Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

46
Organizational Politics Clint Edmonson A Survival Guide

description

You're smart. You deliver. What else could your company want from you? Why don’t they come to you for the big decisions? Why won’t they listen to your proposals? It seems like everyone has an agenda and they’re doing everything they can to kill your great ideas. To be effective leader we must bring more than our academic pedigrees to a organization. This session attempts to explain the complex nature of organizational politics and how to survive in a dynamic and often chaotic environment.

Transcript of Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Page 1: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Organizational Politics

Clint Edmonson

A Survival Guide

Page 2: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

DisclaimerDisclaimer

Page 3: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Part 1:The Nature of Politics

Page 4: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Responsibility

Authority

Power

Influence

Page 5: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

The Purpose Driven Social System

Page 6: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Chaos Theory

Point Attractors

Cycle Attractors Strange Attractors

Page 7: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Life is like high school

Page 8: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Part 2:Who’s Got An Agenda?

Page 9: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Who’s Got An Agenda?

Everybody’s got an

agenda!

Page 10: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Your CEO’s Agenda

Page 11: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Economics In One Slide

Profit = Revenue - Costs

We live in a growth economy.

Page 12: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

“I need to grow the company”

Page 13: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Your CIO’s Agenda

Page 14: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Is the CIO a technologist who understands the business?

or

a business person who understands technology?

Page 15: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

“I need to add value to the business”

Page 16: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Your Director’s Agenda

Page 17: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

“I need to get the right people

working on the right projects”

Page 18: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Your Manager’s Agenda

Page 19: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

“I need to make sure everyone is

happy”

Page 20: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Your Coworkers’ Agenda

Page 21: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

“We want to work with great people who carry their own weight”

Page 22: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Your Agenda

Page 23: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

“I need to choose technologies with a future”

Page 24: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

“I need to focus on adding business value and project success –

not necessarily efficiency”

Page 25: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Part 3: Survival Tips

Page 26: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Dress +1

Page 27: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Learn the art of small talk

Page 28: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Learn how to read a room

Page 29: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Plug into your company’s information pipeline

Page 30: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Seek out a mentor

Page 31: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Have a best friend at work

Page 32: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Learn the art of public speaking

Page 33: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Evangelize

Page 34: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Build an network of like-minded people

Page 35: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Build coalitions

Page 36: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Learn to the right way to gripe

Page 37: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Keep an eye on the sharks

Page 38: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Be prepared to have the “hard” conversations

Page 39: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Always maintain your composure

Page 40: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Master your political tools Compromise (win-win)

Arbitration

Escalation

Page 41: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Know your boundaries

and limitations

Page 42: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Be a positive force

Page 43: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Learn to read the winds of change

Page 44: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Politics are always more interesting when discussed

over a beer

Page 45: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

ReferencesSystems Thinking – Gharajedaghi

What the CEO Want’s You To Know – Charan

CIO Wisdom – Lane, et. al.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Covey

How to Win Friends & Influence People – Carnegie

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion – Cialdini

Introducing Neuro-Linguistic Programming – O’Conner & Seymour

Page 46: Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide

Clint EdmonsonBlog: http://www.notsotrivial.netEmail: [email protected]: @clinted