CEO Chronicles # 35 : How To Be A Genius At Office Politics! September 8th, 2020
Office Politics? BLEH! That is our usual first response.
When I think of “office politics”, I recall fearing away from the backstabbers and the sycophants. I remember the gossip and rumours and the put-downs. And I remember trying my best to stay away and ignore and hide my head in the sand.
I was WRONG!
Office politics are a fact of life. In fact, politics exists anywhere there are two or more humans. Politics exist in families, in relationships, among neighbours, between communities. I realized (a little too late) that I could not escape or outrun politics.
Don’t make the mistake I made.
Let us learn how you can use politics to promote yourself and acquire power without compromising yourself or your values.
The Gospel According To Mark
“What is politics?” asked Mark, rhetorically. “Politics is defined as ‘activities aimed at improving someone’s status or increasing power within an organization’. Politics, by itself, is not a negative word – it is a word that has been unfairly loaded with negative connotations.”
Mark was speaking to a group of mid-level managers in a workshop on Career Success. Mark was a former CEO, who had recently commenced his second career in mentoring and coaching managers and professionals.
“There are two reasons you need to understand and practice politics,” he told the group, who were listening to him intently.
“One, practicing “good” politics helps you to further your and your team’s interests.”
“Two, being aware of the “bad” politics around you helps to avoid pain.”
“Let me tell you my experiences in ABC Corp.,” Mark said, leaning back against the table, “and then, we can list the 3 lessons that we should all learn!”
The Three Commandments
ABC Corp. was a mid-sized, regional company, with about 500 employees. I joined them in 2004 as Commercial Manager.
Before joining, I was warned that the company was very ‘political’. I was told that there were different ‘power centres’ and ‘influencers’, and that I would be miserable and fail. I was also told that too many ‘good’ employees had to leave because they could not deal with the office politics and the toxic environment.
So, I decided to take matters in hand from Day One.
Mapping The Terrain
The first thing I did was to understand the formal Organization Chart. Then, I made another chart for myself, which called the Political Chart. In this, I mapped the sources and flows of informal, political power.
For example, I found that the Managing Director’s personal assistant, while quite low in the hierarchy, had a large influence on many aspects of the office. Similarly, the payroll manager seemed much more powerful than his title indicated.
By doing this, I was able to, over 4-5 weeks, understand who were the people who were respected, who were the real influencers, who were laid back, and who were assertive. Quickly, I learnt that the Managing Director would not approve any contract without consulting the operations manager. And that the Marketing Director could not get along with the CFO.
Once I had a good grasp of the Political Chart, I began to see where the power and influence lay. Then, as a natural progression, I began to see the informal networks that ran in parallel within the company. I rapidly learnt who got along with who, and which cliques were close and which were loose. Finally, I learnt who the ‘insiders’ were and who the ‘outsiders’ were. I was becoming an expert at office politics!
Now, I knew to whom to go for what, which buttons to press, which channels to avoid. Within 3 months, I was on my way to becoming an ‘insider’.
Connecting the Dots
[“Wow, that’s an amazing insight!” thought Luke. “I can visualize my company’s Political Chart, and God, it is very different from the Organization Chart!”]
The next thing I did was to plan and build my own network.
Now that I knew how ABC Corp. really worked, that I had mapped the lakes and pools of power and influence, and the rivers and streams that seemed to connect or avoid them, I asked myself how can I best integrate and thrive within this ecosystem?
By now, I already had a decent relationship with my own team members. It was time to look beyond across the hierarchy in all directions – co-workers, managers and executives.
First, I listed out the 6 ‘politically connected’ colleagues who could make or break my career. Step by step, I got to know them. I worked hard, and ensured that anything they asked for was done quickly and done well. Often, I gave them proactive ideas and suggestions and let them use these as their own. Twice, I took charge of projects I knew they were keen on, and completed them.
Spreading Myself Thick
I did not align myself with any specific person or group. Mostly, I tried to be friendly with everyone, and did my best not to step on any toes. And I did my best to keep my commitments, to be reliable and responsive, to support and help wherever I could.
I became, by design, an ‘associate’member in most of the cliques. By ‘associate member’, I mean that I did not join them as part of the gang, but made sure that I was considered a friend and a part-time member, joining them sometimes out of choice rather than obligation.
Over the next 6 months, I assimilated myself into the organization and into the office politics. I knew I had succeeded when a senior colleague told me, “You’ve been here only 8 months! Man, it seems like you’ve been here 8 years!”
By doing this, both my team and I built a positive brand within ABC Corp. We were liked and trusted. This helped us get things done faster, and be more efficient and effective, which made perceptions even more positive, in a virtuous spiral.
Bridging The Chasms
[“I know I can do this,” thought Mathew. “Networking, like Mark says, can make our team stand out and be seen. As soon as I get back…”]
The third step I took was to look at the ‘dark side’. Till then, I was wary of ‘negative office politics’. I tried my best to steer away from people who I thought were unfriendly, manipulative or toxic.
That ‘hide-my-head-in-the-sand’ approach is of no use. You cannot ignore the thorns of a rosebush. You have to learn to deal with them.
I am sure all of you have heard Sun Tzu’s timeless phrase, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
I started building (guarded) relationships with the manipulators and power brokers. Why? So that I could understand their intent, their objectives. And once I understood these, I was able to evaluate whether they posed a danger to my team, and if they did, I could take preemptive action.
Sheep In Wolf’s Clothing
What I found was sad. Most of these negative people were insecure, unsure and fearful. They were trying their best to survive in what they saw was a hostile environment. Little did they realise that their actions were only alienating them. Surprisingly, over the next few months, I actually made quite a few good friends in this group. Once they recognized that I was not a threat to them or their little ‘kingdoms’, they became quite helpful and supportive.
There was only one person who I could not influence. He was truly poisonous. Luckily, I did not have to deal much with him, and by the time I completed a year, he had left the company.
The amazing outcome of this third step was that I began to be seen as some kind of ‘bridge’ between different people and groups. More and more colleagues approached me to communicate or negotiate or mediate on their behalf. Every time I did and was successful, my power and influence increased. Even the manipulators wanted me as a mediator!
Go Forth And Multiply
[“I am so glad I attended this workshop,” thought John. “Everything Mark said makes sense, and there is no reason for me not to follow these steps!”]
“So, there are the three lessons,” said Mark, looking around the room. “It is time to stop ignoring office politics and become a genius at managing them.”
“These are the Three Steps :
- Understand and map your organization’s ‘Political Chart’
- Plan and develop your “Internal Network”
- Prepare and position yourself as the “Friendly Mediator”
“Once you master these three steps, you will conquer office politics, and make it work for your success and growth.”
“Any questions?”
****
Do send your inputs to me, either as a comment or as a PM.
Cheers | Shesh | Singapore | 08 September 2020.
Post Script :
- For other interesting CEO Chronicles click here.
- Follow me so that you don’t miss the next issue of CEO Chronicles.
#BillionDollarLearnings #radicaladvice #ceochronicles #purpose #mentoring #careers #career #careeradvice #careerguidance #bestadvice #personaldevelopment
