More On Office Politics
Introduction
Many people feel that you must play politics and be Machiavellian to succeed in organisations. This can have disastrous consequences for you and your reputation as you become known as a political, manipulative creature.
It is better to understand and be astutely aware of the politics in your organisation; learn how to best handle that reality in an ethical manner:
"...If you think there are no politics in your workplace, you are either blissfully unaware or turning a blind eye to it. Organisations are power structured by their very nature, and as shown in workplace politics..."
Michelle Gibbings, 2023g
Furthermore,
"...Politics arises because people have different personalities, beliefs, priorities and goals, influencing decision-making, allocation of resources, and promotion (to name a few). when diverse personality and ambitions collide, politics takes centre stage..."
Michelle Gibbings, 2023g
Some ways to navigate office politics:
- notice politics, don't play politics (rather than plotting and scheming, it is better to develop the awareness and skills to thrive in the organisational landscape
"... Rather than plotting revenge, gossiping, playing politics and trying to undermine people around you so that you can come out on top - focus on acting with integrity, making wise choices and backing yourself..."
Michelle Gibbings, 2023g)
- identify and understand power sources (8)
i) legitimate (sometimes called positional power
"...it's the power that comes from the person's position and the expectations that the person has a formal right to make demands, which should be complied with..."
Michelle Gibbings, 2023g)
ii) reward (this is linked with transactional power that includes financial, recognition, etc; it's derived from somebody's ability to compensate a person for compliance, doing a good job, etc)
iii) expert (stems from a person's competencies, capabilities, knowledge, expertise, etc)
iv) referent (come from a person's perceived attractiveness, likeability, charisma, worthiness, etc that is manifested in other people's respect)
v) coercive (come from being able to punish others for non-compliance)
vi) informational (the ability to control the flow of information that others need)
vii) relational ( this is derived from a person's proximity to somebody who has positional/legitimate authority; for example, an executive assistant has considerable power owing to his/her proximity and strong relationship with his/her boss)
viii) collective (occurs when individuals come together to get something done such as teams working together)
NB Sometimes people hold several sources of power simultaneously; like a charismatic leader who is expert in a certain field holds legitimate, reward, expert, referent power, etc.
The strongest sources of power derived from being an expert (being a specialist) and referent (owing to personal appeal and charm).
- balance the power dynamics (understanding how the power sources operate in the workplace and how they influences behaviour; need to consider
"...who holds the decision-making authority? Who influences whom? Who controls the types of power in your stakeholder network, and how do they wield power? Are there balancing forces in the organisation, and how do they impact decisions..."
Michelle Gibbings, 2023g
There is often a power imbalance in an organisation with some people typically holding more power than others. This is most obvious in hierarchical structures to create inequalities in some positions hold more decision-making authority than others.)
- understand your own power dynamics (from where you derive your power, and its impact on you and others needs to be explored, ie
"...is the power bestowed by others or internally sourced? While some power is granted or given to us by others, there is a power that comes from within. These internal power reserves involved drawing on your inner courage, values and resilience. If you are holding true to your values, speaking up on things that matter. If you are being courageous......even when it's uncomfortable..."
Michelle Gibbings, 2023g
- sharing power (power is not inherently bad or good, it is how it is used that is important. For example, power dynamics can make it harder for marginalised or less popular voices to be heard; however, it can be used for good by encouraging diversity of views, challengi)ng assumptions, acting collaboratively, delegating authority, fostering autonomy, empowering staff, etc
Some questions worth considering
"...- How much effort do you put into sharing power at work?
- Do you closely guard its use?
- Do you seek to create a power imbalance deliberately?......
- Do you clearly communicate goals, expectations and decision-making processes to ensure power is exercised responsibly?
- Are you sharing information or hoarding information or sharing selectively?
- are you encouraging your team aims to share and collaborate, and rewarding good behaviour?..."
Michelle Gibbings, 2023g
- be diplomatic (be a keen observer of what is happening in your organisational environment, ie stay abreast of organisational development, changes and trends; be a good communicator; be politically astute, ie understand how decisions are made, who has influence; understand how conflicts are resolved:
"...practice diplomacy, choose your words thoughtfully, and adapt your message to resonate with different audiences. Learn to advocate for your ideas while considering the perspectives of others..."
Michelle Gibbings, 2023g
- build good relationships (established meaningful connections and alliances; identify and learn from individuals who have successfully manoeuvred through the organisational politics; encourage colleagues to share, learn from each other and advocate for each other.
"... Maintain integrity, demonstrate consistency and deliver high quality work. Cultivate a reputation for being reliable, authentic and trustworthy..."
Michelle Gibbings, 2023g
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