Navigating Politics: What the %$&# happened?

The Situation

A client came to me recently in a state of shock. He was dumbfounded by a leadership appointment that he saw as irrational, ill-advised and would lead to high turnover and market share losses. Since this leader would be reporting to him, he felt his voice should carry enormous weight. He believed he made a compelling case for the most qualified candidate, and he was confident they would prevail. But that’s not what happened. Instead, he found himself being coerced into supporting a candidate he thought was not only unqualified but possessed serious flaws that could not be overlooked. After explaining all this, he turned to me and asked, “What the %&$# happened?”

He went on to explain that things had changed. The political games were now bewildering, distasteful and corrupt. People he admired had become cynical and deceitful. He wasn’t sure who he could trust anymore. He questioned whether he was even capable of operating at this level. And he wasn’t so sure he wanted to. He felt impotent and ineffective – not to mention exposed and insecure. After telling me all this, he again turned to me and said, “I think I might be done.”

The Client

It's important to note that my client didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. While he was recently promoted to a high-level executive position, he has been a senior leader for some time. He rose to a position of prominence over a 30+ year career. He enjoys close relationships with important people inside and outside the organization.  He is well-liked, highly respected, very influential, and generously compensated.  He’s also perceived as politically savvy. And yet this one experience shook him to the core.  I had been coaching my client for a short time when this situation occurred, and we wound up working on this, among other leadership challenges, over the next few months.

The Interpretation

So, what the %&$# did happen?  The fact is that an important decision didn’t go my client’s way. The rest was his interpretation of the data, and what he saw as the obvious and necessary conclusions and responses. He saw that bad decisions were being made because people and the system changed for the worse. He saw this as a sign that he might be out of his depth - i.e., incompetent. This made him feel less certain about his prospects - i.e., insecure. And the distastefulness for the politics made him feel less committed to the organization. Feeling incompetent, insecure and uncommitted is no way to go through life.

Are bad outcomes inevitable? Did the people around him change? Had a toxic political environment emerged in the organization? Had he reached his level of incompetence (“Peter Principle”)?  Had his career hit the wall? Was it time to leave? Maybe the answer to each of those questions is ‘yes’. But what else could be true? And what would happen if something else were true? Over the next few months of coaching he was able to explore other possibilities.

A Perspective on Organizational Politics

Before going into what happened with my client, it might be helpful to share some perspectives about organizational politics. The political dynamics within any organization are complex.  After all, politics are about human behavior, and humans are complicated animals. Generally, the higher the level and the larger the organization, the more complex, hazardous and difficult the political environment.  As leaders ascend, the more their success depends on their abilities to navigate and benefit from the political system. And they often face difficulties understanding and adjusting to new political landscapes along the way.   

This is not unlike a recently drafted NFL player who quickly discovers a dramatic increase in the speed of the game, and the size and skill of the players. Despite having been at the top of their game in college, they sometimes face a crisis of confidence. It’s probably a good bet that if they were drafted, they possess the physical gifts necessary to play the game. That’s why you’ll often hear NFL coaches talk about players’ mental toughness more than their physical gifts. Mindset is the real differentiator.      

To this point, it's my belief that most leaders have what it takes to function effectively at high levels. Often what’s holding us

back is a set of beliefs, values, preferences, and experiences that effect how we think and feel (mindset) about politics. And this mindset determines how we engage in and are impacted by politics. For example, many of us believe politics are inherently negative — e.g., immoral, inefficient and lead to poor decisions. As such, we avoid politics and people who engage in politics, or seek to de-politicize decisions, situations, etc. And some of us believe we will be rewarded on the merits, and therefore, don’t need to play the game. Whatever our perspectives, adjusting to a new political landscape may require us to challenge some long-held beliefs, reframe past experiences, and re-evaluate our assumptions about people. This can lead to a much needed mindset shift. But it takes more than just deciding to change our minds to make changes that stick. We must also change our behavior by forming new habits and practices, and ceasing others.  

The Outcome

Back to my client. Over the next several months, he discovered new ways of thinking and feeling about politics. This helped him see people and political processes more objectively. He began placing more weight on decision criteria he’d previously discounted. While he still sees flaws, he understands the necessity and value of the political system. And he sees himself in a larger context. He was able to build on existing strengths and develop some new habits that helped make the learning sustainable. While he is still displeased with the leadership appointment, he felt the experience shook him out of complacency. And he feels better equipped to navigate the next politically charged decision. He also identified the next challenge he wants to work on — building and maintaining a productive relationship with a direct report who he views very negatively. Perhaps, I’ll write about that in a future blog post.

In the meantime, if you are confounded, disappointed, frustrated, angry, resigned, exhausted, or threatened by the political machinery at work, and want to make the system work for you, we can help.

Contact us to set up an initial consultation at no charge.