Corporate Politics: How to Survive

Corporate Politics: How to Survive

There is one thing that is evident in the realm of corporate politics: most business decisions are made at the grassroots. Though corporate headquarters may appear to be making all of the announcements and presentations that keep their organizations moving, the truth is that most of these decisions were influenced by lobbyists at lower levels.A large organization may be more difficult to uncover, but that doesn't mean it's any less important. In order for executives to establish a strategy plan that reaches all levels of a firm, they must have a thorough understanding of the organization's internal operations. For the most part, executives' business arguments are based on the input of "ladder seekers" inside their own organizations.

How can you take advantage of this as a lower-level manager? "Necessity is the mother of innovation," as the saying goes, and is the simplest method to come up with a new solution. The number of roles and departments that have been formed as a result of innovative people filling in the gaps left by other teams who were unable or unwilling to take on the added duties as a result of limited budget or training is staggering. Making up for a company's shortfalls may have an impact on business strategy when done correctly. What do you mean? Publicity is effective! 

Once an issue has been fixed, don't assume that you can go on to the next one without acknowledging it. Sending out a mass email praising everyone for their part in addressing the problem is a wonderful place to start. Find out who took the initiatives that resulted in better financial results, cheaper expenses for the running company, and/or higher customer and employee happiness. This should not only be sent out to all of the employees who were involved, but also to their superiors. Now that you've done this, you've managed to improve your personal image while also making others glad to work with you, all at the same time.

It's not hard to find something to do. They're mentioned in meetings, noted in internal memos, or brought up in casual conversation at different work-related get-togethers. As a follow-up to an employee's complaint, inquire more about the situation. In the meantime, determine the root of the issue, who or what is causing it, and how they've dealt with it in the meantime. Inquiring about how many other departments or customers are affected and for how long may provide context for the problem(s).Learn from the experience and bring it back to your own team to see if you can create mutually beneficial solutions. 

It's understandable that some teams may feel threatened by your intrusion, but you can always counter that by pointing out that eliminating the problems would lead to greater efficiency in the duties that remain. The departments you deal with must always be considered partners in your efforts. Smaller and smaller businesses are becoming more and more commonplace. It's becoming more and more common for executives to lose and regain control of individual teams within a few years. If you set out to construct an empire, you'd better succeed, or you'll be permanently stigmatized and no one will provide you with assistance. In the long term, it's not a good bargain. People used to be able to go from one company to another and start again, but these days, mergers, acquisitions, and employee turnover might place you back in the position of reporting to someone with whom you have lost goodwill.

The new Adidas mantra, "Impossible is Nothing," should be taken to heart. Before September 11, 2001, how many people thought the United States was impenetrable? What percentage of people thought that the Red Sox were cursed? As far as I know, no one expected Nortel to fall off the face of the earth as it did. If something is labeled "impossible," it simply implies that it has not yet been effectively put into practice. Put together a strategy that will wow your employer and get his approval by using all of the resources at your disposal, including colleagues, friends, online tools, and anything else you can think of. Plan ahead of time if you know your supervisor won't be open to your ideas, and prepare in a non-confrontational manner. Set up a meeting after you've brought all of your allies together. See if you can round up some like-minded individuals who share your convictions about the importance of your goals and schedule a meeting. To avoid one-upmanship between you and your supervisor, present your ideas in a team environment.

Do what you can.

How can you take advantage of this as a lower-level manager? "Necessity is the mother of innovation," as the saying goes, and is the simplest method to come up with a new solution. The number of roles and departments that have been formed as a result of innovative people filling in the gaps left by other teams who were unable or unwilling to take on the added duties as a result of limited budget or training is staggering. Making up for a company's shortfalls may have an impact on business strategy when done correctly. What do you mean? Publicity is effective! Once an issue has been fixed, don't assume that you can go on to the next one without acknowledging it. 

Sending a mass email thanking everyone for their efforts in resolving the problem is a good example. Identify which actions were taken by which group and what the positive impacts were in terms of improved financial numbers, decreased costs of doing business and/or increased satisfaction of employees and customers. This should not only be sent out to all of the employees who were involved, but also to their superiors. Now that you've done this, you've managed to improve your personal image while also making others glad to work with you, all at the same time.

It's not hard to find something to do. They're mentioned in meetings, noted in internal memos, or brought up in casual conversation at different work-related get-togethers. As a follow-up to an employee's complaint, inquire more about the situation. In the meantime, determine the root of the issue, who or what is causing it, and how they've dealt with it in the meantime. Inquiring about how many other departments or customers are affected and for how long may provide context for the problem(s).Learn from the experience and bring it back to your own team to see if you can create mutually beneficial solutions. It's understandable that some teams may feel threatened by your intrusion, but you can always counter that by pointing out that eliminating the problems would lead to greater efficiency in the duties that remain. 

The departments you deal with must always be considered partners in your efforts. Smaller and smaller businesses are becoming more and more commonplace. It's becoming more and more common for executives to lose and regain control of individual teams within a few years. If you set out to construct an empire, you'd better succeed, or you'll be permanently stigmatized and no one will provide you with assistance. In the long term, it's not a good bargain. People used to be able to go from one company to another and start again, but these days, mergers, acquisitions, and employee turnover might place you back in the position of reporting to someone with whom you have lost goodwill.

The new Adidas mantra, "Impossible is Nothing," should be taken to heart. Before September 11, 2001, how many people thought the United States was impenetrable? What percentage of people thought that the Red Sox were cursed? As far as I know, no one expected Nortel to fall off the face of the earth as it did. If something is labeled "impossible," it simply implies that it has not yet been effectively put into practice. To obtain your boss's attention and approval, put your plan together using any resources you have at your disposal, such as coworkers, friends, or online tools. Plan ahead of time if you know your supervisor won't be open to your ideas, and prepare in a non-confrontational manner. Set up a meeting after you've brought all of your allies together. See if you can round up some like-minded individuals who share your convictions about the importance of your goals and schedule a meeting. To avoid one-upmanship between you and your supervisor, present your ideas in a team environment.