I just can’t stand the politics any longer.” Many times, this is what I hear when a coaching client decides to leave a job.
Usually, part of the ensuing conversation includes the recognition that politics will be part of the culture at the next job as well. The client just feels ready for a new political arena and that anything will be better than the one they’re in.
That “politics” word is defined in Wikipedia as “a process by which groups of people make decisions – i.e. who gets what, when, why and how they get it.”
Further, that politics consists of social relations involving authority or power, or the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy. Political Science is seen as a study of the acquisition and application of power.
Hmm. I think we all know from our own experience that organizations quickly become political as soon as there are more than two people aboard – and maybe before.
I’ve worked in two organizations where the political winds almost knocked me over. One was a university and one a nonprofit. Interesting.
Politics is about the distribution of power. I agree with that. The word “power” seems to attract negative ions about it, though actually it is just a word describing a concept, something we cannot see or touch but accept as real. And many factors determine whether we call the political process positive or negative in any system.
It’s probably natural to want power. Most 2-year-olds I’ve known can be pretty aggressive in their struggle for power. Sometimes they bring much larger people to their knees.
In organizations, and probably in national campaigns for public office, the lust for power can be pretty toxic if it outweighs other values – like integrity, teamwork and trust. If power is the one prize people keep constantly in their sights, it will drive behaviors that are unhealthy for the organization.
If humane values are pushed aside in the race for power, nearly all behavior is driven by a self-centered agenda. Adrenalin runs high in the mission to solicit support for that agenda. There is drama that draws us in and it is tempting to take sides. We begin to focus on the fight instead of our own responsibilities. And we want to be on the winning side.
If you suspect a political sub-culture is growing in your organization and causing people to leave (often the best ones), or costing you in other ways, what can you do?
Well, first look in the mirror. Is your behavior feeding a political frenzy?
Do you obviously – or not so obviously – play favorites? Are most conversations taking place behind closed doors? Are you “caught” on the sharp edges of triangulation by playing you ‘n me against him? Do people feel the decision-making is largely transparent or is it mysterious? Do you have evidence that people are engaging in mud-slinging (which may be subtle and still lethal)? Are members of the management team grabbing the credit for the performance of their reports? Do you know or sense that interpersonal conflicts are on the rise? Is “scapegoating” going on? Do you get only the “good” news? When employees are promoted, do they risk being penalized by co-workers? Are some employees monopolizing your time? Are you allowing that? Are you rewarding employees and asking that they keep it just between the two of you? Do you trust your staff? Are you worthy of their trust? Are you accepting, if not rewarding sneaky tactics?
These are some of the mirror questions. You might think of more. If your own answers disturb you, I suggest you get busy opening up the place. Start with those doors. Become aware of your own behaviors and change them, even in mid-sentence. Avoid getting caught in any triangulation, which is just plain gossip really. Encourage those employees who have grievances with others to have the hard conversations with the right persons – the ones involved. Model transparency and honesty and reward it. Make up your mind to develop a reputation as a company with a fair playing field.
You may be doing exactly that already, and if so you have my admiration. If you need to open up the organization and shoo dirty politics out the window, I think you’ll find it worth doing. It does have to start at the top. Leadership sets the tone. It will take determination and time. And it is not a game of perfect.
As Albert Einstein said, “Politics is far more complicated than physics.”
