Organisational politics

What do most people mean when they talk about organisational politics?

Wiktionary defines politics as, "the practice of responding to conflict with dialogue" [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/politics]. This appears to be the most appropriate definition for the context of work and careers but the everyday labelling of politics within a company often has negative connotations, i.e. political behaviour = unhelpful and obstructive.

The labelling of certain behaviour as political also depends on the perspective of the people involved. What may be obstructive from one viewpoint can just as easily be seen as essential to survival from another.

Politics and political behaviour occurs within an organisation where there are differences in strongly held opinions and/or beliefs. Response to these differences through dialogue is labelled by some as political. For the individuals doing the labelling, the desire to act or change the agenda is felt more urgently, hence the frustration that more dialogue causes.

Ultimately, the success of a business and the individuals within it presents the acid test for the health and continuity of its political environment.

And if that is an unsatisfactory conclusion, then let the debate continue...

Umbrellas go up when it rains

Managing your career in a negative growth market is not an easy task. Difficult career situations like unemployment and redundancy aren't subjects that this blog takes lightly but it is worth noting that even in tougher economic times, new jobs are started, promotions are won and work has the same potential to satisfy.

Whatever the economic outlook, managing your career should never be an exclusively inward-looking exercise carried out alone. Pursuing personal success through a clearer understanding of your values, talents and goals ensures that you gather external perspectives and evidence [from friends, trusted advisors, employers and so on].

In order to be valid, a career direction needs to be tested and ultimately supported by what you can achieve in the open job market. The way others interpret your values, talents and goals is a critical factor in your personal success. In a negative growth market it is even more significant that career planning does not place isolated, long-term objectives ahead of everyday opportunities to succeed.

What has this got to do with rain and umbrellas? Not everyone is waiting for the sun to shine in order to make progress.

Leadership II

There are a number of ways to measure the effectiveness of leadership in business. Many experienced business people will tell you that the ultimate measures for leadership success can be found on a balance sheet [profit/loss, resources, people, etc]. Such measures are not up for argument in this post but the fact there is more to successful leadership than a balance sheet can measure is.

The most impressive leaders I have encountered not only pass the balance sheet test, they also approach leadership as an opportunity to create value. Value to customers, value to staff, value to communities and value to themselves. Such leaders are successful in their business objectives but they are also successful personally. In other words, they know why they are in their job and why it is meaningful to them.

Who are the best leaders you have worked with and why? What singled them out in your opinion and how did they contribute to your career? Like all of the subjects discussed on this blog, the conversation on leadership is an open one! 

Public, Private, Not-for-Profit

How easy is it to have a portfolio career? Can you really have a foot in more than one camp and remain effective? Have you had any experience of crossing the above divides? Will some people ever get the meaning behind not-for-profit? Do you have a personal example of a related skills/career/work situation that others might learn from?

I have worked with people whose experiences have been all the more interesting for their diversification across some or all of these sectors. There is no definitive answer but the example of those who have done this successfully could also be viewed as individuals improving their definition of personal success and finding their work more meaningful as a result.

Any and all opinions are welcome!

What can be achieved

I have been party to an interesting course of events and it seemed worthwhile recording the facts. It is also in recognition of a significant achievement that I write this post. It is also because this story (as well as its anonymous hero/heroine) is a great example for anyone experiencing career change.

The individual in question is smart, talented and successful but, due to changes in a career that had been stable for some time, there has been more than a little uncertainty of late. What impressed me most during this time wasn't the patience, thoughtfulness, adaptability, emotional resilience, intelligence or courage - although all have been present. Most impressive has been this individual's ability to deal with every situation positively and with an eye for the opportunity present for all involved.

How has this been demonstrated? In situations that many would have given up on, a distinct 'win-win' outcome has been created. No issue or request has been too big or too small to attempt to resolve. Frustration and disappointment have not been allowed to take over, even at the hardest of times. No opportunity to learn and develop has been avoided or missed, even if that has meant dealing with difficult subjects head on.

Anyone and everyone has the ability to achieve when opportunities are approached and managed as they have been in this example.

Congratulations are well in order. Keep up the great work!

The trouble of thinking twice

Before doing something about feeling unhappy at work, a lot of us have probably been told to think twice. Depending on your situation and how you act upon it, this can be good or bad advice to follow.

Thinking twice is sometimes bad advice because it can be all the encouragement we need to do nothing. To suppress feelings of discontent and dissatisfaction can lead to inaction and create resentment further down the line. Ignoring the feeling that you could be happier elsewhere avoids the question. Similarly, if you ignore the feeling that you might be more fulfilled doing something else because changing jobs is difficult or because a new job might be worse, an important opportunity to learn more about your relationship with work can also be lost.

Thankfully, thinking twice is not all bad news because, when nudged in a different direction, thinking twice is probably the best advice you can follow. Feelings of dissatisfaction or discontent are never a solid career strategy on their own so taking time out to explore where they come from is a good thing to place ahead of re-writing your CV or worse still walking out on your job.

When you think twice, consider questions like: "What is frustrating me about my current job/career?", "Are any of these frustrations temporary or down to me?", "What do I like about my current job/career?", "What other jobs/careers will let me do more of this?"

The list of individual questions is pretty much endless so thinking twice can be difficult for knowing where to start. If this is where you feel you are right now, here are the favourite three questions of this blog to offer a starting point and begin a lasting conversation around your values, talents and goals: What is important to me?, What am I good at? and What keeps me going?

If you have a question of your own or anything else that you would like to say, send an email, leave a comment or take part in our new reader poll at the top of the page!

Time

Finding the time to ask ourselves what we want from our career is never easy. Plenty of everyday priorities outrank or outweigh a question like this. For a lot of us the subject only becomes important when career decisions are imminent. The trouble is, pressurised situations rarely allow us enough time.

Setting time aside to define personal success is not a priority for everyone. If you are in a job you enjoy and have a career direction you are happy with, there is little need to have this conversation urgently. However, if your job and career are offering little by way of enjoyment or satisfaction then this question begins to demand some of your time.

If change is something your career will need to face in the future a simple equation is worth considering. The more time you spend on this question now, the more your answers will support you when they are needed most.