Getting to grips with organisational politics – part 1
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Few people say they enjoy organisational politics, yet this is a key feature of working life and something we have to get comfortable with especially if we want to progress. So how can we get to grips with this thorny issue? Here are some ideas:
1. First, let’s reframe politics as stakeholder management – organisational politics is about understanding what other people’s perspectives and agendas are on any given issue, which is exactly what stakeholder management is. Just changing the language can help us see the issue more clearly and with less dread. Scope out your key stakeholders or customers – what do you know about these people; their views, objectives, and drivers. Do you need to do more to understand them, to see how they view initiatives and proposals for change? It could well be the difficulties you experience with them are not political but simply a difference of opinion or perspective.
2. Resistance – many of us who dislike politics often believe that enthusiasm and a good plan will ‘win the day’. However, as the saying goes ‘the best-laid plans…’ so instead of leaving things to chance think carefully about where resistance to your ideas might come from and why. If we can scope this out in advance and show we have taken their concerns into consideration, we are far more likely to get agreement to our proposals.
3. Remember the key elements of stakeholder management are as follows:
4. Develop a habit of building relationships across an organisation as this will help you to understand the bigger picture, what is really driving the business and how all the different areas of the business knit together to support the achievement of organisational goals and objectives. This is particularly important for those of us wanting to reach senior management roles. Interest in the organisation and how it works will help you build value-driven networks which will support you to achieve your current and future objectives and deliver successful projects and initiatives.
5. Use your networks to scope out support and resistance to plans and proposals. Questions like:
TAKE AWAY
Most people dislike organisational politics but mostly it’s about understanding other peoples’ points of view. Reframing politics in this way can really unblock our potential to develop greater organisational awareness and understanding, ability to build value-driven networks and success in gaining support for our projects or initiatives.
1. First, let’s reframe politics as stakeholder management – organisational politics is about understanding what other people’s perspectives and agendas are on any given issue, which is exactly what stakeholder management is. Just changing the language can help us see the issue more clearly and with less dread. Scope out your key stakeholders or customers – what do you know about these people; their views, objectives, and drivers. Do you need to do more to understand them, to see how they view initiatives and proposals for change? It could well be the difficulties you experience with them are not political but simply a difference of opinion or perspective.
2. Resistance – many of us who dislike politics often believe that enthusiasm and a good plan will ‘win the day’. However, as the saying goes ‘the best-laid plans…’ so instead of leaving things to chance think carefully about where resistance to your ideas might come from and why. If we can scope this out in advance and show we have taken their concerns into consideration, we are far more likely to get agreement to our proposals.
3. Remember the key elements of stakeholder management are as follows:
- Build relationships by working on mutual projects or continuous improvement processes asking for feedback from those you work alongside
- Ask open questions to explore others’ views
- Listen carefully to understand rather than just to decide what you might say next
- Check you know what other people’s priorities and objectives are and what’s driving their agenda especially where it might affect your own work
- Be observant – watch what people do as well as say and if these seem not to match ask why
4. Develop a habit of building relationships across an organisation as this will help you to understand the bigger picture, what is really driving the business and how all the different areas of the business knit together to support the achievement of organisational goals and objectives. This is particularly important for those of us wanting to reach senior management roles. Interest in the organisation and how it works will help you build value-driven networks which will support you to achieve your current and future objectives and deliver successful projects and initiatives.
5. Use your networks to scope out support and resistance to plans and proposals. Questions like:
- How might this proposal affect you? What are the positives and negatives?
- What would induce you to support my proposal?
TAKE AWAY
Most people dislike organisational politics but mostly it’s about understanding other peoples’ points of view. Reframing politics in this way can really unblock our potential to develop greater organisational awareness and understanding, ability to build value-driven networks and success in gaining support for our projects or initiatives.