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Secrets to Winning at Office Politics

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managing the political environment is just as important as managing tasks and responsibilities. — location: 177 ^ref-26198

You always have a better shot at accomplishing your goals if the people in power support you, but they can hardly support you if they don’t know who you are. — location: 201 ^ref-31146

“What are your personal goals in this situation?” If they aren’t sure of the answer, then that’s where we start, because all subsequent decisions and actions need to be driven by their own individual desires. — location: 229 ^ref-42597

expending his energy in the least productive way possible: obsessing about the past, complaining about his new boss, and wishing that things would magically return to their previous state. — location: 257 ^ref-7573

He was angry and hurt and acting out his feelings. Once he decided to stop focusing on his resentment, he could consider the future and define his goals. — location: 261 ^ref-21904

Because they often do succeed in obtaining immediate personal benefits, in the short run Sociopaths can look like political winners. However, their self-centeredness almost always limits their long-term success. — location: 318 ^ref-32341

If you help yourself in ways that hurt the business—by lying, stealing, taking unacceptable shortcuts, or doing substandard work—you run the risk of getting caught and seriously damaging your career. So, whether you are motivated by moral or practical considerations, following the Political Golden Rule is more likely to promote your long-term political and professional success. — location: 367 ^ref-1849

Alan might be considered a Martyr: while trying to help the Horizon Center succeed, he gradually brought about his own destruction. Toward the end of his tenure, however, he was rapidly moving into the Dimwit category, — location: 465 ^ref-57978

The greatest barrier to becoming a Winner is the inability to see yourself clearly, because self-knowledge allows you to make wise choices about your behavior and avoid political pitfalls. — location: 486 ^ref-54078

• OFOL #1: Organizations are not democracies. • OFOL #2: Some people have more power than others. • OFOL #3: Virtually all decisions are subjective. • OFOL #4: Your boss has control over much of your life. • OFOL #5: Fairness is an impossible goal. — location: 495 ^ref-13896

But for political success, you need to stop worrying about how your boss treats you and start figuring out how to relate to your boss. The ability to manage upward is an absolutely essential component of Political Intelligence. — location: 538 ^ref-41495

Acceptance of the Organizational Facts of Life is an absolute prerequisite for developing Political Intelligence. Otherwise, you will find yourself constantly agonizing about whether you are being treated “fairly,” and fretting about fairness is a complete waste of energy. — location: 547 ^ref-37395

Instead of focusing on the past and complaining about unfairness, start looking toward the future and taking concrete steps to achieve your goals. — location: 570 ^ref-21180

politically intelligent people concern themselves with leverage, not fairness. Leverage is the key to getting what you want, and, if you have enough leverage, fairness is no longer an issue. — location: 571 ^ref-36175

I — location: 595 ^ref-26985

go! Any time spent focusing on this unfairness is just a waste of energy that could be more productively directed toward achieving your goals. — location: 619 ^ref-29157

The ability to assess your leverage relative to others’ is a fundamental aspect of Political Intelligence. — location: 645 ^ref-64665

in the real world, — location: 662 ^ref-32886

if you choose to defy people who have power, you shouldn’t be surprised by the predictable results. — location: 662 ^ref-5242

To make a politically intelligent decision in any situation, you must calculate the Leverage Equation accurately. Overestimating your own leverage to gratify your ego will just set you up for an eventual fall. — location: 688 ^ref-932

if you underestimate your leverage out of modesty or self-doubt, you will miss opportunities to influence others and make progress toward your goals. — location: 690 ^ref-9597

Never intentionally offend anyone at work. — location: 711 ^ref-54812

“Fairness” seldom determines what happens to you at work—leverage usually does. — location: 722 ^ref-25619

She also took the initiative to sit down with her new boss and clarify the way that they communicated about changes. — location: 738 ^ref-1769

Vivian’s credibility as a manager actually increased, because she had proven that she could handle a difficult situation in a positive manner. — location: 739 ^ref-18262

high-leverage approach of exploring the issues and identifying changes she could make. — location: 751 ^ref-44345

demonstrate Political Intelligence by refusing to be held hostage by their feelings. Instead, they concentrate on their goals and take actions that will advance both personal and organizational interests. — location: 769 ^ref-24244

The Power of Attitude is particularly evident in the way people react to adversity, so even if you feel cheated, overlooked, or unappreciated, try to keep your negative emotional reactions to yourself. — location: 789 ^ref-36076

When you have concerns, strive to address them in a calm and professional manner. Dumping all your true feelings on people is a guaranteed leverage killer. (Anyone who believes that complete emotional honesty is a virtue definitely lacks Political Intelligence.) — location: 791 ^ref-61292

If you happen to have a somewhat solitary nature, becoming more inclusive is definitely a strategy that you should consider. — location: 806 ^ref-1664

of a situation in which you miscalculated your leverage—that is, you either underestimated or overestimated the amount of leverage you had? — location: 832 ^ref-37134

revisit those situations. How would you handle them differently if you could do it over again? — location: 837 ^ref-24615

Positive relationships build political capital. — location: 848 ^ref-26727

Megan’s reputation had been enhanced through positive word of mouth. Even the CEO questioned why her name was on a layoff list, since he had heard only good things about her. Megan had developed a strong network of helpful allies. — location: 869 ^ref-37078

Partners will not become your allies unless they believe that you are both competent and supportive. — location: 883 ^ref-23269

If you slack off on your work, fail to meet deadlines, or try to undermine them, Partners can quickly transform into adversaries. — location: 884 ^ref-4002

Because Partners are potentially powerful allies, they should always be cultivated, never alienated. — location: 890 ^ref-3562

People who avoid interaction have fewer allies. And people without allies are vulnerable. — location: 913 ^ref-39016

you must be willing to invest a little time in getting to know your colleagues. — location: 921 ^ref-4454

The most important allies are those who can help you achieve your goals. — location: 937 ^ref-48063

To succeed, you need allies. No one can accomplish their goals without the participation and cooperation of other people. And having allies just generally makes work easier and more enjoyable. — location: 966 ^ref-14642

The procrastinator who puts off difficult decisions may be reducing her anxiety, even though the delays inevitably create future problems. — location: 988 ^ref-54084

Underlying their dysfunctional behavior is a — location: 1007 ^ref-64542

deep-seated anger or anxiety that frequently overrides the more logical portion of their brain. — location: 1007 ^ref-42700

Not all emotional adversaries are this dramatic. Some play “poor little me,” presenting themselves as insecure, vulnerable, and helpless. — location: 1013 ^ref-2417

Annoying people represent an exercise in self discipline, but actual adversaries are a different matter. — location: 1055 ^ref-1032

With focused adversaries, the preferred outcome is to convert them to allies. For this to happen, your opponents must believe that (a) your goals do not conflict with theirs, and (b) cooperating with you might contribute to their own success. — location: 1068 ^ref-20253

emotional adversaries seem more like kids: they throw tantrums, pout, form cliques, play power games, seek attention, or get their feelings hurt. — location: 1093 ^ref-27840

Walter’s criticism had hooked into Nabil’s personal anxieties, yanking him out of his usual adult state and triggering a childlike response. — location: 1103 ^ref-63675

Strengthen his network of allies, capitalizing on any opportunities to make a positive impression on upper management. — location: 1116 ^ref-57330

Emotionally driven people are too caught up in their own psychological dramas to be of help to anyone else. — location: 1121 ^ref-4264

Managers have limited tolerance for anyone who becomes an energy drain. Before long, you will be viewed as The Problem. And becoming The Problem is the kiss of death. — location: 1574 ^ref-2385

Travis complains that the workload is heavier than he anticipated, his stomach is in knots all the time, and he hates coming to work. Yet he can’t seem to describe any specific issues that Rhonda might address to improve the situation. — location: 1591 ^ref-35549

As a brand-new employee, Travis has no leverage whatsoever. He’s had no time to build political capital or develop allies, and he can easily be dismissed at the end of his initial three-month probationary period. Which is exactly what happened. — location: 1599 ^ref-707

being labeled The Problem puts you in a very deep hole, and digging yourself out can be tough. — location: 1606 ^ref-17670

suicide. Some are victims of their own chronic, self-destructive habits. Others simply make bad choices about how to act in difficult situations. — location: 1608 ^ref-60361

There are four common causes of career destruction: (1) poorly controlled emotions; (2) a victim mentality; (3) self-centered goals; and (4) foolish reactions to change. — location: 1609 ^ref-20210

The two emotions that most frequently lead people down the road to ruin are anger and anxiety. — location: 1623 ^ref-47089

Rebellion: Carol is a social worker who resents authority. She disagrees with her manager’s decisions, refuses to obey policies that she doesn’t like, and encourages her clients to bend the rules. — location: 1630 ^ref-37324

overly anxious behavior sends the message that you are weak, worried, and dependent. — location: 1636 ^ref-64564

Anxious people self-destruct because they either fail to address difficult issues or appear to be totally dispensable. Timidity, neediness, and hiding are some of the troublesome behavior patterns in this category. — location: 1637 ^ref-34348

those who lack self-control will inevitably enter the Dimwit category sooner or later. And since Dimwits are destined to become The Problem, that is a risky place to be. — location: 1653 ^ref-19472

You must always be mindful of what psychologists call “self-talk,” because what you say to yourself shapes your attitudes and your behavior. — location: 1665 ^ref-38636

So Dorothy began to cast herself as the victim, with her boss in the role of adversary. As her resentment grew, Dorothy stopped asking her manager for advice or dropping by his office for friendly chats. Then she began to notice that he no longer sought her opinion and spent less time with her — location: 1682 ^ref-39820

than with the other supervisors. — location: 1683 ^ref-59737

Dorothy crossed the tipping point and became The Problem. She may keep her job, but she will never, ever be promoted. This may or may not be “fair”—but it’s a fact. — location: 1687 ^ref-38748

If “poor little me” is a recurrent theme in your internal (or external) conversations, you need to change your negative self-talk before you develop a victim mentality. — location: 1691 ^ref-42369

In the unjust and unreasonable real world, once you file an official grievance, you have crossed over an invisible line and become an adversary to management. No one will tell you this; no one will begin to treat you differently, at least if they have any sense. Yet I can guarantee that managers will be having hushed conversations about you and viewing you as a potential problem. — location: 1703 ^ref-41727

Not all self-centered people are Sociopaths, however. Some are Martyrs, acting in the interest of what they believe to be a higher cause. And dedication to that cause takes precedence over all other considerations. — location: 1728 ^ref-48303

Extreme selfishness and misguided advocacy often lead to political self-destruction, because no organization can succeed if its members act only in their own self-interest. — location: 1739 ^ref-28316

Because “they’re wrong” automatically implies “I’m right,” this politically suicidal reaction often marks the beginning of an adversarial relationship, which, left unchecked, can easily escalate into a power struggle. We all know how those turn out: the person with the least leverage loses. — location: 1754 ^ref-1840

options: you can either (1) adapt to the new way; (2) leave for greener pastures; or (3) become a pain in the ass and eventually be deemed The Problem. — location: 1761 ^ref-16448

Fighting the organizational culture is a pointless battle — location: 1766 ^ref-58119

anything out of the ordinary counts as a warning. — location: 1788 ^ref-62015

If you feel that you have become a political target, self-serving attributions can seem like your best friend because they’re so comforting: all this pain and suffering is certainly not your fault. But if you really are contributing to your own downfall, such mental thumb-sucking just keeps you from correcting your destructive behaviors, habits, or attitudes. They will inevitably come back to haunt you in the future. — location: 1816 ^ref-43249

Review your work history, relationships, and reactions to authority, and look for any common themes. — location: 1829 ^ref-9631

When talking to managers, do you become argumentative or defensive, or do managers tend to scare you? — location: 1831 ^ref-57653

Recognizing the destructive patterns in your own behavior is the single most important step in averting political suicide. — location: 1834 ^ref-54179

Awareness, Motivation, Identification, Substitution, and Habit Replacement. — location: 1844 ^ref-8095

Always remember that you are capable of making conscious decisions about your behavior. To rehabilitate yourself politically, you must quickly learn to make wiser choices. — location: 1870 ^ref-51846

virtually every job contains some power potential—the challenge is to make the most of it. — location: 1968 ^ref-42080

Increasing your personal power means not only using your strengths, but also reducing your weakness. — location: 1986 ^ref-35132

Instead of worrying about appearing presumptuous, Krista should eagerly seize this chance to increase her exposure to the executive group. — location: 2012 ^ref-45716

since “bargaining” means give-and-take, their refusal to sign a contract had actually stopped the negotiation process, making management very happy. — location: 2022 ^ref-31355

If you want to look ridiculous, just try to use power that you don’t have. — location: 2024 ^ref-9179

When the other person’s nameplate says CEO, you’re going to lose the argument even if you’re right. — location: 2032 ^ref-19090

Once you’re doing the right things, then you must be sure to do them right. In any job, this means focusing on fundamentals. If you want people to feel that you add value, then you must produce quality work, meet deadlines, follow through with commitments, and anticipate and prevent problems. — location: 2352 ^ref-6213

Invisible contributions have no political value. — location: 2364 ^ref-25239

All Winners recognize that the positive perception of an accomplishment is almost as important as the accomplishment itself. — location: 2384 ^ref-57644