
Airman 1st Class Cameron Wheatley, 442nd Fighter Wing Aircraft Maintenance Squadron aircraft armament technician, pushes a 500-pound toolbox to an A-10 at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, Dec. 17, 2013. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nick Wilson.
Workplace politics is an amorphous mystery to many of us, in part because we lack some simple tools. Here's Part II of a little catalog of ten widely applicable tactics. See "Ten Tactics for Tough Times: I," Point Lookout for February 1, 2006, for more.
- Am I solving the right problem?
- Even if you solve the problem, your solution might not be useful unless you solve the right problem.
- A risk of this tactic is inappropriately assuming responsibility for problem definition. Focus only on the portion of the problem definition space that truly is yours.
- What's the smallest piece I can usefully address?
- Often what looks unitary from afar is actually composite close up. Once you get into it, you can clearly see its separate parts.
- When you can finally discern the pieces, focus on the easy parts. If one of them feels like a good fit, go for it.
- Can I get help?
- Often what looks
unitary from afar
is actually composite
close up - Asking for help can be difficult if we feel that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Some like the feeling of independence that comes with control, even if that sense of control is an illusion. See "Are You Taking on the Full Load?," Point Lookout for February 6, 2002, and "Heavy Burdens: Should, Always, Must, and Never," Point Lookout for February 27, 2002, for more.
- When ownership of a problem is joint with others, all owners must work together. And even when you own the problem fully, addressing it might be beyond your capability. Ask for help when you need it.
- What kind of help would help?
- Difficult problems are difficult, in part, because the tools we do know about haven't worked. And when we don't know about something we need, it's hard to ask for it.
- When you feel lost, ask someone what kind of help would help. Check in with a mentor, a coach, a colleague, or a friend.
- Can I confront?
- If the problem results from the actions of another, we sometimes feel the urge to escalate, to force our partners to change what they're doing. But escalation can be dangerous because it might harm the relationship.
- Here are two alternatives. First, tell your partner what you want. Explain first what problems you face that might be visible only to you. Alternatively, and even less confrontational — ask for what you want. One possible risk of these tactics: they reveal that you know what's happening, and this knowledge might be used against you.
- What do I already know?
- Remembering what you already know is perhaps your most important tool. Sadly, under stress, remembering anything can be very difficult.
- I remind myself by breathing. It slows me down and clears my mind, probably because oxygen is an aid to clear thinking.
Some of these ten tactics might fit for you. Some might not. Some might almost fit. Select, adjust, and add your own. Top
Next Issue
Is every other day a tense, anxious, angry misery as you watch people around you, who couldn't even think their way through a game of Jacks, win at workplace politics and steal the credit and glory for just about everyone's best work including yours? Read 303 Secrets of Workplace Politics, filled with tips and techniques for succeeding in workplace politics. More info
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Related articles
More articles on Project Management:
How Targets of Bullies Can Use OODA: II
- To make the bullying stop, many targets of bullies try to defend themselves. But defense alone is not
sufficient — someone must make the bully stop. That's why counterattack is much more
likely to work.
Handling Heat: II
- Heated exchanges in meetings can compromise both the organizational mission and the careers of the meeting's
participants. Here are some tactics for people who aren't chairing the meeting.
Seven More Planning Pitfalls: II
- Planning teams, like all teams, are susceptible to several patterns of interaction that can lead to
counter-productive results. Three of these most relevant to planners are False Consensus, Groupthink,
and Shared Information Bias.
The Risk Planning Fallacy
- The planning fallacy is a cognitive bias that causes underestimates of cost, time required, and risks
for projects. Analogously, I propose a risk planning fallacy that causes underestimates of probabilities
and impacts of risk events.
Rescheduling: Project Factors
- Rescheduling is what we do when we can no longer honor the schedule we have now. Of all causes of rescheduling,
the more controllable are those found at the project level. Attending to them in one project can limit
their effects on other projects.
See also Project Management and Project Management for more related articles.
Forthcoming issues of Point Lookout
Coming February 12: On Substituting for a Star
- Newcomers to work groups have three tasks: to meet and get to know incumbent group members; to gain their trust; and to learn about the group's task and how to contribute to accomplishing it. All can be difficult; all are made even more difficult when the newcomer is substituting for a star. Available here and by RSS on February 12.
And on February 19: Yet More Ways to Waste a Meeting
- Experts have discovered that people have been complaining about meetings since the Bronze Age (3300-1200 BCE). Just kidding. But I'm probably right. As an aid to future archaeologists I offer this compilation of methods people use today to eliminate any possibility that a meeting might produce results worth the time spent. Available here and by RSS on February 19.
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Beware any resource that speaks of "winning" at workplace politics or "defeating" it. You can benefit or not, but there is no score-keeping, and it isn't a game.
- Wikipedia has a nice article with a list of additional resources
- Some public libraries offer collections. Here's an example from Saskatoon.
- Check my own links collection
- LinkedIn's Office Politics discussion group