Managing Politics
Organizational politics can feel like a game of survival. It can be hard to know whom to trust and how to navigate all of the informal, unofficial, and unwritten organizational rules. Yet, ignoring the realities of organizational politics could be detrimental to your career.
“Organizational politics are informal, unofficial, and sometimes behind-the-scenes efforts to sell ideas, influence an organization, increase power, or achieve other targeted objectives.”
Harvard Business Review reports that the root causes of political activities are often:
- Scarce resources (including time pressures)
- Social and structural inequalities
- Individual personal motivations
People seek alliances with like-minded individuals in attempts to acquire some of those scarce resources, right inequalities, and follow their own agendas. Yet, effective politics isn’t about winning at all costs, but about maintaining relationships while achieving results.
I have worked with organizations for 25 years and can give you tools to assess political situations, protect yourself, influence effectively, and thrive in your career. If you would like to better understand how to navigate the politics in your organization, please contact me.
Organizational Consulting & Executive Coaching
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