Political Savvy An Essential Skill for All Employees Jose Lopez - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Political Savvy An Essential Skill for All Employees Jose Lopez Katheryn Houston November 04, 2014

“Politics is the art of getting things done” Harry Truman 2

What is Political Savvy?  Totality of skills for successfully navigating political dynamics of an organization to accomplish one’s goals  Ethically building a critical mass of support for an idea you care about  Awareness of the culture and relationships within an organization 3

Why is Political Savvy Important?  Political savvy is necessary to:  Manage office politics and get things done  Protect oneself from other’s political tactics  Avoid political blunders  Position oneself for the future Technical skill alone is no longer enough to survive in today’s workplace 4

Who Needs to Be Politically Savvy?  Leaders  Managers  Employees at all levels Political savvy has little to do with one’s place in the hierarchy…anyone can have political savvy regardless of position in the company ~ Joel DeLuca, Author of Politically Savvy 5

What is Your Political Style? Politics viewed as Negative Neutral Positive Machiavellian Responsible Leader  Manipulator  Obligation  Play Maker Initiates Action Orientation  Looks out for #1  Comes with  Impact player territory Protector Speculator Advisor Predicts  File Builder Grapeviner Counselor  Defensive Cynic Fatalist Spectator Responds  I told you so Que Sera Sera  Fan  Gossip  Encourager From “Political Savvy” by Joel DeLuca 6

What are the Characteristics of a Politically Savvy Person?  Uses intuition  Has focus and orientation towards goals  Uses relationship knowledge  Discusses controversial issues in non-offensive way  Manages impressions  Obtains support for one’s ideas  Knows when to follow chain of command  Acts friendly and social with co-workers  Supports boss  Avoids gossip  Uses organizational grapevine wisely 7

Exercise: What Does it Mean to be Politically Savvy at the IRS?  Split into three equal groups  Review the scenario on the note card and discuss/decide how a politically savvy person would act and respond (each group has a different scenario)  3 minutes to discuss and 3 minutes per group to report out and discuss 8

How do I Become Politically Savvy? Choose to become an active, ethical player  Put the organization first  Understand your own political style  Believe strongly in your change initiative  Play above-board  Avoid the moral and rational blocks Work the human system  Understand the culture  Build momentum  Identify the key players  Determine appropriate involvement level for each player  Gauge power and influence  Employ interpersonal diplomacy  Assess relationships  Anticipate and handle dissenters  Develop a strategy 9