Break Your Own Rules by Jill Flynn & Kathryn Heath & Mary Davis Holt

Author:Jill Flynn & Kathryn Heath & Mary Davis Holt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2011-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Playing Politics Is Sleazy

There it is again. We're victims of our values, which some people say stress relationships over rules, and nurturing over competition. We believe that office politics is about winning at all costs—it's not fair and it's not right. Some call it the Old Boys' Club; others view political maneuvering as elitist and dysfunctional. Pure manipulation. But consider what some of us are missing out on by having such a black-and-white perspective.

According to Reardon, women are losing sight of the benefits political skills offer. Closing off our access to quid pro quo at work, for example, leaves us at a distinct disadvantage. “For many women, it's unfeminine to want something in return. That's why a lot of women make themselves available for jobs that men wouldn't touch. Men do favors, but most know and accept that there will come a time when a favor will be expected in return.… Many women want to please and be liked, and they do things for these reasons alone.”7

But there's good news here. Changing our thinking about the good and bad of office politics requires us to use a different lens as we look out at the world of work—but it doesn't require us to throw away our moral code. After all, politics is all about nurturing relationships. When we see a woman who's mastered the art of politics, what we see is someone who's forged a positive line of communication with the decision makers and other influencers in her organization. Politics is about creating a network for yourself and achieving buy-in for your ideas. According to Eldred, “Politics isn't about winning at all costs. It's about maintaining relationships and getting results at the same time.”8

What's so unfair about that?

In our interview, Cathy Bessant, Bank of America's global technology and operations executive, had this to say about the art of corporate politics:

Politics is muscle. Men are more comfortable with it because it is a muscle. Politics is about understanding sources and uses of power. And sometimes it is about understanding your stakeholders—about engaging with them effectively. To me, the art of politics is about directly contracting and acknowledging the muscle.

Understanding your audience, understanding your stakeholders, is a part of the art of advancing the mission. I think when we fall in the trap of being wishy-washy, we play into the flip side of politics, which is manipulation. To be wheedled into something feels like you have been manipulated, like someone has pulled a fast one on you. By easing into it or trying to be artful about it, we think it won't seem political, but all we're doing is seeming manipulative.

I have had so much more fun in the last several years when I actually figured out that you have to play the political game.

Here is a woman who has come to terms with the political process. She has figured it out.

I Have Never Been Good at Office Politics

The refrain goes something like this. I guess the political game is just not my strong suit.

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