve out a niche from which to
exert influence, to earn awards, and to advance their careers.
When employees in organizations convert their power into action,
we describe them as being engaged in office politics. Those
with good political skills have the ability to use their various
sources of power effectively to get what they need and want.
Although you may not like the idea of engaging in office politics,
it is important that you know how to be politically adept.
You can use the following suggestions to improve your political
effectiveness.
- Frame arguments in terms of organizational
goals:
Effective politicking requires camouflaging your self-interest.
People whose actions appear to blatantly further their own
interests at the expense of the organization are almost
universally denounced, are likely to lose influence, and
may even be expelled from the organization.
- Develop the right image:
Know your organization’s culture; understand what
organization wants and values from its employees. Because
the assessment of your performance is not a fully objective
process, you must pay attention to style as well as substance.
- Gain control of organizational
resources:
The control of scarce and important organizations resources
is a source of power. Knowledge and expertise and particularly
effective resources to control.
- Make yourself appear indispensable:
If the organization’s key decision makers believe
that there is no ready substitute for what you bring to
the organization, they are likely to go to great lengths
to ensure that your desires are satisfied.
- Be visible:
Make your boss and those in power aware of your contributions.
Routinely highlight your successes in reports, have satisfied
customers express their satisfaction to your managers, be
seen at company social functions, be active in your professional
associations, develop powerful allies who speak positively
about your accomplishments, and so forth.
- Develop powerful allies:
It helps to have powerful people on your side. Cultivate
contacts with potentially influential people above you,
at your own level, and at lower organizational levels. These
allies can provide you with important information that might
not otherwise be available.
- Avoid “tainted” members:
In every organization, there are individuals whose status
is questionable. Their performance and loyalty are suspect.
Keep your distance from such individuals so that your own
effectiveness is not compromised.
- Support your boss:
Your immediate future is in your boss’s hands. Since
he or she evaluates your performance, try to do whatever
is necessary to have your boss on the side. Make every effort
to help your boss look well and succeed, support your boss,
and find out what criteria will be used to assess your effectiveness.
Don’t peak negatively of your boss to others and definitely
don’t undermine your boss.
|
