Savvy: Ethically Navigate Workplace Politics - part 2
Political savvy is the ability to get things done and embrace the reality of conflicting forces within the organization. When you consciously engage with the political realities of the organization you can avoid the traps of competing issues and rivalries. You keep your career on track and use your talents to contribute to the organization in a positive way.
Developing your political savvy begins with creating your brand and building your network of contacts. These initial efforts are focused on developing self-awareness of your role in the organization. The next step of developing political savvy requires you to turn your attention outward and build your awareness of your organization’s culture and power map.
When you look out over your organization what do you see? The organizational terrain is formed by the history, values, behaviors, practices and expectations. Additionally, how do the power centers impact the terrain? Are there spots that generate energy and productivity while other spots are sink holes or a place where the energy swirls in a never-ending vortex. Understanding the organizational terrain allows you to choose how to most effectively engage and navigate the trickier aspects of the organization. Or at a minimum not get sucked into a vortex!
To understand the organizational terrain, start by identifying the organization’s culture. Culture refers to the shared values, norms, practices and history that shape the behavior and mindset of members within an organization. Values, practices and history are relatively easy to ascertain because they are often written down. Norms are harder to define because norms are the unwritten standards of conduct that dictate how employees are expected to act, interact, and perform their duties.
Make note of the values, general practices and the organizational history then move on to norms which take more time to identify. Begin by identifying at least 10 norms of the larger organization. Positive and negative. If you find this challenging it is helpful to observe behavior and talk with others to see what their opinions are about shared norms. From that list create a narrative about the culture of your organization, try to balance the good and the bad.
Once you have created a general narrative about the organization, examine how your behavior aligns with the positive aspects of the organization and how you can avoid or sidestep the negative aspects.
The second half of reading the organizational terrain is to define the organizational power map. This map identifies the people who hold power by having easy access to people, processes and information.
To create an organizational power map, begin with your own department. Identify people in positions that can influence the organization’s mission and culture. Ask yourself who are the:
Respected authorities: Those in an official position of authority that are seen as competent and generally liked.
Gatekeepers: Those individuals that have ease of access to information and/or key people.
Mentors: Those individuals that mentor younger less experienced employees.
The Brains: Those individuals that are recognized as experts in his/her field OR seen as great problem solvers.
In group/Out groups: These are groups of people that are seen as in favor with the senior administrators or not in favor.
Cliques: Individuals or groups that band together with an agenda (either hidden or not).
After you have completed the map of your department, define the power maps of the departments you interact with regularly. Consider your relationship with the influencers and power brokers you have listed. What needs to improve?
This initial survey of your political savvy provides you with information about yourself, the organization, and with whom you should build better relationships. The results provide a starting point for widening your circle of contacts and recharging relationships with your most valued associates. Continually building stronger relationships will return future dividends in the form of support for your career, goals and initiatives.
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Building strong and meaningful relationships requires skillful interpersonal skills. Below are a few suggested interpersonal skills that are particularly important for a politically savvy individual.
Listen. Practice the skill of listening to understand and not always listening to respond. Listen to everyone's opinion, and encourage people to speak up, especially if they don't often voice their opinions. Take time to acknowledge everybody's opinion, and let people know that you value them.
Actively build and maintain trust. If you want healthy and influential working relationships, you must cultivate trust. Be open and honest, no matter what. State your opinions, disclose your apprehensions, don't keep secrets. And when appropriate, extend trust. Readily demonstrate kindness, compassion, and empathy.
It is especially import for those in a leadership position to be personable. Trying to build your authority by distancing yourself from others creates distrust. You don't need to build friendships but get to know the whole person, especially those you work with often. Share information about yourself.
Cultivate Reliability Through Consistent Action. Inconsistency is the fastest way to ruin your reputation. Consistency, on the other hand, is slow but sure--if you execute your tasks effectively and on time, day after day, people will come to rely on you. The same is true when you execute a consistent style of leadership. Speak through your actions, working hard, and consistently achieving good results shows people that you're able to walk the walk. Demonstrate your ideas through real examples rather than telling others about your ideas. Bring facts to life in the form of a story or example.
Communicate Assertively. Being assertive is the only way to get your ideas noticed, especially when you're competing with others for visibility, such as in a meeting. However, there's a difference between being assertive and being aggressive. You'll need to present your thoughts and ideas with a high degree of confidence, indicating your convictions. Tread carefully, especially when you're unfamiliar with your audience or if you're presenting your thoughts on an area outside of your expertise. Assertiveness coupled with a willingness to recognize other’s points of view shows you are open-minded and fair. Qualities that are key to positive working relationships. Hold firm to your values and show you want to move the organization ahead by being flexible about how to get there.
Political savvy is an extraordinary asset, the goal is to become more respected, not to increase the likelihood of getting others to do your bidding.
One is a respectable journey to greater prominence and productivity, while the other is simply a power trip.