In the corporate world, employees often find themselves in challenging situations, unsure of how to navigate the complexities of office politics. The most common question I encounter is, "What should I do if...?" Typically, these individuals are caught in the crossfire of office power struggles and are unsure of their next move. My advice often resembles a strategic battle plan, drawing from my experiences and the lessons learned in MBA courses. This article, part of the "Navigating Corporate Politics: Strategies for Success" series, aims to provide insights into these corporate dynamics.
Every company, regardless of its size or industry, shares a common goal - to make a profit. To achieve this, companies establish various departments, each contributing to the overall direction of the organization. Within these departments, you'll find leaders, followers, and those who seem to obstruct progress. Each individual is drawn to a group where they feel comfortable or see opportunities for advancement. This is where the complexities begin.
People naturally aspire to progress in their careers, to prove their worth, and to contribute to the company's bottom line. However, for one person to advance, another may have to step back. This competitive dynamic often gives rise to office politics and power struggles.
In essence, politics is about self-governance and choosing one's path. In the corporate context, politics can be seen as a means to an end, a way to get things done. However, it's also a crucial aspect of corporate behavior that can significantly impact your career.
To successfully navigate the labyrinth of corporate politics, you need to understand the dynamics at play. This knowledge can open doors to the company's elite circles. However, the path to acquiring such knowledge is often obscured by those who have already made it through these doors.
Regardless of the company's size, you'll find similar people, ideas, and approaches. The advantage is that once you understand the general dynamics of office politics, you can adapt to any corporate environment.
One of the most frustrating and subtle games in the corporate world is the "Steal the Idea and Wait Six Months" game. In this scenario, you propose an idea that is initially rejected by your boss, only to see it resurface six months later, credited to someone else.
Imagine you've developed an idea that could benefit your company. You've researched it thoroughly and decide to present it to your boss. After your presentation, your boss dismisses your idea. You leave the meeting feeling dejected and decide to let the idea go.
Six months later, during a meeting, your boss presents a modified version of your original idea. It's assigned to one of your peers to execute. Over time, your boss provides the missing details to your peer, and eventually, your idea is presented in a meeting, just as you had initially proposed it.
This situation can be incredibly frustrating, but it's a common occurrence in the corporate world. The best way to handle it is to accept it the first time it happens. However, when it happens again, you should be prepared to respond professionally.
After the first occurrence, your boss might privately commend you and provide an excuse for why your idea was assigned to someone else. You might then be given a different project to occupy your time. At this point, you have several options:
While the situation can be frustrating, quitting is not the best response. This is a common game in the corporate world, and it's not a personal attack. It's a situation that you allowed to get out of control. Learn from it, as you'll likely encounter it again in future job opportunities.
Becoming a passive worker is not a good strategy either. Your boss knows you have good ideas and will want more. If you stop generating ideas, your chances of a raise will diminish, as will your longevity in the company.
Going above your boss's head is not advisable in this situation. It's not a personal attack but a chance your boss saw to gain a few points with their boss. Learn from it and figure out how you can gain a few points with your boss in this situation.
You are now in a good position to make your way into your boss's good graces. Feed them more good ideas, make them look good, and ride the wave. However, remember that your boss won't be in that position forever. If you decide to become a brown-noser, you will end up looking like an idea-less fool.
Reversing the game is a way of gaining a little bit of control over this type of situation. You must always be professional, but professional retaliation can be more ruthless than an all-out physical battle. You need to plan any type of retaliation so that it does not come over as being personal and so that you come out ahead.
The best reversal for this game is to come up with your next idea, plan it out, and generate a solid, detailed, hardcopy report. Once it is complete, place the hardcopy of the plan in your desk drawer. Now, prepare a secondary "verbal" presentation of your plan, but leave out a few non-trivial, yet not-so-obvious, pieces of the puzzle. Present this verbal-only plan to your boss.
When your boss holds his meeting and hands your idea off to one of your peers, have an impromptu meeting with that peer. Tell her how lucky she is to work on the project and give her your original hardcopy. Tell her that you were already considering a "very general rough" of the idea and would be happy to consult if she needs any assistance.
A key to this game is privacy. If your boss initially tells you that he wants to discuss your idea in private, then you should get the idea that you're in trouble.
I have no idea why six months is usually the time that passes before the assault occurs, but that's the standard turn around time for the resurrection of ideas. It appears that it has something to do with the hope that everyone involved will forget about the original idea and move on to other projects.
Also, an important side to this game, and others, is that of the "quiet time" that ensues when you've finished speaking. This quiet time is created to force you to continue your chattering to divulge other information that you would probably have never told your boss in the first place. In this situation, your best bet is to sit quietly as well.
Reversing the game is a professional way of maintaining your dignity, keeping your place in the company as an intelligent individual, and allowing your boss to build up some of his own personal glory. One important thing to realize is that you want to oscillate between brown-nosing and reversal. If you reverse too often, your boss will learn the pattern and he won't trust you. You have to wait for at least two assaults before you reverse the first time so that he does learn to trust you. Then, brown-nose for a time or two before you reverse the game again.
The point is not to reverse too often so as not to ruin your relationship with your boss. But, you don't want to be seen as an idea-less fool that kisses up to the boss to keep your job.
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