How to Deal with Office Politics

by Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback

“I don’t care who they are. I won’t buddy up to people I don’t like and respect just because I want something from them.”

These are the words of a Fortune 500 senior manager, but we hear similar comments from managers at all levels, in all types of companies. Perhaps you feel the same way.

Do you dismiss most of the give-and-take in organizations as “office politics”—ego-driven, manipulative, dysfunctional game playing? Do you tend to focus on your own group and deal with others only when you like them personally or the immediate work requires it? If this describes your approach, you’re probably making yourself and your group less effective than you should be.

Every organization has a political environment—that is, one where human relationships matter—and yours is no exception. To obtain the resources, influence, and at tention you and your group need, you must be able to function in such a setting by actively engaging others, whether you like them or not.

The good news: You can do that without succumbing to mean and self-interested tactics. The secret is to build ongoing relationships for mutual advantage.

Here’s how to navigate your political environment positively and professionally:

• Focus on the good of the enterprise. A big-picture view will help you do what’s best for your group. Recognize your interdependence with other units, and consider how your goals and theirs align. If customer service reps say a forthcoming product will require a lot of extra support, get their input on ways to make it more user-friendly. They’ll be happier with fewer calls to answer, and you’ll have a better product to sell. You’ll become allies, without even a hint of schmoozing. And don’t be afraid to share customers with other divisions. It shows that you’re a team player—and your customers will appreciate the seamless service.
• Keep disagreements professional. Focus on issues, not personalities. Suppose you work at an insurance company, for example, and people in the underwriting department resist your plan to offer a new type of homeowner’s policy. Assume they have legitimate concerns and try to understand and accommodate them. Accusing colleagues of “not knowing the market” or being “stuck in the last century” certainly won’t win them over or allow you to find an approach that meets everyone’s needs. And complaining about them behind their backs will surely come back to bite you.
• Share information. When it comes to information, you get what you give, and what you know depends on who you know. Say your IT director has just filled three positions that have been open for months. Alert your colleagues in product development so they can update their list of tech priorities. If you look for ways to make their lives easier, they’ll probably return the favor when they get an inside scoop that affects your work.
• Relay good news about your team members. They’ll likely appreciate the public recognition, and it’ll help the rest of the organization see the value they add. Did your group finish a critical project early and under budget? Send an e-mail to managers you work with closely, and copy the individuals whose praises you’re singing. Don’t assume that everyone will automatically notice your group’s success. If you don’t mention it, who will?
• Above all, focus your relationships on what’s best for “us.” If you want an exception to your company’s pricing policy and need a colleague’s help, identify her goals and find a way you can support her and her group, too. And talk to her about what you want to achieve; perhaps there’s a way to serve both your purposes simultaneously. Let “connect and collaborate” be your mantra.

We’re not saying that organizations are ideal worlds where everyone always wants the best for everyone else. They’re often maelstroms of conflicting goals, divergent interests, and fierce struggles for scarce resources. And organizational bullies do exist. They play games and pick fights. They define their success by the interpersonal battles they win, not the results they accomplish for the organization. How do you deal with them? Not by hiding.

Bullies are actually a key reason not to withdraw to your own corner of the organization. You can counter their tactics with the help of allies. If someone spreads half-truths about you or quotes you or your people out of context, it’s much easier to set the record straight if you’ve developed influence through strong relationships.

Raise the bar by conducting yourself according to standards that matter to you. Be honest, courteous, and dependable—no matter how others act. If you propose an idea that someone belittles, don’t retaliate by pointing out flaws in his idea. That just creates a poisonous atmosphere. Instead, try to get at what’s behind the aggressive behavior. Maybe that person feels threatened by you. Look for ways to lower his defenses—ask for his advice, invite him to brainstorming sessions, and so on. You may find that he’s suddenly more collaborative and less combative.

Linda A. Hill is the Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration and faculty chair of the Leadership Initiative at Harvard Business School. Now a writer and executive coach, Kent Lineback spent many years as a manager and an executive in business and government. They are the coauthors of Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader (Harvard Business Review Press, 2011).

Adapted from content posted on hbr.org on November 2, 2011