Читать книгу The Politics of Promotion - Marcus Bonnie - Страница 8

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get a free pass? Their mistakes are minimized and their achievements maximized. Doors open for them, and they enjoy the spotlight without a tremendous amount of fanfare. They may or may not be as competent and talented as you are, but everything they do seems to work in their favor.

These people are politically astute. They have learned how to work the system in a subtle way. They have gained favor with those in power, and this is not by accident. This is a skill. The fact that they have achieved this status without being viewed as manipulative and self-promoting only confirms their skill.

Politically savvy people develop a sense of intuition that helps them to circumvent potential land mines. They observe the environment and take note of what is rewarded and what is disregarded. They observe how people succeed and what is important to the people in power. This observation is critical to developing political skill.

How well are you tuned in to how decisions are made in your organization? These decisions are often not as straightforward as you might think, and the people with power and influence are not necessarily those you see in the upper rankings of the traditional organizational chart.

How strong are your relationships with key stakeholders and influencers? Politically savvy people not only have identified the power brokers but also have developed relationships to increase their visibility and influence.

How do you become politically savvy? You need to observe, listen, and ask questions such as:

Who is getting promoted and why?

With whom do they have relationships?

How are people rewarded in your organization?

What did they do to get noticed?

What types of behavior are not rewarded?

Who can be your champion?

Who seems to be in “favor” and why?

Are there certain people who have access to the leadership team?

In her book, It's All Politics, author Kathleen Reardon addresses the importance of observing the environment and learning about potential danger. She mentions primatologist Frans de Waal's studies with chimpanzees. Chimpanzees don't make uncalculated moves. They are great at observing the social landscape. “They are always keeping track of each other, always thinking about the next social step. Three chimps form coalitions and work together to assess their surroundings and deal with potential enemies.”7

So it seems that even chimps are politically savvy to some degree! This awareness of their environment and willingness to work together contributes to their very survival.

We also need to develop a radar system to understand potential roadblocks and danger. This radar comes from a keen understanding of the people and culture of the organization. This radar system comes from the knowledge that can only be obtained from the inner circles within the workplace that both influence and make the rules of the game.