“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.â€Â Â
Albert Einstein
Getting ahead and getting along in organizations require that you play some politics with leaders, colleagues, competitors and others.
Does your approach to playing politics “fit” the corporate culture you are in? Do you have any conflict between the political style you have to use and the one you really would prefer to use in your organization? Is your political style orientation one that will help you in your career within your current (or future) organization?
These are questions that seem to come up in my executive coaching assignments all the time. But, what exactly is politics in an organizational context?
Definition of “Political Style”
Individuals view organizational politics and pursue self-interests very differently. Political “style†can be described as the combination of two related behaviors: 1) Impression Management (the tendency of an individual to take credit and market one’s accomplishments versus the tendency to share credit and market the accomplishments of others) and 2) Conflict Management (the tendency of an individual to pursue one’s own self-interests versus the tendency of an individual to allow others to have his/her own way).
I’d like to describe four different Political Style Orientations based on approaches to impression management and conflict management within organizations. These political style orientations should serve as a useful framework to better understand and discuss political behavior within organizations.
As you read each orientation, ask yourself two questions: 1) What style is most characteristic of the one I am currently using in my organization and 2) Which style would I really prefer to use?
Understanding the Four Political Style Orientations
Promoter: With respect to impression management, this political style orientation can be described as taking credit for and marketing one’s accomplishments more frequently than giving credit for and marketing the accomplishments of other team members within the organization. With respect to conflict management, these individuals demonstrate a greater tendency to seek one’s own way, rather than, allowing others to have their way.
Individuals with this political style typically seek a more competitive “win-lose” approach to effectively manage conflict and differences with others. These individuals tend to be tenacious and competitive in pursuit of individual, professional, career and organizational goals and objectives.
Strategist: With respect to impression management, this political style orientation can be described as taking credit for and marketing one’s accomplishments and giving credit to other team members within the organization both to an equally high extent. With respect to conflict management, these individuals demonstrate an equally strong tendency to want their own way and allow others to have their own way.
Individuals with this political style typically seek a collaborative “win-win” approach to effectively manage conflict and differences with others. These individuals strategically plan and orchestrate their career through initiating important organizational, professional and social relationships and developing critical skills, knowledge and abilities that are highly valued by the organization.
Team Player: With respect to impression management, this political style orientation can be described as taking credit for and marketing the accomplishments of other team members more frequently than a tendency to take credit for and marketing of one’s own accomplishments within the organization. With respect to conflict management, these individuals demonstrate a greater tendency to allow others to have their own way, rather than, having their own way.
Individuals with this style typically seek to compromise, or even accommodate, to effectively manage conflict and differences with others. This political orientation is common among individuals who are strongly motivated by their dedication and commitment to the overall goals and objectives of their team, group or organization.
Independent Player: With respect to impression management, this political style orientation can be described as infrequently selling or marketing one’s accomplishments or those of others within the organization. With respect to conflict management, these individuals are not inclined to strongly seek their own way or necessarily allow others to have their own way.
Individuals with this style typically seek to avoid interpersonal confrontation, minimize escalation of interpersonal tensions and postpone dealing with threatening situations to effectively manage conflict and differences with others. These individuals typically rely on their demonstrated expertise, competence and proven accomplishments as their political base of power and influence within the organization. Their political philosophy might be characterized as focusing on doing high quality work, allowing expertise to “sell itself†and minimizing playing organizational politics and “games†with others.
In our analysis and research of career orientations we often find that it is not uncommon to see a “gap” between one’s current political style and a preferred style. Too often this suggests that an individual is playing a political game that is draining and stressful. To be truly engaged and satisfied at work, we must align our political style orientation with the right corporate culture or we may experience an increased risk of job burnout.
Getting ahead and getting together depends on playing politics in order to both get what you want and try to understand and manage the needs of others.
If you want to want to assess how you come out on your own political style drop me a line at ken@envisiaonline.com and I will be happy to set you up with a complimentary career assessment.
As Groucho Marx once said, “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies”…..Be well….
Ken Nowack
Kenneth Nowack, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist (PSY13758) and President & Chief Research Officer/Co-Founder of Envisia Learning, is a member of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations. Ken also serves as the Associate Editor of Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research. His recent book Clueless: Coaching People Who Just Don’t Get It is available for free for a limited time by signing up for free blog updates (Learn more at our website)
