Before enrolling in this class, I knew very little about corporate politics. It's not that I had never been exposed to them, or had never seen some of the consequences (good or bad) that resulted from them; it's just that I wasn't aware of the importance and the valuable role that they played amongst individuals and organizations today. In fact, I used to view the idea of corporate politics in a negative light. The word 'politics' had a very negative connotation in my mind, and I would not have imagined any good coming from them. However, through Dr. Ranker's teachings and guest speakers like Steven and Collin, I have learned that one can actually take organizational politics and use them in their favor. It is also clear to me now why it is so important for individuals to understand the politics of their organization. Without the proper knowledge and understanding of the things that are going on around you, it is very easy to fall into the "trap" of political dilemmas at work.
At first I was naive enough to believe that I could just "avoid" corporate politics by not "getting involved" with problematic situations and workplace dilemmas that arose. I understand now that corporate politics cannot be avoided. Whether we like it or not, they are, and probably always will be, a part of our lives in one way or another. Although we cannot all afford to hire on a political coach or mentor to guide us through the politicking that may be going on around us, it would be wise for each individual to take it upon themselves to study the subject and become better acquainted with the ideas, solutions, etc. that come along with them. With books like Political Dilemmas at Work being available to us, it is important to take advantage of these types of resources. Upper management and CEO's should also strongly consider attending seminars and/or presentations about corporate politics, so that they can build their own personal tools for dealing with political dilemmas. I personally feel as though I have greatly benefited from our monthly seminars and from reading the assigned book. I have learned what to do in certain situations and how to handle difficult problems that may be thrown my way in the future. We all know that until we get the real life experience, it's hard to say that we are 100% confident of our ability to do something, but at least I can say that I am knowledgeable about this topic now and can continue to learn more about it through my studies at Alliant.
At first I was naive enough to believe that I could just "avoid" corporate politics by not "getting involved" with problematic situations and workplace dilemmas that arose. I understand now that corporate politics cannot be avoided. Whether we like it or not, they are, and probably always will be, a part of our lives in one way or another. Although we cannot all afford to hire on a political coach or mentor to guide us through the politicking that may be going on around us, it would be wise for each individual to take it upon themselves to study the subject and become better acquainted with the ideas, solutions, etc. that come along with them. With books like Political Dilemmas at Work being available to us, it is important to take advantage of these types of resources. Upper management and CEO's should also strongly consider attending seminars and/or presentations about corporate politics, so that they can build their own personal tools for dealing with political dilemmas. I personally feel as though I have greatly benefited from our monthly seminars and from reading the assigned book. I have learned what to do in certain situations and how to handle difficult problems that may be thrown my way in the future. We all know that until we get the real life experience, it's hard to say that we are 100% confident of our ability to do something, but at least I can say that I am knowledgeable about this topic now and can continue to learn more about it through my studies at Alliant.
posted by psoleimani at 2:50 PM
1 Comments:
Pegah, I am glad that you posted on choosing whether or not to play the political games. I had people at my old job who would make fun of me for the way I told my manager what I was working on. In the end I was promoted and that person is still in the same position wondering why they can't get promoted and now they are starting to tell their manager about the work they are doing.
I would always say that you have to choose to play. By getting involved there are different levels that people can participate in and it all depends how much a person is willing to risk.
I mentioned in my other comment section about the higher the position the more attacks people will have to face. No matter what level you are at or you want to go to it is important to be aware of the political games that are going on in your company culture.
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