Corporate/Organizational politics

Aristotle the great Political Scientist was reputed to have said that man is a political animal.  Meaning in whatever we do there is an element of politics in our lives.  It is not just in governance at local, state or federal levels that we meet politics; we do meet politics at home, school, market and […]

Aristotle the great Political Scientist was reputed to have said that man is a political animal.  Meaning in whatever we do there is an element of politics in our lives.  It is not just in governance at local, state or federal levels that we meet politics; we do meet politics at home, school, market and work places.

Thus, some point in your career, you will come across corporate, organizational or work politics. The individual’s response to this development is very key and can determine to an extent whether ones career will be cut short, stagnated or progress in that particular organization.

Often referred to as “office politics,” this series will be in two parts, with the first part discussing office politics and factors that influence it.

Simply put, office politics is the use of power and social networking, positively or negatively, within an organization, to achieve changes or outcomes that benefit the organization or certain/all individuals within the organization. It has also been described as that which arises when employees tend to use their power to gain undue attention and popularity at work.

Indeed the fact that employees come from different backgrounds and have differing perspectives, you find that people have different agendas, perspectives, opinions and or interest in a work place environment.  This creates groups, camps, silos and or clans within an organisation.

The establishment and or creation of such cohorts in any organisation are largely as a result of certain factors such as:-

Bureaucracy: This happens when there are too many rules in the workplace; for instance, an overly long and complicated approval process. In this type of situation, employees will begin to court personal relationships with the “powers that be” in the organization, so that they can have free flow of work or achieve things relatively earlier or faster. Whilst this may be good for certain individuals, it’s bad for the employees without this relationship, as their work will suffer. In addition, and more importantly, the overall company productivity will be affected adversely, as the approval process is flawed or sometimes even subverted.

Suggested Fix: The Company should have units and departmental meetings regularly, where everyone would be expected to provide feedback on work challenges, process improvement, etc, and execute any changes identified.  Staff should be encourage to speak out and adequately protected for airing personal opinions.

Lack of Co-operation: This happens where the departments do not work together to achieve a common goal. Department A does not care about Department B, and as such, will not go the extra mile to ensure operations are run smoothly from start to finish. Such internal rivalry, intra-departmental competition not for efficiency but for influence, sphare and or power would spell doom to an organisation at it would be counterproductive, inimical and result to loss of clients and profits.

Suggested Fix: The organization must encourage interdepartmental meetings to understand the issues and identify ways to mitigate them. Such inter-departmental meetings can improve understanding and appreciation of the inter-relationships between all arms of an organisation.

Notice – Me Syndrome or Favouritism: This is where employees compete for the attention of their superiors for individual’s selfish reasons. This may include belittling colleague’s work, setting up a colleague for failure, etc.  In general it is referred to as pull Him/Her Down (PHD) syndrome.  This most common in most organisations.

Suggested Fix: An organization must have a clearly defined and measurable appraisal system, with appropriate checks and balances in place. Promotion cycles should be clearly defined to not only support transparency, but to enable every employee to manage expectations, such that one knows that after a certain number of years of quality work, one would be a Supervisor, Manager, Group Head, etc. In essence career path and progression strictly based on merit is clearly defined. These promote a merit-based system, eradicates favouritism, increases company productivity, and ultimately, profitability.  Moreover, organisations should put in place mechanism to check and punish unhealthy rivalry amongst staff.  There, indeed, can be room for healthy competition amongst staff but not at the detriment of an organisation.

Indiscipline: General indiscipline in an organization promotes an atmosphere for office politics to thrive. Here, majority of the employees get away with functioning at sub-optimal or poor levels. Any staff that wants to perform better, will definitely be frustrated, unappreciated and feel cheated.

Suggested Fix: The organization should have a zero tolerance for indiscipline. To this end, it can create a department that controls / regulates other departments, to ensure everyone is functioning at optimal levels. Alternatively Service Level Agreement (SLA) between departments can be developed and regularly measured to ensure strict compliance.

Flattery or the Two-faced Syndrome: This is when employees always agree with what their bosses say or do, even when the superiors actions are wrong. Subordinates typically do this to obtain favour from their superiors, and this style can be deeply entrenched in an organization. Colleagues who have a contrary view may be unable to speak up because they are in the minority, or may be stylishly punished if they speak up.

Suggested Fix: The company leaders should provide an atmosphere where employee feedback is requested, respected, actioned and not punished.  Disagreements based on principle should be encouraged and rewarded.  Innovations, efficiency and service effectiveness should also be encouraged and motivated in an organisation.

Corruption: This is prevalent in both public and private organizations, particularly in areas that have access to resources. Further, employees that engage in this typically have a strong caucus, and their bosses may be involved in the “racket.” In this situation, employees are stealing from their employers, getting kickbacks from their suppliers or vendors, and engaging in sharp practises detrimental to the brand, reputation and success of the organization.

Suggested Fix: Consequences, such as termination or dismissal from employment are to be strictly applied in these cases. At the pre-employment stage, prospective employees are to be informed of these consequences and execute agreements stating such. Further, companies are also to encourage their staff to report any sharp practises. When reported, these will be investigated and treated in line with the company’s policy on identified corruption cases. It is also recommended that companies reward staffs who report these cases, as this encourages everyone to be on their best behaviour.  In essence, a whistle blowing policy should be in place.

Indeed, there is a general saying that talent is a gift but character is a choice.  Employees MUST make a choice to be of good character, honest, transparent and diligent.  It pays to remain on the straight and narrow path even when it is painful to so do.

 

“Recite: In the name of thy Lord who created man from a clot. Recite: And thy Lord is the Most Generous Who taught by the pen, taught man that which he knew not.” (Quran, 96:1-5)

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5: 11)