The HR head of a global pharmaceutical company recently asked me, “Can you really teach managers to be political savvy? It’s intuitive, isn’t it? You either have it or you don’t.”
Not really. Maybe for a select few, but most of us trip over multiple political mishaps on our career path. We either learn how not to stumble, or become disgruntled and disengaged.
A new Gallup poll states that most employees hate their jobs but is that really true?
I don’t think so. Many people do enjoy their work but dislike dealing with “office politics.”
Gallup’s survey doesn’t ask about politics. Had they done so, it’s likely they would have found decades of employee disengagement patterns.
McKinsey, however, uncovered links to a dislike of politics and the poor retention and promotion of mid-level managers.
Let me be crystal clear–political savvy is a critical leadership skill. Ironically, learning such skills are seldom part of development programs. In 1987, UK professors Simon Baddeley and Kim James researched political behaviour within organisations, and found that very few developed this sort of savvy. Since Baddeley’s and James’ work, little has changed, although they did uncover two critical savvy elements: reading and carrying.
Knowing how to “read” a situation is balanced with insights, values and experience in order to take action. Reading is external, whereas “carrying” is your internal compass, the ability to look inward and become aware of your every action.
In other words, if your internal compass points to the world as negatively political, you’ll hit a brick wall in your career.
I discovered the importance of ‘reading and carrying’ observing John, the head of Compensation for the same global pharmaceutical company:
John is brilliant, one of the best in his field. He works alone, doesn’t talk about accomplishments; his work speaks for itself. For six months, John developed a superb sales incentive plan. Working with the business leader on the plan, he did not see the need to share with anyone else. Last week, John was invited to share the incentive plan with the executive team. Fifteen minutes into the presentation, questions started. Although a technical expert, he was vastly underskilled in reading the meeting. Lacking self-insight, John became defensive, answered succinctly but viewed each question as a political attack on the plan. Frustrated, he shut down.
While researching for my book on political savvy, I met thousands of technically excellent professionals and saw this picture far too many times.
I found that employees who lack a positive view tend to ‘read’ many work situations as negative, seeing a tangled mix of people’s incomprehensible behaviour. Being savvy is a balance–simultaneously translating the external world (John’s group of executives) while managing internal feelings (John seeing everyone as a political animal).
Instead of thinking how much you hate politics, view politics as a force for good–how to influence, lobby, communicate and steer an agenda by knowing who’s in the “room.”
How many innovative ideas do you lose from a misinterpretation of politics?
Savvy is both intuitive and learned. It’s puzzling that organisations place little emphasis on developing this skill, and surprising that political astuteness has not been linked with work engagement and job satisfaction.
It is time to reconsider how we can be more effective and satisfied in our jobs. First is to redefine work politics as a power of good rather than underhanded and second to develop politically savvy skills to improve both morale and engagement.
