Organizational Politics Why Politics is NOT a Dirty

Organizational Politics Why Politics is NOT a Dirty Word

Persuasion and Politics “Persuasion is more up front than playing games. Manipulation is often is based on deception, whereas coercion relies on force. Persuasion involves strategies of influence, but people have the choice to reject them; you’re simply positioning ideas in ways that encourage other people to adopt them. ” -Kathleen Kelley Reardon, 2005 “The question is not whether organizations will have politics, but what kind of politics they will have. Politics can be and often is sordid and destructive. But politics can also be the vehicle for achieving noble purposes, and managers can be benevolent politicians. Organizational change and effectiveness depend on such managers. ” -Bolman and Deal, 1991 “The magic in being politically savvy lies in advance work, not in fancy strategies. ” -It’s All Politics

Persuasion and Politics • Legitimate versus Illegitimate Political Behavior • Your Own Tendencies Towards Persuasion and Politics • Assessing Your Agency(s) and its Key Stakeholders • Preparing for Influence/Communication Opportunities

Legitimate vs. Illegitimate Politics: Violates the “rules of the game. ” Legitimate Politics: Openly or tacitly accepted behavior within most American organizations. • Dishonesty • Gossip • Exerting influence to accomplish valuable ends, even if self-serving • Sabotage • Applying various “power” techniques • Stealing • Impression management

9 Power Tactics Legitimacy. Relying on your authority position or saying a request accords with organizational policies or rules. Rational persuasion. Presenting logical arguments and factual evidence to demonstrate a request is reasonable. Inspirational appeals. Developing emotional commitment by appealing to a target’s values, needs, hopes, and aspirations. Consultation. Increasing the target’s support by involving him or her in deciding how you will accomplish your plan. Exchange. Rewarding the target with benefits or favors in exchange for following a request. Personal appeals. Asking for compliance based on friendship or loyalty. Ingratiation. Using flattery, praise, or friendly behavior prior to making a request. Pressure. Using warnings, repeated demands, and threats. Coalitions. Enlisting the aid or support of others to persuade the target to agree.

Why People Resist Change and Influence • Lack of Trust • Belief That Change is not Necessary • Belief That Change is not Feasible • Economic Threats • Change of Habits and Routines • Fear of Personal Failure • Loss of Status and Power • Threats to Values and Ideals • Resentment of Interference

Agency Culture Control Collaborative Competence Cultivation It’s All Politics, 2005

Agency Culture Control Collaboration Competence Focus is on standards to reach. Work is rigorous with a sense of urgency Cultivation It’s All Politics, 2005

Agency Culture Control Focus is on rational decision making. Impersonal. Cost-benefit analysis. Collaboration Competence Cultivation It’s All Politics, 2005

Agency Culture Collaboration Control Focus in on people. Decisions are made for their impact on individuals Competence Cultivation It’s All Politics, 2005

Agency Culture Control Collaboration Cultivation Competence Culture is focused on succession planning and fulfilling success It’s All Politics, 2005

Agency Culture Control Collaborative Competence Cultivation It’s All Politics, 2005

Agency Culture Organizational culture refers to a system of shared meaning held by members that distinguishes the organization from other organizations. Seven primary characteristics seem to capture the essence of an organization’s culture: 1. Innovation and risk taking. The degree to which employees are encouraged to be innovative and take risks. 2. Attention to detail. The degree to which employees are expected to exhibit precision, analysis, and attention to detail. 3. Outcome orientation. The degree to which management focuses on results or outcomes rather than on the techniques and processes used to achieve them. 4. People orientation. The degree to which management decisions take into consideration the effect of outcomes on people within the organization. 5. Team orientation. The degree to which work activities are organized around teams rather than individuals. 6. Aggressiveness. The degree to which people are aggressive and competitive rather than easygoing. 7. Stability. The degree to which organizational activities emphasize maintaining the status quo in contrast to growth.

Stakeholder Analysis Personality and Response • Forceful – Speak with conviction • Brusque – Keep comments brief to hold their attention • Down-to-earth – Make sure your examples and data are practical • Antsy – They’re nervous about details, so provide reassurance, not problems • Perfectionist – Assure them that all loose ends have been considered and dealt with • Temperamental – Choose your timing and location very carefully • Charming – Be able to enjoy the banter and repartee • Sensitive – Avoid any appearance that this is a response to their shortcomings “One needs to know not only the game, but also the players. ” - Jeffrey Pfeffer Managing With Power Adapted from “It’s All Politics” Kathleen Kelley Reardon, 2005.

Stakeholder Analysis High KEEP SATISFIED MANAGE CLOSELY MONITOR (Minimal Effort) KEEP INFORMED P O W E R Low INTEREST Source: Mind. Tools, retrieved from: http: //www. mindtools. com/pages/article/new. PPM_07. htm High

Stakeholder Analysis • High power, interested people: These are the people you must fully engage and make the greatest efforts to satisfy. • High power, less interested people: Put enough work in with these people to keep them satisfied, but not so much that they become bored with your message. B. L. U. F.

Stakeholder Analysis • Low power, interested people: Keep these people adequately informed, and talk to them to ensure that no major issues are arising. These people can often be very helpful with the detail of your project. • Low power, less interested people: Again, monitor these people, but do not bore them with excessive communication.

Influential Communication Delivery To • Framing • Inoculation • Rational Appeals • Emotional Appeals • Co-Opting Detractors/Navigate Resistance • Attention Phrases • Stories, Symbols, and Metaphors “Power is gained and lost because of communication—the means by which power is developed, exercised, maintained, diminished, and destroyed. ” Kathleen Kelly Reardon, It’s All Politics

Influential Communication Delivery To Framing • Problem and Solution • Frame or be Framed • What are the “Frames” that Matter to Your Agency? “The implication of this is that affecting how decisions are viewed, very early in the process, is absolutely critical in affecting the outcome. ” -Jeff Pfeffer “Managing With Power” “Framing involves presenting key issues in ways that will elicit the responses you desire from other people. ” -Kathleen Kelley Reardon

Reason and Emotion Appeal to Reason Appeal to Emotion • Share new and relevant information about a problem or opportunity. • Use a compelling story or anecdote • Some people need to be drowned in data. Give them as much as they need. • Assign those closest to the problem to explain the need for change • Use a vision of what the future state will look like • Have a customer visit so it is personal • Get a customer to report on what is working and what isn’t working and what the change will mean • Explain the long-term consequences of not pursuing change • Make personal emotional connections with people • B. L. U. F. • Get face-to-face

Influential Communication Delivery To Inoculation “Informing people ahead of time that they might hear negative things about an idea, project, or persons and giving them good reasons to ignore or reject such attacks. ” “It’s All Politics” • Resistance is Natural • Make the “argument” for them • It Demonstrates You’ve Thought Diligently and Thoroughly Adapted from Kathleen Kelly Reardon, It’s All Politics, 2005

Influential Communication Delivery To Co-Opting Detractors • Don’t Treat Detractors as Enemies • Treat Resistance as if it’s Part of the Plan • This Keeps Ideas Alive and People on Your Side “I’m glad you brought that up. ” “What Marcus said earlier is perfect. ” “If we put these ideas together we could really have something amazing. ”

Influential Communication Delivery To “Here is the key issue. ” Attention Phrases “I really want you to pay attention to this. ” • Public Speaking Devices “Let me say this one more time. ” • Useful Even With an Engaged Audience • Voice Modulation Also Works

Influential Communication Delivery To Stories, Symbols, and Metaphors • Stories are Compelling and Memorable • Metaphors and Symbols can Make the Complex Accessible “Why tell stories? For one simple reason: they are powerful tools for teaching people about what’s important and what’s not, what works and what doesn’t, what is and what could be. ” - The Leadership Challenge

Tips for Managing Organizational Politics Reduce System Uncertainty • • Have a clear and transparent reward system Distributive, Process, and Interactional Justice Reduce Competition • • Try to minimize resource competition among managers Reward ethical behavior and “big picture” thinking Break Existing Political Fiefdoms • • If you are in a position to, restructure highly political groups Expose “patronage” politicians by bringing behavior to light Prevent Future Fiefdoms • • Promotions based on apolitical behaviors Be savvy and aware enough to see political behavior

Organizational Politics Why Politics is NOT a Dirty Word