Workplace
politics has gotten a bad rap. It's often seen as
the province of slick, self-promoting operators seeking
a fast track to the top. Yet when competent people
vie for a promotion, usually the one with political
savvy wins. When conflict arises, the politically
astute among us are able to reconcile differences.
They know how to go around stated rules to get things
done. They also know what to say, when and to whom.
This may appear to be finesse to some and outright
manipulation to others, but without such interpersonal
skill high level competence often goes unnoticed.
While
politics is usually seen as a negative aspect of human
relations and a low-down dirty means of getting ahead,
the politically adept often advance both their company
and division goals while doing the same for their
own careers. Politics is a great equalizer in terms
of gender. Those who are good at it, whether female
or male, have an edge.
Walking
the “Thin Pink Line”
The biggest obstacle here for women is the tendency
to worry about how they’ll be labeled. They walk what
is referred to in my book as a “thin pink line.” Research
indicates that how women dress, walk, and talk within
work environments has a great likelihood of being
noticed because women are usually the minority. In
order to avoid what they perceive as career-stalling
derogatory labels (e.g., ice queen, trouble-maker),
women tread lightly. The truth is that at work people
are going to label you anyway, so you might as well
take some calculated bold steps. Keeping to the sidelines
is not the way to be noticed as having leadership
potential. It may save you from a few critical comments,
but it isn’t going to get you anywhere. Hesitating
to engage in political actions such as asking for
favors and returning them, maneuvering to get a deserved
raise or promotion, or getting advice because you
might be bothering someone are the real career-stopping
moves.
Using
Politics to Your Advantage
Women often feel uncomfortable about developing favor
banks, for example.
Many find the quid pro quo of work a distraction
from what should matter. They’d rather be judged on
their merits alone, not on what they did for someone.
The truth is that no one is judged on their merits
alone if those merits don’t include political savvy.
Workplace politics is as often constructive as it
is destructive. Sometimes you can’t just wait around
for a boss who “doesn’t get it,” whether male or female,
to see that you deserve recognition and/or advancement.
Contrary to common wisdom, though, the key to getting
this message across is not assertiveness alone but
knowing how to manage your career in terms of politics.
The
term "secret handshake" is used to describe
the hard-won, subtle admission signal given to those
who manage to pass muster and finagle their way to
the top of their organizations by learning how to
manage the politics of their career. This kind of
political acumen can be learned. For women, it’s a
matter of putting aside a lot of old rules about how
to get ahead by staying the course, being helpful
whenever asked, and not rocking the boat. While these
are sometimes good rules, they are limited in their
utility.
Aside
from technical competence, the most important thing
is to learn how to manage the political culture of
your organization. Here are a few key steps.
1.
Size up the political arena where you work.
After you size it up, assess whether your style fits
the organization. Are you a purist who hates politics
and believes competence alone will get you where you
want to go, or a team player who uses politics only
to advance team agendas? Are you a street fighter
who is uninhibited about politicking to advance your
agendas? Or are you a maneuverer comfortable with
the cut-and-thrust approach to business? If your style
fits your work environment well, your chances of career
success are heightened. For example, a purist might
function quite effectively in a minimally politicized
environment, but her chances of success or even career
survival are vastly diminished in a highly political
or pathological one. Street fighters are usually unwelcome
in minimally political organizations. They're seen
as too crafty, but they're quite comfortable in highly
political ones.
It's
important to assess whether your company or division
is minimally, moderately, highly or pathologically
political. If you're not suited to the political culture
of you're company, you're not going to achieve the
secret handshake.
2.
Think like a chess player.
The politically adept know how to learn the lay of
the land and then set about creating conditions that
will increase their likelihood of success. One chief
executive I interviewed recommends finding someone
"who'll look after you, smooth your edges, reach
out and help you grow." How do you do this? Not
by currying favor. "The worst way to seek assistance
is to be desperate. You're not going to rescue the
boss's daughter from the railroad tracks," this
CEO says. "To get noticed you have to do important
things well. Then when interested people open the
door for you, it's important to be aware of it and
to jump through."
3.
Learn how to balance "people" concerns with
project goals.
Most
people look for a solution that addresses only the
immediate issue and the sooner the better. Ask yourself
who will look good and who will look bad if you adopt
any given solution. Is there a way to reshape the
preferred solution to respond to the needs, desires
and concerns of key people? You don't have to sell
your soul to do this.
The
key is to cleverly link your goals with those of the
people who are running the show. Develop a favor bank.
Human relations are based on reciprocity. It's important
to know when and how to do favors and when and how
to call them in. Don't be obvious about favor granting
or retrieving. Keeping a tally isn't what it's all
about. At its best, this political tactic is so subtle
and politically sophisticated, most of us don't even
notice.
4.
Learn to read between the lines.
In
most organizations, what's asked for isn't what's
rewarded. This is something that women have learned
more slowly than men. What's said often isn't really
what's meant. Hint and innuendo are the modus operandi
in highly and pathologically political organizations.
The
secret handshake comes to those who see past the obvious,
who check their assumptions at the door. Political
acumen calls for strong powers of observation, a habit
of assessing rather than assuming.
As
one high level female executive describes it, "To
be politically astute, you need to read where the
trend lines are, be ahead of the game, and focus on
areas that you think will be important."
5.
Develop Conversational Competence
Conversations are the building blocks of daily politics.
In every conversation there are choice points where
you falter or shine. You have to know what to say
in politically pivotal moments. Public put-downs are
a case in point.
You
can't play in the big leagues if you let detractors
look good at your expense. Conversational steering
is critical. So develop a repertoire of responses.
Politics isn't the enemy, it's the tool to success
in business.
I devote a chapter in The
Secret Handshake to this topic of conversational
competence.
It’s crucial to success.
There
are just too many smart, capable people out there.
The woman who gets ahead is usually the one who knows
how to make highly placed people feel good about having
her around. The good news is that with an open mind
and diligent practice, you can be that woman.
See
our latest articles.
Kathleen
Kelley Reardon is
a professor of management at the University of Southern
California's Marshall School of Business, and the
author of The
Secret Handshake: Mastering the Politics of the Business
Inner Circle.
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By
Kathleen Kelley Reardon
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