By Andrew Leach, MBA
A recent study found non-Aboriginal executives spend as much as 20% of their time dealing with office politics. For executives in First Nations organizations, I suspect the percentage is much higher. In this article, I will examine office politics, particularly as the issue relates to First Nations.
Office politics are about power. One definition of power is “the ability to influence others.” Indeed, office politics have a great deal to do with influencing others.
Here are three tips on how to make office politics work for you rather than against you.
Be an Excellent Worker
To combat office politics, the best approach is to execute your job better than anyone else. As the saying goes, “Let your work speak for itself.”
Sometimes it’s not about working harder, it’s about working smarter. For example, valuable employees have a knack for doing the right thing at the right time.
Unfortunately, many employees are so busy with their jobs they forget about professional development. If you aren’t getting relevant job training, your performance will inevitably suffer. What knowledge or skills do you need right now to be a better worker? Further, what steps are you taking to acquire those knowledge or skills? Whatever it takes, make sure you are a high performing employee: the harder it is to replace you, the more power you will have.
Communicate Effectively
Some experts observe that most people don’t communicate, they take turns talking. The truth is if you are a poor communicator, you probably won’t be able to influence many people.
To become an effective communicator, you must learn to actively listen. In a nutshell, active listening is about connecting with others so they feel understood. If you are not an active listener, pursue training and then continuously practice your active listening skills. You can never be too good at listening.
Besides active listening, office workers must be able to express their ideas in a clear, constructive manner. Too often people use inappropriate words or phrases that can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. To be more effective at expressing yourself, first try putting yourself in the other person’s shoes.
Avoid personalizing situations at all costs. Personal attacks are probably the most stressful, demoralizing part of First Nations office politics. And remember, when you sling mud, you usually end up getting dirty yourself. No job is worth losing your dignity and self-respect.
Understand Power Structures
Sometimes people make the mistake of thinking all the power in an organization rests with one person. Indeed, the Chief or administrator is frequently seen as holding this power. But, in reality, power is often a shared commodity. In particular, people in power usually have to share power with others, especially if they want to stay in power. Thus, a coalition of people shares the power base in most organizations. Further, several coalitions likely exist within your organization, each vying for its fair share of power.
Knowing organizational power is often made up of coalitions can be very useful. For starters, this means more than one person needs to be influenced. Indeed, impressing a minor player in a powerful coalition can sometimes be just as important as impressing the main player. For example, if you want the Chief’s support on an important decision, first try getting his spouse or mother’s support. This example shows that some power rests with those who do not have formal lines of authority.
In conclusion, office politics are a complex social phenomenon, especially for First Nations who live, work and socialize with the same group of people. So, rather than fighting office politics, employees should aim to build constructive relationships within this complicated dynamic.
Andrew Leach is from the St’at’imc Nation (Lillooet, BC) and has a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA). He also operates a successful management consulting business (www.andrewleach.com), and welcomes feedback to his articles. Email or call him at 604.868.4004.