Politics in the workplace is an undeniable fact of life. How you engage in politics is under your control. You can do this effectively, given the right skills.

People describe politics in their organization as everything from coalition-building to back-stabbing. But the truth is, organizational politics is neither good nor bad; it's simply the air we breathe in organizations.

Your perception of organizational politics shapes how you respond to it. It can also influence how you feel about the organization and your coworkers and how well you do your job. One way to be effective in the inherently political environment of contemporary organizations is to change your way of understanding politics—to become politically savvy. To develop and demonstrate “political intelligence.”

Politics, because it is complex and changing, requires savvy. You can either try to avoid politics (which is impossible) or engage in it reluctantly and accept that politics will exert its influence on you. Or you can embrace politics and commit to building your political skills so that you can leverage politics to your advantage and in service of your team, the organization, and other stakeholders.

Here's a breakdown of behaviors that typify a politically savvy leader. Of the ten behaviors listed below, identify the three that you feel you are currently strongest in and the corresponding three that you feel are most in need of development.

STRENGTH	NEED
	Understands the political nature of the organization.
	Accepts politics as a natural part of organizational life.
	Engages in organizational politics.
	Sees politics as neither good nor bad.
	Builds relationships through networking.
	Controls impulses.
	Reads situations accurately.
	Responds constructively to disagreements.
	Comes across as authentic.
	Inspires others to have trust and confidence in him or her.

Take a moment to reflect on how your perceived strengths and corresponding development needs in this area have played out in the past and currently. As you progress through this chapter, keep in mind how you might augment or leverage these approaches.

Mindset often stands in the way of developing political savvy. Common beliefs such as the following contribute to a negative perception of politics and encourage avoidance:

• POLITICS IS BAD.
• POLITICS IS A WIN-LOSE GAME.
• POLITICS IS ABOUT BEING FALSE.

Politically savvy leaders see things differently. They adopt a practical and realistic perspective that encourages them to use their political skills, behaviors, and qualities to be effective and accomplish shared objectives. They value sincerity as a vital element in their approach and work hard to build confidence and trust. Following are some of the key mindsets of politically savvy leaders.

POLITICS IS NEUTRAL AND NATURAL

Engaging in politics can lead to desired outcomes while also being positive and authentic. Many politically savvy leaders have developed high-quality relationships and networks, know themselves well, and have a good sense about what is going on around them. They get the resources that they and their subordinates or teams need to function effectively.

They also clearly see politics around them, where employees experience competing interests, scarce resources, ambiguity in decision making and authority, unclear rules and regulations to govern workplace behavior, and a lack of information. But politics to them is not a zero-sum game where they work the system to their own advantage and to the disadvantage of others. They regard workplace politics as neutral. They understand workplace realities and use that knowledge to influence others to act in ways that enhance personal and organizational objectives.

Once you consider, understand, and accept that organizational politics is neutral and a natural part of everyday occurrences in the workplace, you can appropriately build your capacity to lead effectively in that environment. You can be regarded as someone with effective political savvy in your organization, one who can influence and persuade others in a sincere, authentic manner.

NETWORKING WORKS

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.

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. Although 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 toward building your political savvy. (For more on developing your networking skills, see Chapter 18.)

THINK FIRST

Count to ten, think twice before speaking, choose your battles—how many times have you heard or said one of these? Chances are there have been a lot. Impulse control is important, and it can also help you avoid a mistake like sharing an idea prematurely, shooting down another person's idea, telling an inappropriate joke, or using humor at the wrong time.

Direct reports characterize managers who lack impulse control as hostile, aggressive, and intolerant—especially when things don't go the manager's way. Do you tend to remain calm in a crisis and when recovering from mistakes, or do you let your anger escalate and lead you down a path where you lose composure?

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 support is important for the success of any leader. When it comes to building political savvy, it is essential. 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. Try the following techniques:

• Be proactive in telling your boss what is going on, where struggles are and where things are going well. With this information, your boss won't be blindsided, and trust, rapport, and relationships can build.
• Identify people in your organization who are already politically savvy. Notice whom they network with and how they behave and carry themselves. Such observation and modeling can be very helpful in building your own savvy.
• Look for a mentor or coach to help you build your network. Think of this opportunity in terms of your current leadership role and your longer-term career goals. Being politically savvy can benefit both.

READ THE SITUATION

Politically savvy managers tend to be perceptive observers of others and of social situations. This kind of social astuteness involves observation, self-awareness, and the ability to adapt and tailor behavior to different environmental conditions. Here are some ways to more effectively read what's going on around you.

• Pay attention to the nonverbal behaviors of those around you. Many times, it's not the actual words that matter but the feelings behind those words. People can pay more attention to nonverbal behaviors (such as gestures, postures, tone of voice, eye contact, and facial expressions) than words, particularly if the words are in direct contrast to the actions. Paying attention to the nonverbal cues in the room can help you read the situation and understand how people are really feeling.
• Practice active listening (see Chapter 9). You must be able to listen to others in order to understand them.
• Think about how others might be feeling at the moment, what is happening to them, and what circumstances are bringing them to you.
• Pay attention to your feelings and reactions. In other words, be in the moment. If in doubt, ask trusted colleagues who shared the same experience what they thought and experienced. Look beyond your own ideas, needs, and agendas and consider other people's situations, priorities, and needs.
• Consider what you can give people, understand how and why your request may have a negative effect on others, and find a way to appeal to the common good.

BE CONSTRUCTIVE, NOT DESTRUCTIVE

When figuring out how to handle disagreements or influence others, take a step back, gain perspective, and write down what you think would happen if you behave a certain way. Think about what others would think of you if you went with one action versus another. Also, write down what you think others are thinking or feeling in the situation. In other words, what are their perspectives? Understanding their perspectives can help you figure out what you should do in the situation. You may even want to go so far as to ask others what they are thinking or feeling to help you gain more perspective. Also consider these approaches to manage difficult situations:

• Consider working with a coach who can help you identify your hot buttons—issues that cause you to feel strong emotions—and ways to more effectively respond to them.
• If, after an honest assessment, you recognize that you tend to have trouble handling your emotions in difficult situations, consider attending an anger-management or conflict-management workshop. Such a workshop can help you set boundaries and control triggers that lead to outbursts and get you into trouble. Look for workshops that include assessment, feedback, modeling of new skills, practice of new skills, and ongoing support (so you won't lapse back into your old ways).
• Take a personality assessment. The knowledge you gain may help you understand how your personality preferences influence your behavior in response to various situations and people. You can identify skills and behaviors that contribute to your political savvy and see what you are doing that prevents or undermines your effectiveness at work.

LEAVE THEM WITH A GOOD IMPRESSION

What kind of impression do you make on others? Do they consider you trustworthy? Whether or not you consider yourself politically savvy, you may have thought of workplace politics as manipulation.

When asked if you want to manipulate your colleagues to get the much-needed funds for a top-priority project, you're likely to say no. But when asked if you could influence them in some way to get the funds, you probably would say yes.

Manipulation is one form of influence that can alienate your colleagues even if it is considered a justifiable means to an end. Politically astute managers struggle in these situations, but they have learned that being authentic—honest, sincere, trustworthy, and genuine—inspires others to trust and have confidence in them. Enhance your authenticity with these approaches:

• Ask friends, coworkers, advisors, mentors, or coaches you trust to give you honest feedback on their perception of your style of influence. Are you able to exert influence in a manner that does not appear or feel manipulative, insincere, or backhanded?
• Pay attention to your nonverbal behaviors (eye contact, facial expressions, body language). Keep eye contact; don't look at your watch or stare out the window when you are supposed to be listening. Make sure that your actions and words are in alignment.
• Follow through on your promises. Sometimes this can be as simple as paying attention so that you do not overcommit.
• Make appeals based on logic, emotion, or a sense of cooperation as the situation dictates. Be agile in using all three; don't always depend on the same one.

Use the following worksheet to map your political 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 provide 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.