Chapter 8
Sharpening Your Political Savvy
Many IT professionals view politics as something nasty. They'd rather resist, avoid, or ignore politics all together. Intrigue, power plays, control tactics, conflict—what does this have to do with managing technology? “Who me?” you might hear an IT professional say. “Leave it to others to battle for control and struggle for power. My job is to implement the technology solution.”
But the fact is, where there's technology, there's change, and where there's change, there will be people who perceive themselves as winners and as losers. That's where politics begin. So, you can bury your head in the sand and ignore politics—and then you won't have to watch IT projects, the organization's reputation, and your own career go down the drain! The plain fact is, corporate politics aren't just for business clients anymore.
But they never really were. In fact, whether you've been aware of it or not, navigating politics has been a required skill for IT professionals—and particularly for project managers—ever since this field became a viable profession. And I should know—I've got the scars to prove it. I spent many years managing IT projects during my career. As a project manager, I found myself ensnared in more politically charged situations than I care to admit. I encountered resistance from business clients who were suspicious about the changes being forced upon them. I was embroiled in power struggles between departments. I failed to get support ...
