Office Politics

The term office politics generally is seen as derogatory. Yet within any organization where numbers of people interact daily, there are degrees of office politics ranging from the simple and accommodating to the complex and highly destructive.

Levels of Office Politics

Office politics in its simplest form is politic, that is, prudent or expedient, to “fit” in with one’s organization. It makes sense for a person to follow, without any objective of advancement, the customs and mores of the organization as long as his or her personal conscience is not subverted. For example, if a person’s coworkers dress modestly, maintain a neat workplace and respect the privacy of others, it is not politic to wear loud clothes, be a slob at one’s desk and constantly interrupt the work of others with small talk (see Dress Code, Workplace). If the coworkers maintain a voluntary fund in order to buy flowers for those who are sick or have lost loved ones, it is not politic to refuse to contribute. More than likely a worker can fulfill his or her job responsibilities and receive no adverse performance reviews without fitting in with the prevailing office mores. But everyday operations seem to go better in the workplace if everyone accepts the local customs.

As a worker contemplates advancement within the organization, however, the level of office politics is raised, for he or she must go beyond just fitting in. For example, if my goal were to advance, I would consider the person responsible for recommending my raises or my promotion, for I would need to be politic with that person. Furthermore, in simple innocence, I would make certain my supervisor is aware of my work product. I would turn to that person for help when I have a problem because I need to have him or her care about the quality of my work. At this political level, I am not trying to gain any special favors at the expense of others, but I would just want to make certain my work is recognized at least as fully as my coworkers.

I move to the next level of office politics when I strive to be known and recognized beyond the level of my immediate supervisor. How does upper management dress? That’s the way I would dress. What seems to be the favorite sport of higher management? If it is golf, I would learn golf. If it is tennis, that would be for me. Which of the next higher managers is the boss of my immediate supervisor? Does he or she have a favorite charity? I would work for it. Does he or she belong to a church? I would join there and hope we could serve on the same committee. Does he or she regularly go to a certain sporting event or theater or orchestra? I would be there too. If I played my cards right, my supervisor’s boss would comment on what a fine, up-and-coming employee I seem to be, and in turn my supervisor would take more interest in me, giving me special attention.

Have I reached the derogatory level of office politics yet? Perhaps, but what is wrong with what I have done? Consider an example from the Bible. A bit of office politics crops up in the New Testament when the mother of James and John asked Jesus to declare that one of her sons would sit on his right hand and one on his left in his kingdom (Matthew 20:20-21). The request had nothing to do with superior performance or ability. It was purely a request for special treatment. Jesus chided the brothers and said such a request was not his to grant. The other ten disciples became angry with James and John. So Jesus called them together and told them that “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:43).

As a worker advances into management in an organization, he or she begins to develop networks or alliances of supportive people in other departments or locations. The network is helpful in passing along information that relates to further opportunities for career advancement. The alliances are helpful in advancing the worker’s projects or assignments. At this point office politics comes into full bloom. A helpful way of approaching and assessing this level of office politics is to consider an example.

A Focal Case

Let’s assume that you, as a department manager, have come up with an idea for a new product line that you are convinced will be highly profitable to the company. Or, if you are in a human-service agency, let’s assume you have an idea for expansion into a new field of services that you are convinced will vastly expand the importance of your agency in the community. Or, if you are in a hospital or university or financial services organization, let’s assume you have a plan for a new and highly sophisticated information system that will increase efficiency and reduce costs dramatically. You take your idea to your senior vice president, and he is immediately sold on it. He wants to back it because he is convinced it will benefit the organization just as you envision and because he sees another benefit—a personal one. If the idea succeeds, he will get the credit for sponsoring it, and that may put him in line for the president’s job in two years. He is in competition with other senior vice presidents, and this project may label him as the clear choice. So he gives you his full support.

As you develop the plan, you talk to others in your network and enlist their support. You have close contacts in marketing, treasury, human resources, production, legal, public relations and other departments. Some of the department heads like your idea and can see possible benefits to them or their careers if it succeeds. There is one complication: your project will tax the full financial resources of the organization. If the project fails, the organization will be in serious trouble. Meanwhile other ideas will get little attention because of the limited resources.

Another senior vice president hears of the plan and is convinced it is a bad one. She is also aware that your boss may use the plan as a vehicle to becoming president. Through her own network and alliances, she mounts a campaign to stop your plan. She, too, has contacts in all the departments you do, and so the political battle begins. Each side moves ahead with its plan to sell the board of directors on its viewpoint. The board must decide. Your senior vice president and others he has enlisted lobby the chief executive officer (CEO). The other side does the same. Meanwhile the networks are working. Members of the board are contacted discreetly. Casual contacts at country clubs or community events provide an opportunity for more discreet campaigning. Secretaries are enlisted to learn what they can from secretaries on the opposing side. You learn of some of the arguments of the opposing side and draw up ways to refute them. Both sides seem perfectly willing to discredit individuals on the opposing side who have made mistakes in the past. All this and the CEO has not even been formally presented with the plan.

The day comes, and your side is there with all the guns it can muster. A team makes an outstanding case for your idea. The chair of the board, who appears very impressed and praises everyone highly, wants to hear from those opposing the idea and indicates the board will need a few days to decide. You are disappointed, but what can you do?

Three days later the CEO calls a meeting of the senior staff. You are also invited. You are on cloud nine as everyone gathers in the boardroom. He quickly gets to the point and gives three reasons why the board has reluctantly decided to turn down your proposal. The vote was seven to six. You are stunned. So is your boss. As you leave the meeting, everyone is convinced that the other side did a better job of political maneuvering. Only one more board member voting for your side would have made the difference.

The fallout of the battle is felt for years after. Workers are angry and from time to time try to get even. Was the decision based on the merits and appropriate pressing of the idea, or was it simply a case of vicious office politics? It depends on whom you ask. Sometimes an innocent, good-willed initiative becomes polluted by the self-interest of others. The proposal in this example got into trouble when people let the idea of how to help the company take second place to the fight for personal political power. Remember Jesus’ admonition that “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:43).

Office politics can be innocent and harmless and can even accomplish very good things for an organization as long as people put the welfare of others ahead of their own. We call such actions statesmanship. Statesmanship is the high road of working within an organization. Office power struggles are the low road.

» See also: Gossip

» See also: Management

» See also: Networking

» See also: Politics

» See also: Promotion

—William E. Diehl