In my opinion, there are three major themes vital to navigating the political landscape in any organization. Through my research and experience, I’ve found one must “rise above rivalry, avoid power games, and build better relationships,”[1] as Karen Dillon writes in her Harvard Business Review Guide to Office Politics.
Rise Above Rivalry
First, to rise above rivalry, one must pay attention to and learn how politics are played in the organization. This will give you the tools to play their game in the way you want to play it. As Plato was quoted, “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” In learning to understand the politics of the organization, one must first understand who the major “players” or influencers are in the organization and who is most respected. This will help define the key people that hold power with whom relationships are vital.
One must then work to understand the key drivers, values, and issues that leadership holds most closely. Pay attention to buzzwords, prevalent talking points, and metrics that are tracked most. Use this to your advantage by learning and understanding these issues while implementing their verbiage into yours when appropriate. While many of us cringe at the thought of participating in politics, we must understand that if you don’t have power, you can’t stand up for what you believe is right.
Part of rising above the rivalry is understanding the groups or cliques that have been established in the organization. Again, we can identify who holds power within those groups (formally or informally) to better understand the dynamics of the group. Each group will have strongholds or significant agendas they wish to accomplish. What do they value most and what are they most sensitive to? In working with these groups, it can be helpful to identify what allies you have and begin building relationships there.
Avoid Power Games
Next, I think one can avoid power games in office politics by setting expectations. This can be done in different ways in one’s different networks. In the HBR video, “The Best Way to Play Office Politics,”[2] Linda Hill and Kent Lineback talk about three basic networks you must build: your immediate group or team that helps you get your job done, your strategic network that helps you prepare for the future, and your developmental network.[3]
In the team one manages, I believe it’s important to define appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. This includes philosophies and expectations regarding gossip, collaboration, teamwork, the chain of command, operating procedures, and a plethora of others. The same goes for one’s strategic network, which may include peers and supervisors, but may require a different approach, yet, no less professional. I think the key to managing politics in these areas is to work collaboratively and pay attention to the things learned above regarding the organizational structure.
Build Better Relationships
Third, building better relationships, in my opinion, takes a lot of the dirtiness out of the game of office politics. Building bridges, forming relationships, and making allies in the various groups of one’s organization and networks will pave the way to smoother negotiations and project development. Not engaging in office politics can restrict your progress, potential, and abilities. Pay attention to, but stay out of, the ugly side of politics.
One may ask themselves “how can I build friendly relationships with everyone in the organization without engaging in negative politics?” Working to understand opposing viewpoints may be strategies to foster this growth. For example, work to understand why others hold such views, what’s important to them, and what triggers the opposition. This is especially important with key stakeholders and those who hold power. To be successful, one must constantly foster relationships one wants and needs; even with those not necessarily liked.
Finally, it’s important to evaluate how people see you and understand how you make people feel. If one’s personality comes across offensive or uncollaborative, this can kill relationships.
Conclusion
I believe there are three aspects that are most important in managing office politics successfully; 1) rise above rivalry by understanding the political atmosphere, 2) avoid power games by setting and clarifying expectations, and 3) Build better relationships to foster collaboration. Politics are often viewed as distasteful, but it’s a game one has to play if one wants to move up in an organization. How are you going to play the game of office politics?
[1] Dillon, Karen, HBR Guide to Office Politics. (Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, Boston, MA. 2015). [2] Hill, Linda A. and Lineback, K., The Best Way to Play Office Politics. https://hbr.org/2011/01/the-best-way-to-play-office-po.html (Harvard Business Review, January 11, 2011). [3] Ibid See also: https://amzn.to/32Suytw
