I’ve coached corporate leaders across industries and cultures, and one thing I can definitely say is that Political Savvy is critical for everyone to master. I have not yet found the quantitative data for differences between men and women on Political Savvy, but recently read three articles that point out a double standard for women who’ve demonstrated political prowess.
“The plight of women in organizations and the reasons for this plight.”
Perrewe and Nelson
In 2004, Perrewe and Nelson addressed “the plight of women in organizations and the reasons for this plight.” (An interesting word, ‘plight’, which implies a difficult passage). They defined political skills as “an interpersonal style that combines social astuteness and the ability to execute appropriate behaviors in an engaging manner that inspires confidence, trust and genuineness.” They also measured men and women on their influencing tactics. Although the rating was not explicitly stated, men received a higher performance rating when they applied upward influencing tactics, such as building coalitions or managing up. This research shows the double standard applied to women who demonstrated political skills. The differential, as Perrewe and Nelson posited, is the “mixed messages given to women concerning what constitutes appropriate political behavior at work.”
“Women who display political behavior may be evaluated differently than men, or may be viewed negatively by men because of it.”
Bodla and Danish
