I have been reading a book titled "It's All Politics" by Kathleen Kelly Readon, Ph.D
The book is basically about how to navigate through corporate political cultures. She does a great job showing how some people, very smart and talented people, can get pushed around and how others tend to manipulate their way through a variety of situations.
Recently I have experienced dealing with a pathologically political culture. An office that would be a perfect set for a dramatic sitcom with all of the evil and dysfunctional characters. Fortunately this is not a place I need to report to on a day to day basis, but my brief encounter has helped me to remember some important lessons that are needed to survive in such an environment.
- Give people a shovel and a mirror. This is something I learned several years ago when a woman in my office decided she did not like me and chose to twist every word I said against me. I had not been her first target though, so I knew not to take things personally. Each time she tried to sabotage me, I allowed that to be encouragement to highlight my strengths and accomplishments, ultimately setting the stage so that her attempts would only bury herself. Hence I gave her a shovel. The mirror part is that I know it is better for someone to recognize the damage of their actions on their own than for someone to tell them, so instead of confronting this person, I just imagined her stumbling across a mirror and recognizing what she has done.
- Do not align yourself with an avalanche. This is something that is a constant struggle for me. What this means is when people's professionalism starts crumbling, do not put yourself in the path where you allow your own professionalism fall with theirs. As I said, this is really hard, especially if you find yourself on the receiving end of an unjustified, unfair attack. I often avoid the avalanche by walking away from the situation, but I have learned that is just as harmful. The best course is to create some sort of protective shield. I do believe people who are able to keep their cool when being attacked are some sort of super heros. Obama being their leader.
- Trust that others can see reality. That is what has carried me through some of the toughest situations in my career. I know who I am and I know what I do well and what core values I have been true to. I also know enough to know that I have to be responsible for myself, that depending on anyone else is risky. So when someone decides to go on the attack, I have faith that my reputation can withstand the attack, and ultimately make the person on the attack look bad (shovel and mirror) and I know I can survive the attack because I can take care of myself. I am not leaning on any one person or situation that can be manipulated to destroy me.
Admittedly the reason I am reading this book is because I realize I have a lot to learn about navigating the political waters of corporate America. I still believe in my gut that if a person works hard and is honest everyone will want to support that person. I am still shocked and hurt when someone does something against me, even during those times when I know it was not personal, just them acting out for their self preservation.
I guess the latest lesson I learned is about forgiveness. It is something that can only be given, never expected in return. It is very much related to the situation above of not being aligned with the avalanche. To forgive someone who will not return the favor is like wearing that protective bubble to keep your cool when their cool has crumbled. It is a trait that is admired by many but practiced by few. I believe it is the core trait of a person who is a master at navigating the shark infested political waters of this world. The best way to get through is to keep forgiving others for simply not being up to the task.
