This document summarizes key lessons the author has learned about organizational politics from their work experience and a course on the topic. The author learned to pay attention to "political signals" from coworkers and not be naive about others' intentions. They also learned that being tough, like having to lay off employees, does not mean being mean, and that their work will not speak for itself - the author needs to promote themselves for promotions. The overall lesson is that organizations have many types of people with different motivations, and it is naive to assume everyone thinks the same.

1. Political Wisdom
L. Michelle Price – August 18, 2013
For MOL 5110 Organizational Politics
Dr. Carl B. Summer

2. Political Wisdom
During the last few weeks and over the
course of my work life I have gained a bit of
political wisdom. Now that I have the
vocabulary to label the things that I have
learned it makes it much easier to reflect on
and disseminate the information to others.
Following are a few of the lessons that have
been world-changing to me.

3. Don’t Keep My Head in the Sand

4. Don’t Keep My Head in the Sand
Early in my career, the first political mistakes I made were how I
misread political signals. From my week two analysis, I was set
up by coworkers that didn’t like me and were trying to send me
to JAIL! Before this major event, I treated the situation like they
were "school girls that didn't like me" so just ignore them. In
reality, these were co-workers that were not happy with their
career path, and envious of mine. This escalated a bad situation
into a potential disaster.
• Brandon(2004) calls this "Behind-the-scenes-sabotage" (p.19).
Not paying attention to them helped to inflame their
animosity. This was a political blind spot.

5. Don’t keep my head in the sand
• Be much more proactive instead of reactive.
• Be aware of the political things within my
organization.
• "Power of Savvy leaders detect deception in the
form of misleading information, sabotage, and
private power pockets. They use their awareness
and skills to make good decisions about internal
hires and promotions as well as external vendors
and partners"(p.55).
What I’ve learned:

6. Being Tough is Not Being Mean
But sometimes you have to give bad news…….

7. Being Tough is Not Being Mean
In my week 4 Analysis, I was faced with having to be the one to
let 24 people know they no longer had jobs. My company
purchased an existing station and changed the format. It wasn’t
feasible to turn a team of 60-year old easy listening announcers
into a social media savvy, Pop DJs. But that didn’t make letting
them know they would not stay with the station any easier.
• Brandon(2004) suggests that "developing one's strengths is
more important than fixing weaknesses" (p.68). I concur that
spending time and money to correct someone's typing
skills, when they are a much better salesperson is not as
productive as retraining that person to be a great sales
person, or finding someone that can type.

8. Being Tough is Not Being Mean
• Making tough employee decisions is
necessary.
• Keep team members aware of expectations
and how they benefit the whole.
• When transitioning a team member, direct
them in areas best suited for their talent.
• Keeping someone in a job they are not suited
for hurts the company, the person and the
leader.
What I’ve learned:

9. It is Naive to Think that Everyone
Thinks Like You Do

10. It is Naive to Think that Everyone
Thinks Like You Do
My week three analysis focused on how I was overlooked for
promotion until I actually got the nerve to ask. I had been caught
in the loop of believing that since I worked hard, someone would
notice my efforts and promote me. It never happened… until I
stood up for myself.
• Buchanan highlights "Nice girls don't get the corner office" (p.
168). This lesson for me and other women in the workplace
was really revelatory. The text shows how girls are taught that
success depends on being "lady-like". We are taught to be
polite, agreeable, and less confrontational. Yet, these are the
traits that cause an employee to be overlooked at promotion
time. Buchanan references, "less confrontational ways of
wielding power prevent women from increasing their
organizational visibility and influence" (p. 168).

11. It is Naive to Think that Everyone
Thinks Like You Do
• Making sure to be seen as promotable by doing great work and
then telling the right people about it.
• Don’t only play “nice” when everyone else is playing to win!
• If you are More Political and you believe that it is your right to
"shimmy" your way to the top because "that is how the world
works". This makes you a manipulator. This is wrong!
• If you are a Less Political and believe that everyone else is too, you
will be overlooked for promotion and can probably list the number
of times that you did not receive credit for your hard work. For
you, it is easier to say, "my work should speak for me" because you
are to afraid to speak for yourself. This is wrong!
What I’ve learned:

12. Summary
This course has taught me that sometimes I have to make tough choices and give people
really bad news. But, that I have to do what is best for the organization and best for the
person. I try to make sure that I encourage everyone to know themselves and what they
do best, and seek out what God made them for.
When I think about how afraid I was, early in my career, to speak the words that I
wanted a promotion, I realize how less political I was. I thought that if I said I wanted to
be boss, he would think that I was being conceited or full of myself. If I had never pushed
through the fear and asked, I would never have done the things that I have. Many times
we think someone will tell us no, so we don't ask. I have learned to never tell myself no
when it comes to accomplishing a task, or believing for promotion. It is an automatic
failure if I tell myself no before I give someone else to tell me yes.
Organizations are made up of many types of people. I wouldn't lie on someone else and
it never crossed my mind that a co-worker would try to go after me in that way. But, I
now understand that as a member of an organization, it is naive to think that everyone
thinks like you/I do. Both political styles have merit and weakness, but it is important to
find the vital balance of power.

13. References
• Brandon, R., and Seldman, M., (2004),
Survival of the Savvy, High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career
and Company Success, New York, Free Press
• Buchanan, D. A., & Badham, R.J. (2008). Power, Politics, and
Organizational Change: Winning the Turf Game. London, UK:
Sage Publications, Ltd. ISBN: 978-1-4129-2833-5.