Many employees complain that politics seems to play a greater role in career success than does competence to do the job. Research shows that successful managers (those promoted) spend almost half of their work time networking while effective (do a ‘good’ job) managers spend only about 10%. When we add in time spent communicating, effective managers spend a little over half of their time in what we may call human relations activities while successful managers spend a little over three quarters of their time. Want success?

It is without doubt as managers our role is to get things done through other people, so whether we seek effectiveness or success we must become human relations’ experts and I suggest, be our own best ‘spin doctors’. Wherever people are together politics will always play a part in group relations and in the interactions between individuals as each member attempts to satisfy their own needs and wants. We are all selfish after all.

So if we must all ‘play the politics’ how do we become more astute at ‘the game’? Firstly we must publicise our successes. Learning how to show off without appearing to do so can be a great asset. Try this... next time you have a win smile, whistle and dance around, show some enthusiasm... people will want to know why you are so happy and elated... well I’ve had a great day... I won this deal or I’ve cracked this problem or whatever, tell your story (however don’t rave on, short is sweet).

Secondly, look like a winner. View those around you that are at the top of your organisation and learn from their style. Don’t hang around with the ‘grumble group’, find out whether your company culture appreciates risk takers or avoiders, rule followers or rule breakers and live within these constraints. Learn the difference between form and substance, how something looks is often more important than how things really are. This even applies to dress and presentation. If the top executives wear dark blue suits, white shirts, red ties and if male, have clean-shaven faces, you do the same. If the boss is a woman try to match her dress style... “But” I hear you say “I’ve always had a beard, my wife likes it”... hmm... perhaps go work and for your wife then.

Thirdly, why not make yourself indispensable. ‘No one can do that’, you might respond; however, back to form and substance... you can APPEAR to be. If the management believes that you can provide a service that is hard to replace you will gain a great political advantage. Example, if you have a strong relationship with a key customer’s senior personnel spend time to keep them more than just satisfied. If you are in close contact with regulatory or government departments such as customs, tax, labour or industry, look after your contact (bearing in mind the ethics of your company). Again, if you are an astute computer operator in the IT department fix the senior exec’s problems yourself, don’t delegate. All senior executives are far too busy with the big picture to be experts in each field of the company’s operation. So if you pick a critical field that you also have a reasonable level of competence in, make yourself the expert in that field. Provide information on developments in your area and get the information to those that control your future... the bosses.

Bosses can be a pain in the butt; however, in reality our relationship with ‘the company’ is no more than a reflection of our relationship with our boss (and perhaps his or her boss). When people think of companies in terms of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ to work for, they are trying to credit the company with possessing a ‘soul’ that it does not (and never will) have. Trying to humanise a company is dangerous and in fact borders on stupid. Our relationship to the company is purely a reflection of the relationship we enjoy (or otherwise) with our immediate ‘superiors’. Obviously then we need to be politically astute in dealing with the boss which means we must make them look good every chance you get, we must give them our full support and if they are under attack from others, always take their side. If you are seen as disloyal to your current boss you will be perceived as disloyal to all others, including those you may work for in the future. Remember bosses come and bosses go, learn from the bad and enjoy the good.

Powerful allies are also important for political success. Bosses are formal leaders; however, all organisations have informal leaders that can come from any level of the company. Don’t ignore the informal networks in your organisation and make yourself valuable or at least a neutral when dealing with such groups and never place yourself in open conflict. Remember sometimes ‘it is better to say nothing and appear a fool than to open your mouth and leave no doubt’. Similarly avoid the fringe members or powerless individuals in your organisation. In one company I worked for they where known as ‘the lemons’, they always liked ‘the way it was in the good old days’ and proffered opinions on why everything the company is doing now won’t work. This group loves an audience, will give advice and will make friends easily. They will also laugh inwardly as they recruit another to their misery. Keep away at all costs.

Power is linked to control of resources so effort must be placed into gaining as much resource control as possible. Even secretaries know the value of the key to the stationary cupboard or how devastating they can be by holding a memo back for 24 hours. Successful politics and power are inextricably linked so if you see a chance to control any company resource (crucial contacts, physical assets, expert knowledge, etc.) you must take charge.

Lastly, selling rather than telling is always the preferable option. If you need engage in arguments develop skill to remove the perception of personal desires from the conflict (even though they will always be a factor). The skill is to frame all arguments in terms of the company’s interests rather than our own. Stick to supportable facts, use your company knowledge to negotiate win-wins and never allow yourself to be seen as placing your self-interest above that of the company... even if you are. Failing in this area will lead to your ultimate demise.

Politics, the thinking persons sport?

Richard Townsend www.orglearn.org Corporate Learning Consultant