Survival of the Savvy

1. Survival of the Savvy Organizational Politics and Project Management PMI Portland 9/21/2010

2. “Office Politics” • Backroom deals • Hidden agendas • Favoritism/blacklisting • Stealing credit/ideas • Backstabbing/double-dealing • Others? PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

3. The Shark PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

4. Survival of the Savvy:High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career and Company Success By Rick Brandon, Ph.D. and Marty Seldman, Ph.D. PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

5. Survival of the Savvy 1. Impact of Political Styles 2. Individual Savvy Tactics 3. Leadership Savvy Tactics to Detect Deception 4. Leadership Savvy Tactics to Build a Savvy Team & Company PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

6. Project Managers and Politics • Politics • Managing stakeholders • Stakeholder analysis • Conflict • Reactive PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

7. Organizational Politics • Informal, unofficial and sometimes behind- the-scene efforts, • To sell ideas, influence an organization, increase power or achieve other targeted objectives PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

8. Politics: Good or Bad? • Are the objectives beneficial for the organization or just the person? • Do the efforts to reach the objective have integrity? PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

9. Why Be Political? • Influence on the job • Sell your ideas • Business impact • Implement your ideas • Career growth and benefits • Receive credit and recognition for you and your team PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

10. Organizational Savvy Continuum Power of Ideas Power of Person Less Political More Political BorderlineUnderPolitical BorderlineOverlyPolitical UnderPolitical OverlyPolitical More Political Less Political Power of Savvy Style“Impact with Integrity” PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

11. Style Strength #1 Power of Ideas Power of Person Less Political More Political UP BUP LP MP BOP OP Substance power Position power PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

12. Style Strength #2 Power of Ideas Power of Person Less Political Less Political More Political More Political UP BUP LP MP BOP OP Focus on feedback & learning Focus on image & perception PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

13. Style Strength #3 Power of Ideas Power of Person Less Political Less Political More Political More Political UP BUP LP MP BOP OP Do the right thing Do what works PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

14. Style Strength #4 Power of Ideas Power of Person Less Political Less Political More Political More Political UP BUP LP MP BOP OP More open agenda More hidden agenda PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

15. Style Strength #5 Power of Ideas Power of Person Less Political Less Political More Political More Political UP BUP LP MP BOP OP Meritocracy-based decisions Relationship-based decisions PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

16. Style Strength #6 Power of Ideas Power of Person Less Political Less Political More Political More Political UP BUP LP MP BOP OP Results and ideas speak for themselves Self-promotion PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

17. Room for Improvement? Power of Ideas Power of Person Less Political More Political • Were any strength ratings UP or OP? Were any BUP or BOP? • Would you get the same scores from your project team? Boss? Sponsor? Others? PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

18. The Extremes Power of Ideas Power of Person Less Political More Political Overly Political Under-Political • Being underestimated • Insufficient network • Blind spots about image • Lack of verbal discipline • False comfort, easily deceived • Holier than thou • Missed opportunities • Power trips • Fall from grace, distrusted • Pedestals can topple • Blindly obvious behavior • Cronyism • Disasters waiting to happen • Lack of professional growth PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

19. Avoiding the Extremes Power of Ideas Power of Person Less Political More Political Overly Political Under-Political • Keep political skill, add your values • Move from self-ful to self-less • Add integrity to influence and impact • Keep your values, add political skill • Move from self-less to self-ful • Add influence and impact to integrity PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

20. What Next? • Be more aware of your behavior especially how you try to influence people. • Look for others who are “savvy” and learn from them. • Ask others how you come across. • Get the book: Survival of the Savvy. • Authors have a test online, but it’s self-assessment at survivalofthesavvy.com PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy

21. Questions/Comments? PMI Portland - Survival of the Savvy