Let’s be real: “politics” is an inevitable part of making change within organizations. You might wish that they weren’t; that the “best idea” would win without campaigning; or that you and your team could focus on “the real work.” But like it or not, influence, and convincing people to do what you want, is part of leading—and if you don’t do it, others will. If anything, politics are even more important to consider in modern organizations because hierarchy is less important—you can’t just give an order from the top and expect it will be carried out. More people have influence on decisions and want to be involved in shaping the change. 

Like it or not, influence, and convincing people to do what you want, is part of leading—and if you don’t do it, others will.

Still, “politics” often has a bad reputation, and for good reason: when leaders put their own self-interest over that of the organization, it can lead to dysfunction and toxic work environments. But it doesn’t have to be this way: you can put your talents to work for the benefit of the organization and the teams you work with. In fact, many of the things leaders already do—crafting and sharing a compelling vision for change; negotiating with others to get resources to support the change; supporting (and, if necessary, correcting) behaviors—are all arguably political activities. The difference comes from what you’re trying to achieve, and the behavior you use to get there.

Organizational Change

NOBL has helped world-famous organizations change collective behavior and business outcomes. Reach out to see how we might be able to help your organization.

Despite the arguable necessity of politics, people are still hesitant to engage because:

  • They’re concerned about ethics. Given politics’ negative connotations, people believe that many of the activities associated with politics—ingratiating yourself with others, controlling the flow of information—are unethical. They aren’t willing to compromise their personal ethics, and so do their best to avoid politics entirely,  concentrating on the work in the belief that results will speak for themselves.
  • They don’t like confrontation. Debating with someone or asking for favors can feel uncomfortable—their response is out of your control, and may feel like a personal attack.
  • They’re worried about retribution. If you go up against someone else in the organization, you might lose (and not just your case for change). Antagonists may complain to other executives, or rally their own allies, resulting in you losing standing or power within the organization. You might get a reputation for being “difficult,” and become unliked or unpopular, which will impact your ability to make change.

If you want to win in politics and do it ethically, consider the following:

  • Figure out what’s in it for them. People are more open to negotiating when they get something out of it. It doesn’t have to be directly related to the change, either—they might want a favor from you that they can call in later, or like the idea of building stronger relationships with others in the organization, or just some old-fashioned sucking up. This may require 1:1s to determine what, exactly, would bring them on board.
  • Reach out to allies. Forming a united front has many benefits: aside from putting them at risk of social exclusion, you may actually get them to change their mind—after all, if everyone thinks it’s a good idea, maybe it is. At the same time, watch out for counter-measures that they may be making.. Check in with others in your network for information so you’re not surprised by actions.
  • Do the work for them. Sometimes it’s not enough to welcome their participation in a change—you have to direct them more strongly, such as by writing a set of recommendations but letting the credit go to them. 
  • Minimize their participation. Alternately, how can you reduce or eliminate their influence? Does it involve paying lip service to their concerns? Subtly challenging/spread doubt about their competence.
  • Get leverage. You may have to enact rewards and punishments to get people to go along with your goals. And in the long-term, you may need to increase your direct power over them to fully address their behaviors, typically through a promotion. 
  • Determine the narrative. The success or failure of change often comes down to how it’s interpreted—was this a bold but necessary risk that modernized the organization, or a foolish gamble that wasted teams’ time and energy? Think through how to tell the story of change, test it with your audiences to make sure it resonates, and repeat and adapt it over time.

The post Barriers to Change: Politics appeared first on NOBL Academy.