Office politics
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Transcript of Office politics
Group Formation &
Efectiveness
Principles Gestalt
Social Field
Consistency
Group Development
Formation
Exploration
Competition
Co-operation
Discipline
Free association
Essential components of Group
Effectiveness
Effective level of functioning-Ability to
contribute towards functional aspect of tasks
Group cohesiveness-Ability to relate
emotionally to each other and task
Stability- Ability to stand up to resistence and
frustration
Conflict
Conflict is natural in any group especially in new group like ours –After formation/exploration competition is natural Group is also a living organism and behaves like one
Effect of environment has polluted healthy competition
We tend to walk on corpse of others
Unrealistic sense of superiority and ego
Overlap of personal and official act
Modernisation and cultural upheaval has its own effect
till Culture is set in
Org becomes superior to individual
Conflict leads to politics
Manifestation
Giving wrong input
Misdirecting
Keeping information secret
Trying to be one up man or I am the best
Unexpected problem in process and procedure
Below par performance of the group
Passing on buck
Feeling happy on failures of others rather than being happy on others success
Jealous versus zealous & envious
Me and me alone matters
Group is subservient to individual
Individual game rather than group game
Power game to keep people under thumb
Office politics
Cherrington defines ”Activities within
organization designed to acquire develop
and use power in conscious way to obtain
once preferred outcome or to manipulate a
situation for one’s own purpose” In politics perception is more important than
content/substance.
Office politics – a taboo word for some people.
It’s a pervasive thing at the workplace.
Definition… contd
In it’s simplest form, office politics is simply
about the differences between people at work;
differences in opinions, conflicts of interests
are often manifested as office politics. It all
goes down to human communications and
relationships.
There is no need to be afraid of office politics. Top
performers are those who have mastered the art
of winning in office politics.
Organisational politics
Legitimate-Normal common politics used are
like Complaining to superior
Short circuiting the boss
Forming coalition
Working to rule
Stalling
Stonewalling
Organisational politics…contd
Illegitimate(Risky and may invite sanction and even dismissal) Whistle blowing
Mass bunking
Go slow
Power politics With purpose
Reason-Use of facts and data to make a logical or rational presentation of ideas
Coalition
Friendliness-Getting support of the people in the Organisation to back up request
Bargaining-Use of negotiation through exchange of benefits or favour
Assertiveness-Use of direct and forceful approach such as demanding compliance with request ,repeating reminders ,ordering individuals to do what is asked and pointing rules that require compliance
Higher authority-Gaining support of higher levels in the Organisat6ion to back up support
Organisational politics…contd
Subordinates
Reason
Assertiveness
Friendliness
Coalition
Bargaining
Higher authority
Sanction-use of rewards and punishment like
negative report ,pay withdrawl
HABIT #1 – BE AWARE YOU
HAVE A CHOICE
Common reactions to politics at work like normal
human are either fight or flight.
Office is a modern jungle, but it takes more than
just instinctive reactions to win in office politics.
Instinctive fight reactions will only cause more
resistance to whatever you are trying to achieve;
while instinctive flight reactions only label you as a
pushover that people can easily take for granted.
Neither options are appealing for healthy career
growth.
HABIT #1 – BE AWARE YOU
HAVE A CHOICE
• Winning requires you to consciously
choose your reactions to the
situation. Recognize that no matter
how bad the circumstances, you
have a choice in choosing how
you feel and react. So how do you
choose? This bring us to the next point…
Habit#2-Know What you are trying to
achieve
When conflicts happens, it’s very easy to be sucked into tunnel-vision and focus on immediate differences. That’s a self-defeating approach. Chances are you’ll only invite more resistance by focusing on differences in people’s positions or opinions.
Hence rather than showing you’re fighting to emerge as a winner in this conflict focus on the business objectives.
In the light of what’s best for the business,
discuss the pros and cons of each option.
Eventually, everyone wants the business to be successful otherwise nobody in the organization wins.
It’s much easier for one to eat the humble pie and back off when they realize the chosen approach is best for the business.
Habit#2-Know What you are trying
to achieve
By learning to steer the discussion in this
direction, you will learn to disengage from
petty differences and position yourself as
someone who is interested in getting things
done. Your boss will also come to appreciate
you as someone who is mature, strategic and
can be entrusted with bigger responsibilities.
HABIT #3 – FOCUS ON YOUR
CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE
At work, there are often issues which we have
very little control over.
Common to find corporate policies, client
demands or boss mandates which affects your
personal interests.
Bitching and complaining are common responses to
these events that we cannot control.
But other than that short term emotional outlet, what
tangible results do bitching really accomplish? Mostly
none.
Instead of feeling victimized and angry about the
situation,
HABIT #3 – FOCUS ON YOUR
CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE
focus on the things that you can do to influence the
situation – your circle of influence. This is a very
empowering technique to overcome the feeling of
helplessness.
It removes the victimized feeling and also allows others to
see you as someone who knows how to operate within
given constraints.
You may not be able to change or decide on the eventual
outcome, but you can walk away knowing that you have
done the best within the given circumstances.
Constraints are all around in the workplace; with
this approach, your boss will also come to
appreciate you as someone who is understanding
and positive.
HABIT #4 – DON’T TAKE SIDES
In office politics, it is possible to find yourself stuck in between two power figures who are at odds with each other.
You find yourself being thrown around while they try to outwit each other and defend their own position. All at the expense of you getting the job done.
You can’t get them to agree on a common decision for a project, and neither of them want to take ownership of issues;
they’re too afraid they’ll get stabbed in the back for any mishaps.
HABIT #4 – DON’T TAKE SIDES
In cases like this, focus on the business objectives and don’t take side with either of them – even if you like one better than the other.
Place them on a common communication platform and ensure open communications among all parties so that no one can claim “I didn’t say that”.
By not taking sides, you’ll help to direct conflict resolution in an objective manner. You’ll also build trust with both parties. That’ll help to keep the engagements constructive and focus on business objectives.
HABIT #5 – DON’T GET
PERSONAL
In office politics, you’ll get angry with people. It happens. There will be times when you feel the urge to give that person a piece of your mind and teach him a lesson. Don’t.
People tend to remember moments when they were humiliated or insulted. Even if you win this argument and get to feel really good about it for now, you’ll pay the price later when you need help from this person. What goes around comes around, especially at the work place.
HABIT #5 – DON’T GET
PERSONAL
To win build a network of allies which you can tap into else during a crisis someone screw you up because they habour ill-intentions towards you – all because you’d enjoyed a brief moment of emotional outburst at their expense.
Another reason to hold back your temper is your career advancement. Increasingly, organizations are using 360 degree reviews to promote someone.
Even if you are a star performer, your boss will have to fight a political uphill battle if other managers or peers see you as someone who is difficult to work with. The last thing you’ll want is to make it difficult for your boss to champion you for a promotion.
HABIT #6 – SEEK TO UNDERSTAND,
BEFORE BEING UNDERSTOOD
The reason people feel unjustified is because
they felt misunderstood.
Instinctively, we are more interested in getting the
others to understand us than to understand them
first.
Top people managers and business leaders have
learned to suppress this urge.
HABIT #6 – SEEK TO
UNDERSTAND, BEFORE BEING
UNDERSTOOD
Surprisingly, seeking to understand is a very
disarming technique.
Once the other feels that you understand where
he/she is coming from, they will feel less
defensive and be open to understand you in
return.
This sets the stage for open communications to
arrive at a solution that both parties can accept.
Trying to arrive at a solution without first having
this understanding is very difficult – there’s little
trust and too much second-guessing.
HABIT #7 – THINK WIN-WIN
As we understand political conflicts happen
because of conflicting interests.
Perhaps due to our schooling, we are taught that
to win, someone else needs to lose.
Conversely, we are afraid to let someone else
win, because it implies losing for us.
In business and work, that doesn’t have to be
the case.
HABIT #7 – THINK WIN-WIN
Learn to think in terms of “how can we
both win out of this situation?” This
requires that you first understand the other
party’s perspective and what’s in it for him.
Next, understand what’s in it for you. Strive to
seek out a resolution that is acceptable and
beneficial to both parties. Doing this will
ensure that everyone truly commit to the agree
resolution and not pay only lip-service to it.
Master game of Office politics
“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.”
Empathy is key to deal with senior/junior/colleagues alike helps crumble wall of politics
“Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.”
Expertise/competence-Be the best in whatever and where ever you are at present . Organisationor the people have no option but to give you way. Cultivate Expertise. Dependency is key to power and will happen if you have something scarce unique and important
Master game of Office politics
Fairness and firmness and honesty in all
action/speech/dealing cannot be shrouded
Be Positive: Never say no when asked to do
favours and cash it when you need to get
things done
Always explain your benefit to the company
Squeaky clean reputation
Present ideas to help organisation
Master game of Office politics
Align with the powerful: Be visible ,make
friends with those who have power to influence
(Unethical but true)
One step a time-Inch your way
Wait for crisis: Go out of way to help. You will
look good
Cultivate nuisance value: Be loud complainer
.You will be heard (Unethical and non paying
in long term)
Master game of Office politics
High energy-Remain afloat in spite of
Organisational stress /strain . Sustenance of
energy which decides the winner. Remain a
fighter and fighter fights to win and you cannot
leave
Balance between office and home- Don’t
allow office to interfere with home and vice –
vesa
Master game of Office politics
Credit theft is lowbrow -Credit theft is the trademark of the unsophisticated (and greedy) operator. He or she might look powerful, but it's probably an illusion.
Embrace Change -Change creates turbulence, and turbulence creates opportunities. Stability is for those who want to play a defensive game, and in today's environment, defense is not where you want to be.
Be funny when you want to be -Humor can make the difference between confrontation and collaboration. If you aren't funny, you can learn; if you're already funny, take care to use your talent sparingly and at the right times
Master game of Office politics
Bottom of Form
Know that workplace politics isn't a game -
Sometimes we talk about "playing the game,"
but thinking of politics that way is self-
destructive. Workplace politics is not a game.
Skill in managing organizational politics is
helpful to managers who must compete with
others for resources, but it's also helpful to
project managers.
If you are sucked in to it then..
Practice Positive Politics
Know the difference between Blame and Responsibility
Deal with Rumors Decisively
Practice ethical influence
Exploit Smart Tactics
Be Prepared to lead
Know How to Face the Tough Challenges
Practice Smart Strategy
Understand the Politics of Communication
Manage Your Relationships with the More Powerful
Know How to Deal with the Devious
Practice Positive Politics
Politics can be constructive
Understand what politics is
There is a time and place for both pragmatism
and ideology
Favor inclusiveness over domination
Shorten your time horizon
Abandon behaviorism and revenge
Practice Positive Politics
Narrow your own goals
When things turn toxic, get help
When a difficult conversation is ahead, prepare
Know your options when you're asked for a favor
Know how to respond to requests for favors
Know how to make peace
Know the difference between Blame
and Responsibility
Know the culture you work in
Be attuned to language
Notice diagnoses
Notice the grumbling
Notice whether Blame runs downhill or uphill
Notice whether we blame processes
Notice whether CYA is a standard business
procedure
Know the difference between
Blame and Responsibility
Notice whether you apply revised policy
retroactively
Notice whether you revise policy in response to
success
Notice whether you have people who are
"designated winners"
Notice whether we blame people for breaking
unwritten rules
Notice whether people get sandbagged
Avoid blaming yourself
Treat retrospectives with care
Know the difference between
Blame and Responsibility
Acknowledge failure -- maybe
Never, ever, kill the messenger
Messenger deaths have long-lasting effects
Watch out for spin
Re-educate and reassign, but don't destroy
There's no way to use Blame constructively
Conflict isn't always what it seems
Deal with Rumors Decisively
Be careful how you think about rumors
You can't shut down the rumor mill
In responding to rumors, make your self-esteem
your first priority
Manage your knee-jerk reactions
Don't spread rumors
Rumors become more damaging with age
Deal with Rumors Decisively
Most rumors are credible
Packaged rumors spread more rapidly
Quelling a rumor is a waste of time
Dismissing rumors doesn't work
Respond constructively
Circulate the truth
Deal with Rumors Decisively
Truth flies on emotional wings
Openness can be risky
Leave no voids
Don't wait for rumors to develop
People will worry if they want to
The First Rule of Rumor Management
Be prepared to reorganize
Practice ethical influence
As a "newbie", learn about ethics from the
veterans
In for a penny, in for a pound
Trust only the trustworthy
Don't appeal to judges or the public
Accept that loyalties change
Avoid actions that need to be covered up
Behave in ways you can be proud of
Beware personal benefits
Practice ethical influence
Even inaction is action
Tricky language is neither protection nor a valid
excuse
Know the law, but don't abuse its protection
Finagling budgets to conceal trouble is trouble
Know the indicators of gray areas
Be skeptical of security precautions
Check politics at the door
Practice ethical influence
Avoid exporting your troubles
Looking the other way is usually unsafe
When you look the other way, you risk involvement in
discrimination
When you look the other way, you risk involvement in
cronyism
When you look the other way, you risk involvement in
bullying
When you look the other way, you risk involvement in theft
or goldbricking
When you look the other way, you risk involvement in
sexual, political or religious harassment
Seekers of illicit information use "holography"
Exploit Smart Tactics
Delay is always an option
Choose your battles
Practice the art of compromise
Sometimes it's best to walk away
Choose your dance partners
Make agreements explicit
Make exchanges contemporaneous
Exploit Smart Tactics
Keep loads uniform
Space milestones evenly
Milestones near deliveries are critical
Deliver usable results at regular intervals
Help the customer with the post-delivery
environment
Expect confidences to be broken
Exploit Smart Tactics
Negotiate time limits for confidences
Negotiate a limited right to repeat confidences
Negotiate escape clauses for confidences
Don't staff the ammo dump
Choose your enemies carefully
Ask permission (and get it) before you give
advice, feedback or help
Be funny when you want to be
Be Prepared to lead
Share the credit
You can't control what people believe
Use empathy to frame messages effectively
Knowing when to act or speak is as important as the act or the speech
To lead, motivate, inspire or deter, appreciate the internal state of others
Know how to inspire people to achieve an immediate goal
Know how to inspire people to achieve a distant goal
Know when people are overloaded
Be Prepared to lead
Work always to improve your empathy skills
Reject the myth that a few firings will shape
them up
Reject the myth that pay-for-performance is
the answer
Reject the Strategy of the Whip
Do what you can to enhance retention
Learn how to build a trusting environment
Know the signs of an untrusting group culture
Be Prepared to lead
Know how to deal with "knife-edge performers"
Don't do virtual terminations
Be skeptical of indirect measurements
People aren't bolts of cloth
Leader, measure thyself
Measure your metrics
You don't always get what you measure
Know How to Face the Tough
Challenges
Know what problem you're solving
Be certain that the problem you're solving is
yours to solve
Consider what happens if you wait
If the problem isn't yours, whose is it?
Be certain that you're solving the right problem
Address first the smallest problem you can
usefully address
Know How to Face the Tough
Challenges
Consider asking for help
Know what kind of help would help
Consider the confrontation option
Take inventory of what you already know
In meetings, be aware of solution-seeking
In problem-solving meetings, diplomacy is
essential
Negotiate from their perspective
Practice Smart Strategy
Superior job performance is your foundation
Get a coach
Know that workplace politics isn't a game
Understand how political attack differs from routine politics
Political attackers have the advantage of planning
Political attackers have the advantage of surprise
Political attackers control the tempo of the exchange
Political attackers can control timing
Political attackers can choose their venues
Political attackers can exploit prepositioned assets
Political attackers are usually more comfortable with attacking
Practice Smart Strategy
Think beyond precedent
Work hard but not too hard
Rest when you can
Acquiring resources can be a distraction
Don't ride point
Always, always have a backup plan
Know what to do when all your options are bad
Practice Smart Strategy
Accept the bad news as good news
When you hit a dead end, change your tactics or strategy
Dogma, politics, budget and schedule tend to bias our hunt for solutions
Suspect first the distasteful parts of a broken solution
When trouble strikes, increase information distribution
When trouble strikes, take smaller bites
For first-of-kind efforts, educate everyone about the inevitability of setbacks
Practice Smart Strategy
Be wary of near-completion setbacks
Reward honesty and failure
Reduce overload
Read
Know what other people are reading
Change your experience instead of changing other people
Get in touch with your "No"
Organizational psychopaths do exist
Embrace Change
Understand the Politics of
Communication
Deliver the headline first
Use the "So What?" test to determine the
headline
Deliver the bad news first
Choose task names and code names carefully
When in trouble, don't talk -- deliver
Short schedules help perceptions
Don't expect breakthroughs to erase anxiety
Understand the Politics of
Communication
Use a four-step framework when presenting to persuade As presenter, don't evaluate questions
As presenter, stay out of the rabbit hole
As a virtual presenter, make special preparations
As a virtual presenter, beware technology
Know the special techniques of virtual presenters
When you're asked a question, let the questioner ask the question When you're asked a question, make sure you
understand
When you're asked a question, withhold derision
When you're asked a question, stay in bounds
Understand the Politics of
Communication
Don't joke about serious matters
Know how to handle spacing out
Be right
Learn to recognize brilliant questions
Learn how to ask brilliant questions
Learn to deal with ambush questions
Learn to deal with leading questions
Know some tactics for ending conversations
Understand the Politics of
Communication
Learn to deal with loaded questions
Learn to deal with implied accusations
Learn to deal with pressure tactics
Learn to deal with cheap shots
Learn to deal with trap construction
Learn to deal with zingers
Know the most common dismissive gestures
Know some tactics for changing the subject
Understand the Politics of
Communication
Keep a working journal
Understand the three varieties of
condescension
Know when to hold back
Know when to walk away
Groups have their own minds too
Language does count
Become familiar with the rhetorical fallacies
Manage Your Relationships with
the More Powerful
Be careful about how you experience
mistreatment
Avoid the Fundamental Attribution Error
When the situation is unacceptable, accept
that it is unacceptable
When in trouble, seek support
When in trouble, remember that some things
aren't about you
Base your self-esteem on yourself
Manage Your Relationships with
the More Powerful
When leaders fight, everyone feels the pain
A fight between leaders is a performance issue
for the feuders' supervisor
In proximity to a leadership feud lies danger
In a leadership feud, you can lose (win) even if
your boss wins (loses)
Prepare for the day when peace arrives
Manage Your Relationships with
the More Powerful
Avoid the role of fender
Hands-on project managers risk schedule collisions
Hands-on project managers have inherent conflicts of interest
Hands-on project managers are more susceptible to distraction
Hands-on project manager roles create team risk
Decision-makers are biased in favor of the hands-on project manager role
Currying favor is a corrosive tactic
Manage Your Relationships with
the More Powerful
Know the tactics of ingratiators
Know what to do when others curry favor with
your boss
If your boss really is a dolt, look above
If your boss is a dolt, worrying won't help
If you're really unhappy in your job, fish or cut
bait
To stay in a so-so job, make a commitment to
it
Manage Your Relationships with
the More Powerful
Know what to do if your boss's poor
performance affects yours
If you undertake a coup d'etat and fail, you pay
Managing your boss really isn't in your job
description
What you can do to others can be done to you
Know and recognize the three
types of promotions
Know & recognise three types of peromotion If you're aiming for a promotion, know your real motivations
To get the right promotion at the right time, know your true capabilities
When seeking a promotion, see yourself as others see you
For a promotion in place, know that your contributions won't change in kind
To gain a promotion in place, understand your employer's goals
To gain promotion, clean up your act
To gain a promotion, attend to relationships
To gain a promotion in place, get known as a resource
To gain a promotion, document your contributions
If you're aiming for a promotion in place, check
the resources
For a promotion in line, understand your
employer's goals
To win a promotion in line, demonstrate capability
To win a promotion in line, be replaceable
To win a promotion in line, make the people you
work with look good
To win a promotion in line, be flexible about
relocation and travel
When you're entering as the lowest in rank,
enter gently
As a "newbie", know the value you bring to the
team
As a "newbie", establish credibility
opportunistically
Know how to identify a micromanager
Know how to deal with a micromanaging boss
Know when to break the rules
Know How to Deal with the
Devious Your enemy might not be your enemy
Credit theft is lowbrow
Talk about credit theft
Credit thieves spare no one
Watch for blowback
Complexity is your friend
Know how to deal with the minimalist stonewaller
Know how to deal with the parental stonewaller
Know how to deal with Major-Major-Major stonewalling
Know how to recognize a lateral micromanager
Understand the tactics of the lateral micromanager
Fight back when you must
Beware the hypothetical trap
False opportunities abound
Beware diversions
Flirtation, flattery and romance are not always what they seem
Know how to deal with nepotism and patronage
Beware the non-chance chance meeting
Some people fly false flags
Trust-building isn't just for the trustworthy
It seems like a mistake, but it could be bait
Disinterest isn't always what it seems
Relationship-building isn't either
Beware the conspiracy as tactic
Recognize rhinestone opportunities
Decline diversions
Avoid dead ends
Forgo forays
Don't do calisthenics
Don't run three-legged races
Recognize the hit-and-run
Recognize the proxy target
Learn to recognize confidential disinformation
When there is a favored subordinate, make a decision
Beware unfair information swaps
The rational model of human behavior is often wrong
Negotiators might not be acting irrationally
Deceptive negotiators can use intimidation tactics
Deceptive negotiators can use shame-based tactics
Deceptive negotiators sometimes seize the drafting role
Deceptive negotiators can exploit the drafting role
Injustice for one leads to injustice for all
Beware the Hospital Pass
Anticipate alliances
Be wary of empire builders
Dividers-and-Conquerors are dangerous