People,
Power & Politics:
People
are the DNA of any organization. People build organization and its culture. When
people come together to fulfill their need to socialize, politicking is bound
happen.., be it our personal lives or professional lives. However, the degree
of politics may vary. In a diverse workforce, it is difficult to predict the
dynamics of any group. Every individual in a group affects the rest of the
members in the group to form a unique culture. People and politicking in
organization define its culture and this organization culture has significant
effect on its bottom line.
The
secret lies in The Equation which is pretty simple:
On
the other side leaders in the organization have powers, power to influence their
people. Most leaders have great ability to transform their people to achieve
their vision. They can organize their powers to attain greater goals and create
an exceptional organization.
The
strong interplay between Powers, People & Politics set tone for the
organization success and its bottom line.
Politics
is inevitable. People use their power attained through formal hierarchy and get
involved in politics. Others use their ability to influence to get their way
and participate in politics. Conflicting goals of individuals, teams and
organization is another prevalent reason for politics in organization.
Is
Politics Bad? No, it is a significant part of every organization.
Team
|
Mid Level
|
Senior Level
|
|
Team
|
Dog Eat Dog/Win-Win
|
Power Play / Influence
|
Power Play / Influence
|
Mid Level
|
Power Play / Influence
|
Dog Eat Dog/Win-Win
|
Power Play / Influence
|
Senior Level
|
Power Play / Influence
|
Power Play / Influence
|
Dog Eat Dog/Win-Win
|
Dog Eat Dog:
Everyone wants to win over others (unhealthy politicking)
Power Play:
Taking advantage of the power attained through
Hierarchy or majority (unhealthy politicking)
Win-Win:
Everyone wins & focuses on
growing together (healthy politicking)
Influence:
Using power hierarchical or
non-hierarchical positively – (healthy Politicking)
|
As
there are two significant contributors to organizational politics – it’s People
& Power, It would be easier to cope with politics if we focus on these two elements:
Power:
Politics
in the organization will take a back seat when leaders start engaging and
influencing their teams to attain higher collective goals.
Ø Leaders must focus on
synergy
Ø Leaders must take time to
measure organizational climate and take corrective measures proactively
Ø Leaders must be aware of
the power centers prevailing in the organization
Ø Leaders must cascade
their vision to the team hence aligning them with his vision
Leaders
must be aware that unproductive & disengaged people might be a result of
unhealthy politicking. Leaders must invest time in their people and, like any
other investment, hope for good returns.
People:
Ø People must be observant
of their behavior and behaviors of others around.
Ø People must focus on
cultivating positive work culture
Ø People must build
stronger relationships and foster mutual trust and respect in teams
Ø People must discourage
un-healthy politicking by avoiding to participate in gossips, rumors or passing
of any judgments
Ø People must nurture the
behaviors of young people in the team
Ø People must promote
healthy competition and think Win-Win than “Dog-eat-Dog”
Ø People must not take
anything personal – while voicing your
opinions do it intelligently and assertively
People inherently have the potential
to achieve the results they want. Nothing can be more commendable when leaders
tap this potential to build greater organizations.
Great people make great workplace
and great leaders with great people make world-class organizations.
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