My husband hates politics…at work that is. That’s why he likes having his own businesses – no politics to deal with. Well – let’s rethink that. Now that we are working together he might tell you he is now dealing with politics yet again! How about you? How do you feel about politics at work? Even if you hate it – you have to deal with it. Doesn’t matter the size of the business for which you work – politics at work are a fact of life. The better you can deal with politics at work, the more successful you will be (and the less frustrated!).
Being politically savvy means you can get things done within the organization. It does not mean you manipulate others nor have unethical practices. Politically savvy individuals tend to be:
- Team players – they work with others in order to be successful and get things done.
- Creative and innovative – they are “idea” people and will also work with others on their ideas. They care about ideas in general that enable for the organization to be successful and stay ahead of the competition.
- Calculated risk takers – they take risks; but they are calculated risks. Which means that they carefully plan for what they are going to do and understand the ramifications if things go wrong.
- Organizational savvy – they understand how the organization works – why things happen and how decisions and work gets done. They know the “ins and outs” of the organization – the informal as well as the formal processes as well as who are the true decision makers to get things done.
- Relationship builders – they understand that relationships are needed in order to get things done within the organization. They know that you can’t influence others and get others to support your ideas unless you have first built relationships with them.
How about you? How politically savvy are you? What are your challenges? What are your success stories?
Exactly Tracey. And when you know that information – you are much better positioned to get things done in the organization including getting the support you need.
…and I would add that politically savvy people also know the organizational culture well enough to judge its tolerance for risk taking, innovation and creativity.
Thanks for the comment Omar. You make some great points – thanks for sharing them. Working with all kinds of people are absolutely essential to success and, frankly, your happiness in the organization. I think it is important that people strive to make the workplace a more friendly (“warmer”) place to be – we spend so much time there it is like a second family.
Thank you again and thanks for reading!
Best regards,
Gina
Gina,
Just great!
I do agree with you, during my short career “5 years” I managed to get through by knowing how to deal with ppl knowing everybody keys to make sure we are in the right path accomplishing our objectives either I was team member or Team leader and manager now.
As an ENFJ person, I’m always concerned with social things inside the work environment and trying to make it warmer place. dunno if u consider it as “work politics concerns” n_n.
Many thanks indeed
Omar
Great point Jo Ann. We tend to gravitate toward those individuals who are just like us – not always a good thing! 🙂 By spending time to connect with others – understand what makes them tick and their skills/experiences/expertise – we can accomplish so much more. Thank you for reading and for your insightful comment.
Best regards,
Gina
Hi Gina
Over the years I’ve come to realise that work politics is often a negative label for relationships with people we struggle to connect with. Perhaps their outlook is different to ours, or their management style irks us.
Either way we are talking about friction that makes us feel uncomfortable and possibly insecure.
Once we recognise this we can let go of our subjective feelings and become more objective and politically savvy. Its much easier to get on with people when you understand and respect their position.
Regards, Jo Ann