1 / 23

LER Alumni Presentation An excerpt from LER 590: Influence, Change & Politics in the Organization

Learn tips and techniques for increasing your influence in the organization through a deeper understanding of politics, building political support, and engaging in politics.

gdooley
Download Presentation

LER Alumni Presentation An excerpt from LER 590: Influence, Change & Politics in the Organization

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. LER Alumni PresentationAn excerpt from LER 590: Influence, Change & Politics in the Organization Organizational Politics Jim Schultz Adjunct Professor & President, Pretty Good Consulting, Inc.

  2. Quote for the Day “The operational definition of Political Savvy is ethically building a critical mass of support for an idea you care about.”  - Joel R. DeLuca, Ph.D.

  3. Learning Objectives • By the end of this session you should havetips and techniques for increasing your influence through a deeper understanding of: • The attributes of politics done well and done poorly • The importance of building political support • The necessity to engage in politics

  4. Surviving the Politics of Learning & Performance Judith A Hale, Ph.D., CPT ibstpi Fellow Hale Associates Haleassoci@aol.com Judy@ispi.org 4

  5. Definitions • Positive Politics • Having practical wisdom • Being prudent, shrewd, & diplomatic • Being expedient as a plan of action • Process of gaining support • Negative Politics • Factional scheming for power & status • Being crafty or unscrupulous

  6. Definitions • Politics is the study of influence and the influential • Influence is measured on the basis of the number of shares one or a group has in the preferred values or attributes • The more values or attributes shared, the greater the influence • No single index (share) is a wholly accurate gauge of influence

  7. Political Influence • Measured in terms of who gets the most of what there is to get, that is the ‘elite’: • Access to people, places, things, opportunities, • Attention from others • Deference to ideas, positions, places • Security, safety, protection from harm or hardship • Greater financial reward • Rational Meritocracy • Being ‘elite’ is contextual

  8. Plain Old Influence • The ‘elite’ get the most based on the number of shared values or attributes they possess: • Wealth • Physical Attractiveness • Skill & knowledge • Personality • History • Background or experience • Attitude • Which gets them access to: • People • Information • Resources

  9. Rule 1 • Build your knowledge base • Identify the key characteristics valued by the organization • Gain deep knowledge of your organization’s business • Gain deep knowledge of your organization’s industry • Build your functional expertise • Learn your boss’s job

  10. Personal Power Model* • Company friendships • Desirable personal traits • Opportunity • Perceived expertise • Information • Personal Confidence • Status • Seniority • Interpersonal Skills • Richard Byrd –Guide to Personal Risk Taking • Challenger Gray & Christmas article: http://challengeratworkblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/5-risk-taking-exercises-for-nice-girls.html

  11. Personal Power Check 0 = none, 3 = a lot • How many company friendships do you have? How are they distributed across the organization? ___ • What are the preferred attributes of the influential & what % do you share? ___ • Do you have opportunities to be known, demonstrate your skills, etc? Can you create them for yourself?__ • What expertise is valued by the organization & at what level do others perceive your level of expertise? __

  12. Personal Power Check • Do people describe you as confident? Assured? Arrogant? Tentative? ___ • Do you have ready access to information or are your at the bottom of the information chain? What can you do to gain access to more information? ___ • Who has status in the organization? What is the basis of the status? How might you increase your status?__ • Is seniority valued or looked down on? Where does seniority play a role in influencing decisions? ___ • How would you rate your interpersonal skills? What might you do to strengthen your interpersonal skills? ___

  13. Rule 2 • Stay out in front, but not too far • Aspire to have the attributes of a leader • Shared history, education, experience, values • On the edge, moderate risk taker DesiredGroup Attributes DesiredGroup Attributes Leader Misfit

  14. Rule 3: Don’t Get Derailed • The Elite in business: • Have a great track record • Are outgoing, well-liked • Are technically great • Are loyal, makes personal sacrifices • Are ambitious • Moved up in previous reorganizations • Are great at directing others

  15. Derailment – Fatal Flaws* • Specific performance problems • Insensitivity to others • Cold, aloof, arrogant • Betrayed trust • Over managed – didn’t delegate • Overly ambitious – focused on next job • Failed to staff effectively • Unable to think strategically • Unable to adapt to new boss • Overly dependent on an advocate or mentor • McCall, M., Lombardo, M., Off Track…… • An interesting derailment studies: http://cobhomepages.cob.isu.edu/lundkath/MGT_441/ClassFiles/derailment_Power_AME.pdf

  16. What Separates* • Sustainers of influence vs. short term power: • Greater diversity in work experience • Composed under stress • Handled mistakes with poise & grace • Focused on problems & solved them • Got along with all kinds of people – outspoken but not offensive. • McCall & Lombardo

  17. Rule 4 - Build Respect & Trust* Respect is high or special regard for: • Expertise • Insight • Experience • Character Trust is synonymous with: • Dependability • Predictability • Consistency • Reliability (*Based on the work of the Vanguard Consulting Group)

  18. Rule 4 - Build Respect & Trust Depends on: • Openness • Accessibility • Maintenance of Confidences • Delivering on Promises • Remaining Objective Erodes with: • Subversion • Contradictory Messages • Dishonesty • Lack of Support • Pursuing Agendas

  19. Rule 5 – Work on Sustainability • Apply what we know about sustainability: • Always push for the critical mass – the number that can overcome resistance • Go for quick successes • Insist on line oversight • Frequently communicate gains, adoption, wins • Recognize or share the glory with others

  20. Rule 6 • When change is afoot – old relationships will prevail over data/facts and logic

  21. Core Concept • Political Savvy • Calculating probable changes in influence and the influential under changing conditions • Recognize quickly the changing landscape • May require you to adjust so you remain a leader not an outcast or a has been

  22. References • Silber K., Kearny, L., Organizational Intelligence : A guide to Understanding the Business of Your Organization for HR , Training and Performance Consulting (CA: San Francisco, Wiley. 2010) • Byrd, R., A Guide to Personal Risk Taking, (NY: New York, AMACOM, 1974) • Lasswell, H., Psychopathology and Politics. (IL, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1977); Politics,Who Gets What, When and How. (NY: McGraw-Hill, 1950) • McCall M. & Lombardo, M. Off the Track: Why and How Successful Executives Get Derailed, Technical Report No. 21. (NC: Greensboro, Center for Creative Leadership 1983)

  23. Closing Thanks for Not Throwing Things... Write me at jms8101@illinois.edu Call me at 303 -671- 6658 (Mountain Time)

More Related