Political Dilemmas at Work: How to Maintain Your Integrity and Further Your Career

The Political Bottom Line

Stop asking if this is a political environment, and start figuring out what sort of politics the organization has. Remember that there are both good and bad politics, and you get to choose which to use. The difference between career success and failure is always underpinned by performance, but just being good at the job will never be enough. Meritocracy is not the only measure, and managing the complexity of organizational politics is becoming increasingly important. Expecting a promotion as an inheritance is simply naive—no matter how strong the inference.

Having a strong opponent—however devious—is a test, but it represents an excellent opportunity to raise our game and to practice at a higher level. Identifying our own influencing style and strengths and learning to play to these—rather than having the rules of engagement rewritten by a rival—increases our chances of success. It is vital that we align our political style with our personal values to have a clear direction and prevent us from being deflected by a political rival.