Political Savvy
Perhaps you have great vision, understand the importance of a well-thought out strategy, have led change efforts, and can point to results that you and your team have achieved. So why haven’t you been selected for major cross-organizational positions or initiatives? One place to look is at your political savvy skills.
What is political savvy and how can you develop those skills? Leaders with political savvy have taken the time to learn where networks exist across an organization; who can be counted on; who wields power and why (constructively or not); and how to spot opportunities for cross-organizational alliance building.
Consider these three tips for developing your political savvy skills:
Create a climate of trust. Never violate a confidence or engage with those who do. Do what you say you’re going to do and when you say you’re going to do it. Imagine what that would mean to your boss, your direct reports, and to your colleagues across the organization.
Focus on developing as many relationships outside of your chain of command as within. Build support and alliances outside of your line organization before you need them. Create bank accounts of goodwill before you need a withdrawal. Help others achieve their goals before asking for help in achieving yours.
Develop your organizational awareness. Understand the agenda of others—your boss, certainly—but also of your peers and external stakeholders. Understand where the real influence exists within the organization and develop your engagement strategy accordingly.
As Adam Grant pointed out in his best seller Give and Take, organizational goals are most easily accomplished as a result of collaboration and reciprocity. By developing your political savvy skills you will soon be recognized as someone who can forge consensus among a diverse group of individuals to help solve complex organizational problems.