Developing Political Savvy

Gentry, Leslie

• Publisher: Center for Creative Leadership Press
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781604911220
• eBook ISBN: 9781604916805
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Leadership
• Index: Business

There are many things that politics is not. Politics is not good or bad; it's neutral and natural. Politics is not a zero-sum game; politically savvy individuals can use their influence in an effective, authentic manner so that all parties involved get something positive out of the experience. Politics is not about being false; instead, political savvy is about using your skills, behaviors, and qualities to be effective, and sincerity is vital. Use the ideas and exercises in this guidebook to become a more politically savvy leader, and build your capacity to lead effectively in your organization.

Developing Effective Political Savvy

In some organizations it may be difficult to discuss workplace politics, much less to ask for help in developing political savvy. Even if you work in such an organization, there’s still hope. In this section we provide simple ideas and exercises to help you accentuate skills, behaviors, and qualities that are vital to being effective in political environments.

Mingle Strategically

The ability to build strategic relationships and garner their support is important for the success of any leader. When it comes to building political savvy, however, it is essential.

“Connect with the right persons in your organization. On the job, your association and connection with the influencers gives you a voice where you might not have one otherwise.”

The easiest way to get started is to look at your current network. When you hear the word networking, you may think of handing out business cards, going to a networking or professional event, or even schmoozing. Networking goes far beyond that.

Think of networking as a way to build and enhance a support group of diverse people.

Leaders who possess a strong networking ability build cooperative, beneficial relationships with their colleagues. Networking comes easily to some people, while for others it feels like a political move. If you are among the latter, consider changing your thinking. In other words, think of networking as a way to build and enhance a support group of diverse people. If that doesn’t sell the idea, think of the social capital you build by networking as a critical factor to your success and that of your team.

Exercise

Use the worksheet on page 14 to map your network. Write your name inside the oval. Then think of the people in your network, including those you would like to get to know because of their influence, power, reputation, or ability to get or dole out resources. Put the names of those you have strong or close connections with closer to your oval than those you have weak or distant connections with. Look for patterns in your connections. Also look to see whether those you have close connections with are in some way connected to those you have distant connections with, and consider whether you can get to know the latter through the former.

Your network probably includes peers and other people over whom you have no direct authority. To lead in contemporary organizations, you need to develop the ability to influence others in order to accomplish your organization’s work. While this may not be new to you, the recognition that you already know how to negotiate and manage conflict among your peer networks is a step to building your political savvy. Remember that politics is not a zero-sum game; being politically savvy does not mean that someone else has to lose for you to win.

Don’t forget to mingle with your boss and higher-ups. Managing up or keeping your boss and higher-ups informed is a politically savvy way to be successful in the workplace. If you think your boss is too busy to hear about what you are doing, consider the following advice from a manager who participated in a research study that focused on organizational politics and political savvy:

“Manage upward. I was consistently advised by my senior VP to ensure that my project deliverables were clearly positioned and visible to the senior leadership team. She was right. Soon after the p...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Copyright
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Rex and the Political Missteps
• Workplace Politics—A Fact of Life
• Political Savvy Checklist
• Developing Effective Political Savvy
• Conclusion
• Suggested Resources
• Background
• Key Point Summary