PREVIOUS : Organizational Politics – Effects (#2)
SITE : “Workplace Politics” (Wikipedia) Topics: Aims, Issues, Games, Gossip, Manipulation
INTRO : The value of political skill in any company includes knowing how to get things done, who’s responsible for different forward moves in the company, & understanding how managers got where they are & where they’re going next.
In 2005, researchers at the University of Florida published “Political Skill at Work” summarizing intensive studies over nearly 15 years about the mechanics of “political influence” in the workplace. They identified 4 key competencies of people with positively politically savvy :
💚 Inter-personal influence: A convincing ability to affect how 
& what other people think, understanding how the human factor affects everything a company does. This starts with learning employees’ preferences & agendas, then personalizing your message to appeal to their needs & wants. Influence can also come from having a strong work ethic which guides your decision-making process, & can be a role model for employees to follow
🖇 Networking ability: The capacity to form mutually beneficial relationships with a wide range of people, because having a genuine influence often requires a coalition of support. As the old saying goes, “contacts mean contracts.” This includes knowing the chain of command & how to follow it — or not — to advance your career & company goals. Skilled networkers can maneuver others to gain needed resources for personal & organizational tasks. They’re also seen as willing to reciprocate
🎊 Social astuteness: Leaders with political savvy have impulse control. They wisely size up situations before deciding how to present ideas to others, carefully considering timing & presentation.
However – the need for self-awareness is less about introspections than other-awareness – knowing how other people see you & how your behavior impacts them. Socially astute managers are good at reading people’s non-verbal behaviors & intuitively sense the motivations of others (More….)
POSITIVE orgP – When a company is ethically well–balanced.it 
gains a competitive business advantage. It can successfully be used to: serve the organization’s vision & objectives, develop teamwork & confidence, evade negative games, portray a professional image & publicize one’s accomplishments.
When leaders are political skillful they can successfully manage work areas that are under stress – by encouraging feelings of trust, confidence & sincerity in interpersonal relationships – to minimize injustice, unfairness & inequity. This can increase efficiency & expedite positive changes, benefiting both the organization & its members. (MORE….)
LEVERAGING political skills for Organizational Success
DEF: Political skill AS AN interpersonal style includes :
— the ability to relate well to others, inspiring confidence & trust
— having a strong internal locus of control
— a high degree of self-monitoring & awareness
— a belief in the ability to make a difference in business outcomes
√ Provide regular performance feedback
Management should provide performance feedback to all employees. This can reduce the influence of negative orgP, which can help improve morale & job performance.
√ Recruit & promote politically skilled individuals
People with high political skill tend to be effective in their jobs. They’re highly invested financially &/or emotionally in their organization, & will do what they can to help it succeed
√ To Reduce ambiguity in the workplace – CREATE :
a. an overarching goal. – one that everyone shares. It can be a single, qualitative or time-bound goal, such as giving the best service to clients.
b. a set of ongoing operating objectives. This can be done within each area of the business to develop high quality operating standards. Shared across organizational functions allows everyone to help reach the overarching goal.
c. metrics, & a way to measure them. It’s crucial to have clear measuring standards, indicating if the business’ objectives are being met or not. When they’re not, it becomes clear where remedial actions are needed.
NEXT : POSITIVE BIZ P. (#2)
HEAL & GROW for ACoAs 