4 Dimensions of Office Politics that Matter Most
You probably think backstabbers and manipulators when someone brings up politics. If unethical office politics turn your stomach, good.
The back alleys of organizational life are filled with hateful backstabbing and self-serving manipulation. Don’t play there.
Office politics exist wherever people work. The larger an organization the more politics matter.
You can’t thrive in organizations by putting your head down, doing your work and ignoring other people.
Ethical office politics:
- Build good will.
- Foster collaboration.
- Add value to others.
- Let others help you.
4 dimensions of ethical office politics:
#1. Build relationships that serve your team.
Your team depends on others. They need resources and opportunities to shine. Constant collisions with other team leaders hinder your team’s ability to thrive.
- Serve colleagues when you have opportunity.
- Show up to help.
- Don’t be afraid to seek advice from ethical leaders.
#2. Build relationships that serve higher ups.
Don’t be the person who always shows up saying, “I need something.” You lose when you bring problems every time you talk to the boss.
Make life easier for the boss, ethically. Don’t sell your soul to the devil. And don’t cut corners or lie for your manager.
Find ways to row-with instead of rowing against.
#3. Build relationships that serve organizational mission.
Relationships help you add value. Where is the energy? Go there if you can. Who’s in the thick of things? Find ways to connect with them.
Know unofficial power players. Understand unofficial networks.
#4. Build relationships that develop your potential.
Connect with people who can enrich your life and career. Don’t be needy. Don’t manipulate. Earn opportunities with high performance and strong relationships.
Who is likely to get mentored by top people? Someone who raises their hand to participate or the person who keeps their head down.
How can leaders engage in office politics ethically?
What warnings can you to this topic?
Still curious:
10 Ways to Deal with Two-Faced Backstabbers
12 Strategies for Navigating Office Politics
Five Ways to Master Office Politics (From 2011)
You Can’t Sit Out Office Politics (hbr.org)
Dan – great stuff today. Relationships are so key. And as you pointed out, you have to bring something to the table. You can’t just be a taker. Be a giver.
Thanks, Kevin. It’s easy to fall into the “I need this from you” trap. A little bit of, “How can I help,” goes a long way to enhance collaboration.
How can leaders engage in office politics ethically?
1. Know who has the power to allocate resources (money, people, equipment, info etc.)
2. Know who can influence the people in the power positions.
3. Build relationships with both the power people and the influential people (become one of the influential people)
4. Align your requests with the organization’s, mission, vision, values, and strategy.
5. Deliver positive results. (Make the power person look good.)
Thanks, Paul. #2 was completely off my radar. So powerful.
Office “politics” when done ethically is really just networking and relationship building. Introverts struggle with reaching out and speaking up. Sometimes that takes a lot of energy and focus, but so worth it. When I started my new job, my manager gave me an onboarding list of people I should have a 1:1 with in my first 90 days. They were people that would be integral to my success in my new role. It was nerve-wracking to “cold call” those people and introduce myself, but it was SO WORTH IT! I developed relationships with so many people in the organization that normally would have taken years to develop!
I encourage my direct reports to reach out to others with questions, rather than reaching out to me for answers. Develop that network outside of your own workstream!
Great post today as always! Thank you, Dan!
Thanks for adding your experience, SB. So helpful. Onboarding is a great opportunity for new employees to build relationships, if orgs do what happened to you.
I’m with you. I need to push myself to reach out and connect. It’s so worth it, as you said.