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Are You Politically Savvy at Work?

My husband hates politics…at work that is. That’s why he likes having his own businesses – no politics to deal with. Well – let’s rethink that. Now that we are working together he might tell you he is now dealing with politics yet again! How about you? How do you feel about politics at work? Even if you hate it – you have to deal with it. Doesn’t matter the size of the business for which you work – politics at work are a fact of life. The better you can deal with politics at work, the more successful you will be (and the less frustrated!).

Being politically savvy means you can get things done within the organization. It does not mean you manipulate others nor have unethical practices. Politically savvy individuals tend to be:

  • Team players – they work with others in order to be successful and get things done.
  • Creative and innovative – they are “idea” people and will also work with others on their ideas. They care about ideas in general that enable for the organization to be successful and stay ahead of the competition.
  • Calculated risk takers – they take risks; but they are calculated risks. Which means that they carefully plan for what they are going to do and understand the ramifications if things go wrong.  
  • Organizational savvy – they understand how the organization works – why things happen and how decisions and work gets done. They know the “ins and outs” of the organization – the informal as well as the formal processes as well as who are the true decision makers to get things done.
  • Relationship builders – they understand that relationships are needed in order to get things done within the organization. They know that you can’t influence others and get others to support your ideas unless you have first built relationships with them.

How about you? How politically savvy are you? What are your challenges? What are your success stories?