Leadership Success: Dealing With Politics in the Office

Here's a question I once received from a manager: Why do people in top management positions allow company politics to influence their business decisions - resulting in actions that, at times, don't appear to complement the overall company?

Being political means seeking to use or gain position power and influence. Why are leaders so political? Like it or not, politics is partly inherent in their jobs. Leaders are constantly making decisions to gain advantage for the company over competitors, creditors, customers, investors, vendors and, at times, employees. One way to evaluate decisions you think are political is to ask this key question: "Are the decisions being made for the good of the organization or for the executive's self-interest only?"

Then, too, you must keep in mind that employees usually don't have access to the same information as upper management and may misinterpret an executive's actions. Management can minimize the perception that a decision is being made out of political self-interest by constantly communicating to clear up any misunderstandings. When employees draw their own conclusions without management's view, the result will often be erroneous.

Some managers have a skewed understanding of how to influence employees in the workplace. Here's how the owner of a mid-size company operated: "Employees are children," he said. "Give them sweets once in a while and they'll be happy and do what you want." Now, there's an example of a leader who has low regard for his employees and treats them accordingly. It's no surprise that there's high turnover and low morale in his company. In another example of misused power, an owner deliberately puts his managers against one another. What's the result? The customers receive bad service because internal business departments aren't cooperating.

Some leaders are extremely greedy and only out for themselves. This is a fact of life. They do what they do to advance their career and position without much regard for others. We see many of these high-profile examples in the news media when their shenanigans are exposed.

Why are managers so political? Part of the reason is certainly human nature and a characteristic of organizations as people jockey for position. Yet, from a business viewpoint, playing a political game may seem attractive in the short-term, and lead to win-lose situations in the long-term. The best advice is stay out of it, and do your job the best you can.

There are a few enlightened companies that are breaking the traditional political mold to forge new standards in ethical operations. Companies like L.L. Bean, Google, and Southwest Airlines are examples. Managers who focus on win-win situations want their employees and organization to do well besides themselves. People who really care like this are like apples of gold. Employees appreciate that and respond with exemplary service and performance. What sane thinking manager wouldn't want that?