Imagine you are part of a leadership team. Your leader is outgoing, charismatic, and positive. Even though the leader is complimentary of the team, the reality is the team is underperforming and not reaching their goals. In team meetings, the leader is overly optimistic and glosses over the significant issues the team is experiencing.
Not being able to take it anymore, a few team members call a meeting with the leader and honestly lay out the issues, offering several solutions. Team members leave this meeting encouraged as the leader thanks them for their feedback and says he will consider them. Unfortunately, weeks go by, and the leader does not mention or act on any of the suggestions, and the status quo of false optimism continues. Members of the team discreetly start looking into other job opportunities.
Unfortunately, these scenarios are far too common in the workplace and within organizations.
In the book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, politics is defined as “when people choose their words and actions based on how they want others to react rather than based on what they really think.”
You’re probably saying to yourself that politics is a reality in organizations. You have probably thought at least one of the following statements:
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“I don’t want to share what I really think; I’ll get fired!”
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“Oh, that Susan, she is such a politician. She will say anything to the boss to get on his good side.”
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“As their leader, I know I should be more honest with the team. It’s so much easier to tell them what they want to hear.”
Why Politics Is a Bad Thing
Politics in organizations is a stumbling block on many levels. Here are three reasons why it’s unproductive and harmful:
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Poor Decisions: Organizational politics lead to poor decisions. Referring to the definition of politics, do you think the best decisions will be made when people are saying things only for a specific reaction and not what they really think? Often, political actions are self-centered and not in the best interest of the team and organization. This often leads to not discussing or selecting the best decisions. Can you imagine how much better decisions would be made if everyone was honest and shared what they really thought?
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Time Waster: Related to poor decisions, office politics is a waste of time. Have you ever attended a “meeting after the meeting”? Teams that are political hold meetings where real issues aren’t discussed or debated, such as the example at the beginning of the article. Actual issues are discussed at the “after meeting.”
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Trust and Morale Busters: Politics in the office makes the workplace unpleasant. How fulfilling can it be to always measure what you say and do, depending on who you are talking to? Since trust is the foundation of any effective team, how can you trust others if it’s not safe for you to share what you really think or an idea that could make a difference? The result of not being able to truly contribute diminishes trust and lowers morale.
The Good News
Although office politics has been around forever, it doesn’t have to continue to be this way. Here are three ways that organizations and teams can eliminate workplace politics:
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Tell the Truth: Politics is manipulative. Telling the truth is honesty. Is it always easy to tell the truth? No. But it’s the right thing to do. Lencioni said that as leaders, we need to tell the “kind truth.” In a quote often attributed to Mark Twain: “If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.”
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Start Small: Telling the truth or the kind truth can be difficult, especially in a stressful or emotional situation. Start small with a trusted friend or confidant by giving them some honest feedback that they need to hear. In a one-on-one conversation, practice telling the truth and give this feedback to this individual. As with any endeavor, practice leads to proficiency.
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Understand the Why: Continually remind yourself why it’s important to tell the truth and avoid politics. As mentioned earlier, being honest in the workplace is not easy. Telling the truth can be messy. But it’s the right thing to do. As Stephen Covey taught in the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, we can only control what is within our circle of influence. Telling the truth is within our circle of influence. Because it’s difficult, it helps to often remind ourselves why we are doing this and how it helps the individual and the organization.
Politics in organizations leads to ineffectiveness. If people would start putting the needs of the organization in front of their own wants and tell the truth, we would be well on our way to having healthier organizations.
At Employers Council, we have resources, including our Employers Guide to Managing Workplace Culture, to help your organization overcome office politics and become a more exceptional workplace. If you have any questions or want more information, please email us at info@employerscouncil.org.
Mark Castillo is a human resources consultant for Employers Council.