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Not Your Traditional Office Politics
By Grace L. Judson
I spent years in deep denial about office politics. I flatly
refused to believe it was necessary to "play" politics in
order to succeed. And - with a symbolic if not actual
stamp of my foot - if it was necessary, then I'd sacrifice
my career on the altar of my disdain!
Many people confound themselves with the same denial and the
same definition of office politics: bad, deceitful, backstabbing,
brown-nosing - all of the slimy things we often think of, both in
and out of the office, when we hear the word "politics."
Many years later, and after teaching myself and others to
navigate successfully through a lot of political undercurrents,
my viewpoint has turned around completely. Successful
personal politics, both at home and in the office, is nothing
more - and certainly nothing less - than the art of
understanding and practicing meaningful, alert, and complete
communication.
Let's look at these three components individually.
Meaningful communication has a wide scope, ranging from
avoiding the use of jargon and overly technical explanations,
to simply being sure we're giving our audience what they need.
It means giving a useful answer that takes the questioner's
context into consideration, instead of one that adheres only to
the letter of what was asked. It encompasses compassion,
understanding when someone needs help even when he or
she hasn't said so.
Alert communication means that we're paying attention to what's
going on around us. When someone does, asks for, or objects
to something, the alert communicator has a pretty good idea
what's behind those actions: we understand the context within
which the person is operating (or at a minimum, we recognize
that this context is there). When we understand the context -
whether or not we agree with it - we can participate in a
solution where everyone wins, or at least no one loses. When
we are alert to communication on all levels - verbal and
nonverbal, including action or lack of action - we can prepare
for whatever happens, instead of being startled by it.
Complete communication is akin to "the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth." It means leaving nothing out - but it
doesn't mean using the truth as a blunt instrument to make
others feel or look bad. It means providing the context when
we ask for something, so that others can understand the why
behind our request, and see how their response fits into a
bigger picture. And it means saying the important things to
friends and family instead of assuming that they know how
we feel.
Just like any tool, political ability can be turned to good
uses or bad. I can use a hammer to smash a priceless
piece of art, or I can use it to tap a finishing nail into a
beautiful piece of furniture. In either case, it's not the
hammer that caused the end result; it's what I've done
with the hammer.
Likewise, I can use my political ability to undermine others,
turn their ideas into mine, and inflict guilt on anyone who
fails to meet my expectations. But I'd much rather take
the skills I've learned - and they can be learned, though
they're not often taught in today's schools - to help others
succeed, applaud their achievements, and be clear about
what I want and need so others can give me the gift of
helping.
Article written by Grace L. Judson.
About the Author
(c) Grace Judson
Grace Judson is a business and personal coach whose clients want to break
the cycle of endless losing seasons. Her coaching process supports them in
creating winnable games, perfecting the skills they need to win, and winning
the personal and professional games that truly matter. For more information
or to access her extensive free resources, be sure to visit Svaha Concepts
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/36957.html
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| Some other articles by Grace L. Judson | Got Communication?
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