The Politics of Promotion. Marcus Bonnie
qualified for the first position for which I posted. I had full support from my direct supervisor, who reached out to others on my behalf. I executed the interview well. I definitely had the background to supersede the other candidate. But then I found out from behind the scenes that the VP went to the Hiring Director and told them to hire the other person because it was her third time interviewing for the job. And so, they went with that person because they were uncomfortable going against the grain, fearing some backlash and knowing that there was a reorganization on the horizon.
“Then I interviewed for the same position a year later, because the girl who got the position quit. There was now a new Hiring Director in place. I was unknown to the new Director. I reposted and again, they went with another candidate, a male, who was very well networked and considered a hot ticket. Everyone knew this person well.”
The more we are tapped into the information networks, the greater the likelihood of knowing about new openings before they are formally posted. This knowledge then gives us the advantage of letting others know of our ambition and getting their feedback on how to move forward.
Another example is when we read a job description and believe that we are qualified and meet the requirements for the position. What we don't know is what is involved in the decision-making process: who owes who favors, who will influence these decisions – in other words, the politics. The only information we have is the formal job description. But what will it really take to secure this new position? We're in the dark. That was my blindside experience as well as Shereen's.
Here's the lesson. When you rely on the traditional means of getting information, you miss the boat time and time again. You don't want to appear too pushy or too ambitious and so you continue to wait, living by what you think are the rules of the game. But your refusal to be proactive and political results in you being the last one to know what's really going on.
Do you sometimes feel like an outsider at work? You most likely recognize that there's an “in crowd” that has the ear of senior management. Do you sometimes wonder how to gain access to this exclusive network? And is it worth the effort to do so? You may not want to bother with the politics, but your very survival in the workplace depends on learning who the players are and their unwritten rules.
I'm certain that most of you reading this know only too well that the strength of the old boys' club persists in most organizations. What you may not know is that the best way for you to advance is to gain access to these informal networks by building relationships and using political skill. Politics opens the door to valuable information and shows you the best road map for avoiding land mines and building bridges and allies across the organization. The more expansive your network is, the clearer your path.
You might also be turned off by the notion of “politics” in the workplace. You don't want to get involved. You don't have the time for this. You put in a long day and then rush home to your family. You barely have a life as it is. So how important is this?
It is the knowledge of the workplace systems and culture that gives the politically savvy the advantage. A lack of engagement in politics results in your exclusion from the power networks. You are not connected to the people in the organization who can provide you with information about the way decisions are made and who can influence those decisions.
This lack of engagement in workplace politics by women is often referred to as “political skills deficiency.”5 One can make the argument that this is a viable reason for women's lack of progress. Our lack of engagement in workplace politics not only puts us at a disadvantage or political deficiency, but it also puts us in the “loser's bracket.”6 None of us want to be in the loser's bracket if we have any ambition at all!
Only YOU can answer how important this is for YOU. If you are truly ambitious and want to control your career destiny, then you need to pay attention to the politics. If you sincerely want to move your career forward, this book will be your guide to learning how to be painlessly political.
I understand that engaging in workplace politics is probably not your comfort zone. You would rather focus on your work and not deal with the politics. But what if you had a road map for how to become politically savvy and build the relationships necessary to help you get ahead and stay there?
In this book, you will learn all the tools you need to scope out the political landscape, be strategic, and identify the key relationships you need for your advancement. You will also learn how to build confidence, trust, and influence with these key stakeholders. In short, you will learn how to be politically savvy.
What Is Political Savvy?
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.
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Fred R. Blass, Robyn L. Brouer, Pamela L. Perrewé, and Gerald R. Ferris, “Politics Understanding and Networking Ability as a Function of Mentoring: The Roles of Gender and Race,”
Pamela L. Perrewé and Debra L. Nelson, “Gender and Career Success: The Facilitative Role of Political Skill,”
Kathleen Kelly Reardon,