When most people hear the words “corporate politics,” it’s usually perceived as a negative.
I don’t think this is the right way to think of politics.
It doesn’t matter if corporate politics is good or bad.
What matters is that regardless of your view on it, it exists and must be managed in order for you to manage your career effectively.
I encourage you to think of corporate politics in a different way.
Rather than thinking of it as gamesmanship, think of it as various people in an organization all trying to get their needs met.
If the VP of Sales really wants to hit quota for the fiscal year, should he be considered “political”?
I don’t think so.
If the VP of Engineering wants to hit the product release date on time, should she be considered “political”?
I don’t think so.
As my former organizational behavior professor repeatedly emphasized to me, anytime there are two people in a room, there’s politics.
The far more useful question to ask is: how do you be effective in a corporate political environment?
What is the framework for understanding the political landscape?
How do you build allies?
How do you harness political capital and power when you lack formal authority?
The people in senior roles are not always the most talented people in the organization.
They are, however, often quite good at navigating corporate politics… or rather, they are very good at helping other people in the organization get their needs met in a way that also serves themselves.
THAT is the secret of being good at corporate politics.
To learn how to be effective at navigating political environments, I suggest getting my “How to Excel as a Rising Star in Industry Toolkit.”
It provides useful frameworks, skills, and techniques to accelerate your career in industry. It includes multiple frameworks and tools for effectively navigating corporate politics to meet your own personal goals.
To learn more, Click Here.