Quick Start Guide: Navigating Organizational Politics
Need to figure out how to navigate politics in your organization? Start here.
In the last issue of this newsletter, I tackled the secret to using organizational politics as a tool, not a barrier.
L&D, we need to talk about this topic more often! Politics exist in every organization and knowing how to work with them in a positive way is an essential part of working more strategically and effectively.
By the way, the "secret" to doing this (per my last article) is to rise above the politics while simultaneously navigating within them. Note that this is different than "playing the game." If you want more detail, revisit the article for six steps to make rising above and navigating politics a reality.
This past article assumes that you have worked in the organization for a while and likely in the same role or area. Therefore, you already have an understanding, to a certain degree, of the organization and the politics that exist including the influencers and systems at play.
But, what if you don't?
What if you are just starting in the organization or in a new role?
--OR--
What if you are just realizing that you will need to work with organizational politics as a tool and not a barrier? What if your mindset is shifting?
Without spending years getting a feel for the political landscape, where can you start?
There are a few strategies that you can employ to get an understanding more quickly.
#1: Put on your curiosity hat. Learning the political landscape is not about you. It is simply about, well... learning. That means curiosity will be your best friend. Curiosity puts you smack in the mindset of open dialogue, asking great questions, and setting assumptions aside.
#2: Look from the outside in. If you are truly new to your role or the organization, this should be easy for you. "New eyes" tend to see things with a clarity that experienced eyes often lack. However, if you are shifting your mindset to start considering politics, add this to your toolbelt. Taking the mindset that you are observing from the outside allows you to see things from an unbiased, unemotional approach (it also helps you keep your curiosity hat firmly in place).
#3: Find a political guide. In any situation where I need to figure out and navigate a political landscape, I start by looking for a guide(s). Someone who knows the ropes and is familiar with the systems in place and the people who make things happen. Oftentimes this can be your supervisor, but not always. You can have more than one political guide as different people can bring different perspectives. This is the person/people whom you can bring your questions and get up to speed quickly on the lay of the land. You can also bring them your challenges and assumptions later and ask for their guidance when you are stuck.
#4: Go on a "learning tour." Ask your political guide(s), "Who should I meet with to learn more about how things work around here?" or "Who would it be good for me to meet and/or know, given the work I do?" Once you have some names, start reaching out to schedule learning meetings. These are brief (max. 30 min.) where the purpose is for you to learn more about that person's work, goals, and challenges, as well as how you might best work together. In each meeting, your "curiosity hat" should be on full display and it should be fully genuine. The meeting isn't about you (outside of a brief introduction), it's focused on learning about them. The purpose is two-fold:
To learn more about that influencer, what they do, and how they work. This helps you begin to understand more about how the company operates, their part within the company, and how/when it will be best to work with them in the future.
To begin establishing yourself as a "known" member of the Learning and Development team. This may seem counterintuitive if you are asking them questions, but often, people remember those who are interested in them more than those who are trying to be interesting. After you have met, your future contacts with them won't come out of the blue from a seemingly "anonymous" employee. We all tend to favor responding to someone who is known to us, especially if we enjoyed meeting with them in the past.
As you end each meeting in your learning tour, be sure to ask that person who else you should meet. It could be a question like, "Who else should I talk to in order to learn more? Who else has wisdom to share about this role/work/company? Then, continue your tour by reaching out to their recommendations.
#5 Keep records. As you work with your political guide and go on your learning tour, keep your own personal records of who you met with and what they shared. Include the names each influencer recommended as they likely think highly of that person. Your records don't have to be formal, they can even just be meeting notes, but they may help you later as you are figuring out how to best navigate the political landscape.
These five strategies won't answer all your political questions, but they will give you a solid foundation to get started as quickly as possible.
