Organizational politics is deeply embedded in any Organization. It must be played with care and a full understanding of the landscape, players and rules. Like any good sports team, preparation before the game makes the game much easier to play and gives you a better chance of winning. Below are a few essential skills that will help you play the game better.
- Be data driven: Usually, data wins over any sort of political agenda. When you are data driven, you rely on the facts and that is your best method to dissolve any sort of political positioning.
- Foster alliances: You need to build up alliances well in advance of any political conflict. Alliances are a great tool to help each other to make sure that nothing gets past your collective political radar.
- Admit when you are wrong: The power of admitting when you are wrong is not quite understood. When used correctly, it disseminates a politically charged situation within an instant. The trick is to use it resourcefully since if you are wrong too often, people will start to question your competence.
- Understand the question behind the question: In a politically charged environment, the line of questioning will always lead to some sort of political peak. Knowing where the questions are leading will allow you to anticipate this and adjust accordingly.
- Tell the truth: This may seem obvious but most people will skirt the truth because it may make them look bad. Don’t worry so much about looking bad that but rather, make sure you have the facts straight and that you are trying to seek the truth about the situation.
- Use email sparingly: Email can be a bane in a political environment since it’s a record of half-baked ideas and half-truths. Use email less and only when you have the facts straight
- Always look out for the best interest of the company: This is probably the best thing you can do when in a politically charged company. No one can debate you motivation when it’s in the best interest of the company.
- Foster relationships: Personal insights into your co-workers can help you move in the political landscape by giving you look into their personality. This is useful when the arguments get heated.
- Stand up for yourself: When you right, let everyone know it. Don’t stand back when someone attacks you. Instead, let them know the facts and be proud of how you handled the situation.
- Help others: By assisting others, you earn their trust and respect. You also earn their thanks that will come in handy when you need help.
- Try and find common ground: Common ground is where everyone in the situation can agree. In almost every scenario, there is some common point where all parties will agree. Finding that will allow you to achieve a vital political move — having the parties actually agree on something.
- Agree to disagree: Sometimes a situation will slide down into such chaos that the only solution is to agree to disagree. This should be your last alternative but it’s a powerful tool when you are stuck.
- Be the peacemaker: It’s best that you get the reputation of someone who finds solutions to risky problems. Being the peacemaker is one way to achieve that. Peacemakers are looked at positively because they go beyond the politics and focus on making progress.
- Know When to Say “I don’t know”: It’s much better to say I don’t know then to try and make up an answer on the go. Saying I don’t know takes strength but when used correctly, those three simple words can disseminate a volatile situation for another day. Just be careful not to use it too much.
- Constantly adjust your approach: As the saying goes, one size does not fit all. You need to read the situation you are in and choose the best approach to achieve your objectives. Doing this will allow you to be much more successful than if you just do the same thing over and over again.
