Do you know where the bodies are buried?

By Jo Miller

According to idiom decoder UsingEnglish.com, a person who knows where the bodies are buried is "Someone who by virtue of holding a position of trust with an organization for a long period of time has come to know many of the secrets that others in more powerful positions would rather be kept secret. An implication is that the person knowing these secrets will use that knowledge to secure something of value for him- or herself." Frank Underwood's staff on House of Cards come immediately to mind.

But it's not usually that sinister. You have probably heard the phrase used to refer to colleagues who have access to practical business information that while useful, isn't always readily available.

In her article How to Unlock the Hidden Secrets of Your Office, Jennifer Winter, writing for The Muse, describes a certain type of individual who has gained access to hidden information, resources and opportunities. As a result, they "... always seem to have dibs on all the great projects, front row seats in the important meetings, and opportunities to advance into positions that no one else even knew existed."

The problem is, most people don't stay in jobs long enough and most organizations change too frequently to allow for accumulating this type of deep history and relationships. It's hard to know who to go to to get access to that insider information. One thing is certain: accessing this information can help you be more effective in your role while negotiating your way toward the next role. Every organization has these individuals, and if you are not one yourself, it is useful to know them. Here are Jennifer's recommendations for how to do that.

Do you know where the bodies are buried? Perhaps not, but it is likely that you know someone who knows someone who does.

This Month Learn New Skills for Navigating Office Politics

By Jo Miller

What if you really, really don’t like dealing with office politics? Would it help to know that you’re not alone?

Dealing with office politics can be difficult and frustrating. In LinkedIn’s 2013 survey of 954 professional women, 23% reported that their biggest work frustration was office politics.

But you can’t afford to ignore it, because politically savvy people do better in their careers:

Research by the Center for Creative Leadership showed that those who are politically savvy have better career prospects, better career trajectories, and are seen as more promotable.

That’s why we are devoting the month of February to helping you develop the skill of positive ‘political savvy’. Because as one of my twitter buddies, Karen Clark put it, “You can't opt out — you have to learn to navigate.”
 
Read more about how to build positive skills for navigating office politics effectively:

• See No Evil: Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore Office Politics
• Ask An Executive: Winning at the Game of Office Politics—A Q & A Session with Nina Simosko of Nike
• The Rules of the Game: Pay Attention to Office Politics If You Want to “Win” the Corner Office
• New to the Job? Three Steps to Help You Hit the Ground Running

And join me, live on February 25 for the 2014 kick-off to our Emerging Women Leaders Webinar Series: Win at the Game of Office Politics.

See No Evil: Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore Office Politics

By Jo Miller

Office politics. Cliques. Hierarchies. Alignments. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t do business without ‘em. But what if you really, really, really don’t like dealing with office politics?

Would it help to know that you’re not alone? Good, because you’re not; far from it:

Office politics is difficult and painful

Researchers Marian N. Ruderman and Patricia J. Ohlott recently discovered that many female managers feel that engaging in political behavior is difficult and painful. Some even viewed it as “evil”.

Evil may be a rather strong word, but my experience has been that most women find it hard to see how navigating office politics can be anything other than a negative experience. Not only is it unpleasant, but office politics can be a hard task to master.

According to a pre-workshop survey of 100 aspiring women leaders in hi-tech who attended my workshop in 2013, only 2% “strongly agreed” that they knew how to navigate office politics in a positive, effective way. But that’s all about to change:

Politically savvy people do better in their careers

So we’ve established that if you don’t exactly jump out of bed every morning, excited to go to work and play the game of office politics, you aren’t alone. But at the same time, you can’t afford to ignore it.

Research by the Center for Creative Leadership showed that those who are politically savvy have better career prospects, better career trajectories, and are seen as more promotable. They are also less likely to succumb to career- limiting derailment.

An author and expert in careers, Erin Burt notes, “Avoiding (office) politics altogether can be deadly for your career. Every workplace has an intricate system of power, and you can — and should — work it ethically to your best advantage.”

Any way you slice it, office politics are here to stay. But the good news is that there’s a simple way to master it:

You can learn to be positively politically savvy

So what can be done to make office politics more palatable and easier to navigate? The answer: build the skill of being positively politically savvy.

The authors of Political Skill at Work (Davies-Black, 2010), the result of over two decades of research into organizational politics, claim that political skill is not necessarily manipulative. “…properly applied,” they say, “it makes good things happen, both for those who use it and for the organizations in which they work.” They identified four competencies of the positively savvy:

1. Social astuteness;
2. Interpersonal influence;
3. Networking ability;
4. Sincerity.

In other words, build your influencing and networking skills, and do it with sincerity – and positivity – to succeed. While you’re doing that, pay attention to the social dynamics that surround you at work, and you’ll build positive skills for navigating office politics, and as a bonus – become more promotable.

And that’s not evil at all, is it?!

Additional Resources:

• Ruderman, M.N. and Ohlott, P.J. (2002). Standing at the Crossroads: Next Steps for High-Achieving Women. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Women and Political Savvy By Jean Brittain Leslie
and William A. Gentry, Ph.D. Center for Creative Leadership. October 2012.
• Political Skill at Work: Impact on Work Effectiveness by Gerald R. Ferris, Sherry L. Davidson, Pamela L. Perrewt.

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Want to learn more about how to navigate and win at office politics? Join me live on February 25, 2014 for Win at the Game of Office Politics, the inaugural webinar of the 2014 Emerging Women Leaders Webinar Series.

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Not a member? Register now.

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Ask An Executive: Winning at the Game of Office Politics—A Q&A Session with Nina Simosko of Nike

By Jo Miller

Office politics is a game many find difficult to win, but play we must if we want to succeed in business. One person who knows how to handle office politics – in a positive way – is Nina Simosko.

In her position at Nike, Inc., Nina is responsible for leading the creation and execution of Nike Technology strategy and operations world-wide. In addition, Nina currently serves on the Advisory Boards of Taulia, Inc., Appcelerator Inc. and K2 Partnering Solutions.

I asked Nina if she would be willing to be interviewed about the topic of office politics. “I love this topic!” she exclaimed, accepting the invitation with great enthusiasm, adding: “I cannot believe you had trouble getting anyone to jump in on this.”

And love it she does! After the webinar wrapped, many participants still had questions; so Nina, in true rock-star style, blogged answers to all of them!

Since we are unofficially appointing February 2014 as “Office Politics Month” we are revisiting a few of the important questions/answers that Nina responded to, below:

QUESTION: Do you feel you MUST engage in office politics in order to be considered successful? Jane, WA

NINA: Politics are a reality and one must not ignore them or do so at their own peril. I am not a fan of politics, but I have learned that ignoring them can have negative consequences. So, I do believe that we all must understand the nature of the politics within our respective companies and participate to the extent necessary.

QUESTION: It seems inauthentic to go around trying to build relationships just for the sake of furthering my career. How do you find time and organically meet with influencers? Christine, TX

NINA: One of the very best ways to connect with people is to offer to assist them in some way. Especially in these challenging economic times, there is no shortage of people who feel overwhelmed and could use some assistance. If you are able to authentically connect with and assist folks with things of importance to them, then they will want to repay the favor and will be available to you when needed. Surely, if it is perceived that you are only reaching out to help yourself, this will not achieve the best outcome. Your efforts to connect with others must be authentic.

QUESTION: Can you comment on our ability to change the game of office politics rather than adapting? Kelly, WA

NINA: Changing the game is very difficult, if not impossible. However, that said, it may be worth trying in some circumstances. In my own career, I have had to learn the rules of the game in each of the companies that I worked for. However, I was able to create an environment more of my choosing within my team which downplays politics and fosters more open communications.

QUESTION: What advice do you have for taking risks and navigating regarding office politics in the current environment of lay-offs? Michelle, WA

I think that risk taking is an important factor in one’s success or failure. Calculated risks that are well thought out and appropriately discussed with management are the “right” types of risks to take and when done properly have the support or acknowledgement of superiors. For me, in these difficult times where we are all being forced to do more with less, those that are unwilling to take appropriate risks are not being as creative or innovative as they could be. It is such creativity and innovation which will ultimately help us pull ourselves out of this economic turmoil and I strongly encourage those in my teams to think in these ways....but to be smart about it!

QUESTION: Nina, what are some of the “rules of the game” that you have encountered? Shelley, TX and Kay, CA

NINA: I have encountered issues of being the only woman in the room, being younger than many of my colleagues, etc. but I have always kept my focus on delivering value and results. I believe, based on my experience, that outcomes matter the most. If you can deliver what is needed, gender, age and other things are less important.

QUESTION: At what point do you determine that the politics are not in line with your values and that the organization is not the right one for you? Janet, CA

NINA: This is a subjective decision as each of our values are personal. However, I would not recommend anyone stay in a position where they believe that they would be encouraged or forced to compromise their values or morals. Of course, these economic times may demand that we do all that we must to keep our job and income, but at some point, we all get pushed too far. Fortunately, I have not had such situations occur in my career.

JO: In my experience, women tend to stay longer than they should in a culture that is not a match, or in positions where a manager is putting a lid on their career development. Building relationships and getting to know people better can do a lot to build appreciation of diverse of values and perspectives, so give that a genuine effort for at least a few months.

Thanks, Nina, for answering these questions so thoroughly.

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Want to learn more about how to navigate and win at office politics? Join me live on February 25, 2014 for Win at the Game of Office Politics, the inaugural webinar of the 2014 Emerging Women Leaders Webinar Series.

Already a member? Log-in here.
Not a member? Register now.