How Smart Women Win at Office Politics

Do you enjoy dealing with office politics?

Becoming politically savvy is not always viewed as a wholesome, worthy goal. The mere mention of the word "politics" triggers negative connotations.

A Senior Finance Manager had said "I refuse to schmooze and manipulate to get ahead". Yet she was frustrated after she was passed over for promotion twice. The two male colleagues who were promoted ahead of her were less qualified, but excelled at politicking.

In her article titled Seven Career Killers, author Erin Burt warns "avoiding politics altogether can be deadly for your career. Every workplace has an intricate system of power, and you can -- and should -- work it ethically to your best advantage." By becoming politically adept you can learn to:

• Rise above power plays and interpersonal conflicts
• Build a reputation as a go-to person, expert, or leader
• Gain access to resources, information and opportunities
• Influence outcomes and get buy-in for ideas and initiatives.

As you acquire the ability to navigate office politics effectively, I encourage you to let go of negative assumptions about office politics, and consider these alternate perspectives:

New Perspective #1: Replace the word "Politics" with the term "Organizational Awareness". Doesn't that sound better already?

New Perspective #2: Workplace politics is all about understanding communication and relationships, which women can excel at.

New Perspective #3: Make a personal commitment to use your organizational awareness in a way that is ethical and authentic.

Now that you are armed with a positive perspective, consider taking the following steps to use office politics to your strategic advantage.

Step 1: Map the Shadow Organization
In parallel to a company's traditional hierarchical organizational chart there exists what is known as a shadow organization. The shadow organization is an unofficial, informal network of relationships and coalitions. Understand your shadow organization and you will understand how power and influence play out.

Investigate your shadow organization by playing the role of observer, as though you are a corporate anthropologist. Notice who has influence, who gets along with whom. Discover who is respected and who champions others. Who are the hubs of social interaction and corporate intelligence? Find out who really gets things done.

Create a visual map showing all key players. Classify every interrelationship, noting whether it is built on friendliness, advocacy, respect, or coercion. Note the strength of each connection, and the direction in which influence flows.

For example, when a Project Manager mapped her shadow organization, she discovered she had strong bonds with peers, but not with higher-ups.

Step 2: Build Relationships
Identify people with whom to build relationships. Take at least one month to build your network without imposing an agenda on any of the relationships.

A Manager of Human Resources went out of her way to build strong ties with her company's marketing department after she noticed they were always first to hear about new products and trends. Having access to this information allowed her to gain greater credibility in her own department, where she is now has a reputation as having a finger on the pulse of the business.

Step 3: Leverage Your Network
After relationships mature, your network can help you accomplish valuable goals and influence. For example, you can use your network to build visibility, improve difficult relationships, gain access to information, and attract opportunities.

Employing these perspectives and steps worked well for the Senior Manager of Finance who was passed over for promotion. She knew that her boss and her team did not recognize her value to the company. By mapping out relationships and spheres of influence she realized how to gain recognition and influence. Her most recent research topic was a hot-button issue for her VP, so she mentioned her findings to him in passing. At an all-hands meeting, he singled her out for praise, and recommended that their entire organization could learn from her focus on their business objectives. She continues to build her relationship with the VP by continuing to update him on her progress.

By changing your perspective on politics, and using your network, you can dramatically improve your opportunities for recognition and advancement.

Understanding office politics

Office politics are as familiar a feature of every workplace as the water cooler, but there is very little refreshing about it. So you have a choice: do you ignore it, or do you learn how to play the game and use it to your personal advantage?

Most of us have been witness to the rise of the mediocre employee who seemed to be holding a
fast-pass to promotion over the hard-working, honest and seemingly smarter worker. Why does that happen?

Because promotion is about competition.

Regardless of the size of the organisation, the reality is that there simply are not enough promotions to go around which is why some people try to gain the competitive edge over their colleagues by making themselves more ‘visible’.

Everyone wants to work on the big projects that can enhance their reputation, prestige, recognition, influence and, ultimately, power. But the way that some people approach this is
different.

On the one hand, there are the ‘purists’. These are the people who will work with diligence and honesty in the belief that they will be recognised and rewarded for the work that they do without
resorting to ulterior tactics.

On the other hand, are the ‘players’. Whilst respecting company rules and regulations, they
recognise that the ‘hidden’ rules of the office can be more influential to their ambitions and will maximise their connections and relationships to advance their positions.

So, are you a purist or a player? And is it really possible to avoid getting caught up in office politics? Here are a few things that you can do to avoid the trap of selling your soul:

• Befriend your boss
- Most managers consider themselves to be experts at what they do and will often relish the opportunity to pass on their experience and advice to you. Allow them to think of you as their protégé.

• Show enthusiasm
- Offer to take on the responsibility of tasks outside of your normal duties. But avoid appearing as too eager because it could backfire on you – you don’t want to be left without any time to do your own job.

• Dress to impress - Shakespeare said, ‘Apparel oft befits the man’. Dress for the job that you want, not the job you already have.

• Stand up for yourself
- Despite your best intentions, someone may try and make you look bad for their own personal gain - perhaps they view you as a main rival. Deal with the person face-to-face to resolve the conflict or, if that fails, respond with strength in a humorous way at the next meeting. This will earn you respect with your peers and make the perpetrator feel foolish.

It may seem unfair to associate office politics as being bad. Is it really that bad to know how to push the buttons of the people who can determine your future career prospects?

Career success is not just about talent. If you want your career to thrive then you have to work to establish credibility, gain allies with influence, stay visible and gain an understanding of the culture.