Why Hating Politics is Not Good for Your Career

Years ago a close friend of mine was the international strategic planner for a global oil and gas company. I went to visit her downtown office in a skyscraper made of glass that seem to touch the heavens. Looking at the knobs for the elevator, there were two floors that required a key.

I asked who the individuals were who inhabited those offices.  She said that they were not necessarily the best at what they did, but they all were the best at corporate politics. That was the epiphany uncovering my naivete that politics don’t matter.

Throughout the many years, and countless hours of executive coaching conversations, the issue of organizational politics is addressed. Yet, it is considered undiscussable and the proverbial “elephant in the room.”

A constant theme is the unfair nature of how promotions occur. The usual rant is that “I have been cheated. My colleague got the promotion I deserved. I work harder, bring in more money, and make more significant contributions to the company.”

When I ask the same person why the other person was promoted, the usual answer is that he/she “played better politics.” Most times pejorative, though colorful, adjectives are used about the unfair nature of politics. The reality is that merit is not always factored into the promotion formula.

My coaching response is that politics is non-linear and often will not make sense. However, being overlooked is a wakeup call to learn the skills of playing the political game more successfully.

Learning the game of politics is necessary. Here are five techniques to be a better player in the “field” of office politics.

  1. Accept that politics is reality – Before you can make any change, you need to consciously abort your denial that being “apolitical” will lead to a promotion.
  2. Accept that politics occurs when there is a “conflict of interests” – Part of being open to the reality of politics, is that being political is within every relationship. Whenever two people have different interests, there is politics.
  3. Become an astute observer for clues and cues – There is no manual at your organization titled “Winning Corporate Politics at XYZ Corporation.” This manual has never existed. Therefore, you must become an observer looking for the cues and clues of power, politics, and influence in your organization.
  4. Model after the politically gifted – Every organization has a population of executives who are gifted politicians. Watch them. Ask them questions. Emulate them.
  5. Ask yourself how you can add political capital in this organization? – Since no two organizations are the same, think about how leaders gain political capital within your company. What do they need to say, do, and interact with to create political capital.

Overcoming the Negative Effects of the “Myth of Good Work.”

Peter is a hardworking, dedicated, and devoted senior executive. He is perceived as always getting the job done. He works 7 days of week, at the sacrifice of time with his family and friends.

During a coaching session, Peter’s expression resembled someone who had just found out his dog died. He was forlorn and sad. When I asked him what happened, he replied “Susan was promoted, not me!  I work harder, accomplish more, and have made sacrifices for the company. I am being overlooked for a promotion I deserve.”

After a few minutes calming Peter down, I said, “You have experienced the deleterious effects of the “myth of good work.” The myth is that if you work hard and do good work you will be rewarded. Similar to education, the belief is that if you work hard and get good grades you are “promoted” to the next grade. In business the same principle does not apply.

During the next few months of coaching, Peter began to shift his thinking and actions to being more political and building political capital that was important. He realized that doing good work is not enough to get noticed and rewarded. As he began to think and behave politically, he acquired political stature and was ultimately promoted.

Here are a few of the suggestions to overcome the “myth of good work.”

Politics is not a zero-sum game – Continue to find opportunities to create “win-win” scenarios.

Think politically – When a situation occurs where a decision has to be made or people need to be influenced, ask yourself “what are the political dynamics involved in this situation?”

Create political constituents – As in national politics, having strong constituents behind you is imperative. Begin to build relationships with strategic individuals who have political capital and who you can help in some way.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer – There will always be people with whom you do not get along or you know don’t speak highly of you. Anyone who you think will speak negatively about you, begin to spend time with them. Get to know the person and find common ground.

Politics is a learned skill – Developing political skills can be learned. You can learn how to attune to the political signs and cues in any organization. Identify leaders who you believe are politically savvy. Observe their behavior, their way of speaking, how they “show up,” and what other leaders they regularly interact with.

The Business Case for Curiosity

For a long time, I have been curious about curiosity. Curiosity, or the desire to learn something new, is the power behind becoming an expert. Curiosity is the “hunger” between wanting to know and knowing.

Curiosity results in fewer decision errors, innovation is expanded, conflict is reduced, and there is more open communication.  However, to bolster curiosity takes time.

One of my coaching clients, upon first meeting, asked incisive and insightful questions. After answering a plethora of questions, I realized that his curiosity was an intellectual hunger.  I learned he had multiple degrees, traveled the world, and was insatiable curious. My conclusion was his curiosity would make him successful in achieving his professional goals.

In fact, one criterion for “coachability” is curiosity. With curiosity anyone can learn anything. Without curiosity, a person’s intellect is vapid and ultimately becomes stale.

Here are six suggestions for bolstering and deepening your curiosity:

  1. Identify learning objectives. – Think about what attracts your intellectual attention during down time. Write a list of those subjects that keep getting your attention.
  2. Schedule curiosity time. – Schedule time, even if 15minutes, for curiosity time. During this time, ask yourself “What would I like to learn today?” Use the time to learn something unfamiliar.
  3. Read something “strange”. – Read about a topic that has nothing to do with your line of work. You can fuel your curiosity by reading novels instead of non-fiction. Characters in novels teach us about relationships and human behavior.
  4. Ask questions of everyone.  – When you meet someone ask questions. Ask about how the person got into their field of study, what interests them, the last book they read, and other questions. Questions stimulate curiosity.
  5. Find a “curiosity sanctuary”. – Environments can either stimulate curiosity or damped it. Explore places where you mind is stimulated and motivated to learn more. Allow for internal questions of “What am I feeling or experiencing here?”
  6. “Surf” online bookstores. – Connect to an online bookstore and just look at the different book titles. Read about a book that piques your interest. Read a page or two. If you want to learn more, send a sample to your Kindle or other E-reader.

Build Relationships, Not Connections

It’s been said that the first 100 days in a new executive role are the hardest. But what about the days after that?

You’ve built your team, aligned with the company goals and you’re finally ready to knuckle down, roll up your sleeves and get to work.  After all, you want to show everyone that they made a good choice when they promoted you to your new role.

Once the crucial first 100 days have passed, it’s time to broaden your focus and start building (or adding to) your professional network.

Yes, that’s right, you need to focus on networking.  This is more than simply adding cards to a rolodex or clicking “add connection” on LinkedIn.  This is building strategic partnerships inside and outside your organization.

Everyone talks about the value of networking, and yet it’s one of those activities that’s never  urgent and is easy to put off.  Easy to put off until you realize you need to collaborate with an executive from another branch or department – and they won’t return your phone call because they have no idea who you are.

5-Step Strategic Networking Strategy

Luckily there’s an easy, five-step strategy for building relationships.  It’s simple but requires discipline and accountability.

  1. Make a list of all the people and executives who you need to know (and who don’t know you). For example, department heads, branch heads, VPs, or Directors.  Also, the next time you’re in a meeting, look around the room and make a note of whom you’d like to get to know better.  Being in a meeting together is a natural interpersonal ecosystem for building relationships.
  2. Reach out to the people on your list. Ask if you could buy them a cup of coffee and spend 15-30 minutes learning about what they do for the company.
  3. Sit down and have a conversation with them. Find out what challenges they’re facing and think about ways you can be of benefit to them.
  4. Find opportunities to stay in touch. This is arguably the most difficult, and critical, step to the relationship building strategy.  Some part of you should always be thinking about your contacts and keeping mental notes when you come across information that might be helpful to them.
  5. Hold yourself accountable. If you’re not disciplined and methodical, it will be easy for you to put off networking.  Set a weekly goal for yourself like “I’m going to meet one new executive in a different function within the company.”  Put it in your calendar and ask your assistant to remind you until the meeting with the executive is on your calendar.

Just as important as accountability is keeping notes about your contact, their interests, their professional goals, and ideas to keep yourself top-of-mind. It can be as simple as using a spreadsheet or an online relationship manager.

Networking and strategic relationship building are fundamental to success.  Take for example a complaint from peers about a derailing executive: “I don’t really know him/her, they never talk to me.” Spend time educating others about yourself as a person. Sharing interests or hobbies does not violate the sacred boundary between your work and personal life.

Add to that the research that says peer endorsement helps an executive get promoted and you have a pretty powerful argument in favor of networking.

Some Things to Keep In Mind About Networking

You’re going to feel like networking isn’t a valuable use of your time.  That’s ok!  Networking like many other skills, is a muscle that needs to be strengthened.  The more you use it, the stronger (and easier) it gets.

When people don’t know you, you’re like a blank screen.  They’ll project what they think they know – and it’s usually negative.  That’s just human nature.  But once they come to know you, they find that’s not the truth.

You can overcome a bad first impression.  First impressions are often a reflection of what a person is feeling at that moment.  If someone is having a bad day, it’s likely that a first impression will be negative.  However, you can change how others feel about you.  Invest time and energy to help them reach their goals.  The investment will be worth it.

Remember the purpose of building relationships is not to create lifelong friendships.  It’s about collaborating and working together towards a common goal.

And finally, don’t forget you have a lot to offer others.  While you will certainly benefit from learning about others, they can benefit from your knowledge and experience at the same time.

Building Relationships is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

We spend a lot of time sitting behind a computer screen, which makes it’s easy to click a link to add someone to our online networks.  But an online connection is just a number on a screen.   What does it really do?   Unless you bring the relationship into the real world, you’re not going to transform that connection into a relationship.

Taking the time, making the effort to network might not have immediate results.  But don’t give up!  Stick with it.  Hold yourself accountable to relationship-building goals and over time you’ll reap the benefit.  Keep making deposits into the relationship bank and someday, when you need it, you’ll have enough capital “in the bank account of the relationship” from which to draw.