“Office Politics” is a common expression that is used and generally has negative connotations. 
    Jennifer didn't get promoted because Frank is the boss’s favorite. 
    Sally the new boss ignored Jennifer's idea in favor of John’s because Sally had worked with John previously. 
    Jennifer stayed loyal to her boss but when she quit no one realized Jennifer knew how to manage the team and should have been picked as the new boss. 
Do these situations sound like ones that you might put in the ‘Politics at Work’ category?

How about we re-frame the term ‘Politics at Work’ and use ‘Using your Organizational Savvy to Achieve your Goals’?

Sometimes I wish there were no grey areas. I wish there were perfectly aligned cascading objectives from management, the competitors of a product or service were static, and everyone was committed to the organization for the duration of a release cycle, and everyone delivered everything they said they would on time. Truth is most things are influx and we have to learn to adapt as they change.

Building your organizational savvy muscle will help provide some protection from churn. You may read this article and think there’s nothing related to being a woman in it, as this is advice for everyone. That’s true, except the three areas it hits on are: Networking, Self-promotion, and Negotiation – all areas women often find challenging. This article should help you realize the necessity of developing those areas in order to be better at using Organizational Savvy and not be afraid of politics at work. 

Here are three steps to help increase your Organizational Savvy

1. Keep tabs on the environment around you
Think of information as two types: formal information and informal information. Together they help you understand the organizational environment. Formal information is information provided on intranet sites about missions, visions, objectives, it is information provided in address books giving insights on relationships and organizational structure. It is the formal email organizational announcements sent division and company-wide. It can also be found in company press releases.

Then there’s informal information – the challenge of informal information is it’s not a fact, but access to informal information can help in several ways. It can help forecast possible directions of where a division or company may head, it can provide background information on a new leader and preference of work style, it can keep increase your awareness of possible partners or allies for the direction you want to move in.

Where do you find informal information? Try your network – and it isn't just talking with people who are already in your network but adding to your network – your network is dynamic and needs to be adapting as the environment changes.

So first keep in touch with people who seem relevant to the environment that may be able to provide additional perspectives. Second – build your network based on organizational change – if new players are moving into the organization be prepared to talk to them and learn about them, their objectives, how they work. Too often if we were previously in a comfortable situation making these new connections feels like hard-work or even disloyal but it’s all about having information about the environment you are working in. 

2. Make it easy for your campaign message to circulate without you
Have you heard of lobbyists? Again, often a term that feels negative when considered in politics but a lobbyist is someone who tries to influence or persuade a member of government to enact legislation that would benefit their group. The same process is used unofficially in the workplace – in order to influence change or support of an idea you need to have a message that is easy to communicate and understand, and can be appropriately modified to suit the audience you’re appealing to. These types of conversations may be formal and deliberate (presentation of an idea) but many are informal where an idea is raised casually and tested to measure its appeal. Feedback can help with refining the idea before moving to the formal presentation, or can be used for better informal conversations to help build support for the idea.

3. Be open to negotiating win-win situations
Naturally we focus on what we want and strategize how to get it which usually includes a logical argument of the value of what we’re asking for. However, many workshops and seminars on successful negotiations emphasize the need to understand what matters to the person you’re trying to negotiate with. The more you understand what matters to your partner and what outcome they are trying to achieve the better your position to negotiate is. The questions you need to be considering are, ‘To achieve my goal what can I offer my partner to help him/her get closer to his/her goal?’ and ‘What would I consider a reasonable outcome if a compromise is required?’
 
Now let’s consider the situations mentioned in the opening of this article. These are hypothetical but based on true situations. Some may say the outcomes were because of politics at work, but I want you to realize that we do have more ability to influence outcomes if we really step up our organizational savvy and learn to make the insights from our savvy actionable.

Jennifer didn't get promoted because Frank is the boss’s favorite.
Frank may have been aware of the organization environment and a change that was going to happen; perhaps he wasn't afraid to tell his boss and some influential people nearby an idea he had to help the team, perhaps he was able to negotiate the position by knowing what mattered to his boss.

Sally the new boss ignored Jennifer’s idea in favor of John’s because Sally had worked with John previously.
Sally was busy settling into her new job, she already knew John’s reputation and what he was thinking. Jennifer waited to be asked for a meeting with her new boss, and presented a formal plan that didn't map to how Sally was thinking about the organization generally operated.

Jennifer stayed loyal to her boss but when she quit no one realized Jennifer knew how to manage the team and should have been picked as the new boss.
Jennifer didn't renew her network as change was heading her way. She may have failed to tell the new management team that she wanted to become the boss, expecting them to come to her. No one told them she had the skills for the job. She didn't ask for the position or an opportunity for her to demonstrate her skills.

For each of these situations I have seen Jennifer miss out on opportunities because she didn't proactively get involved in responding to the changing environment, hoping someone would notice her skills or ask her opinion, or give her what she was asking for because it made sense to her. But I have also seen Jennifer take action and get results - it took courage to step up but she was able to get what she wanted through engaging. 

 


 

Often we get so busy with the details of doing a fantastic job on a particular work assignment we forget to step back and see the business landscape. It’s so much easier to work diligently on what we’ve been assigned where we feel comfortable with structure, boundaries, known deliverables, and agreed upon approach to get the work done. However leaders and influential decision-makers around us are constantly putting together the business picture of today and the future. They operate in both places simultaneously. To take your area of expertise (you do have one, that’s why you were hired) and blend it with a business understanding can increase your value significantly but only when you share your views. 

I think we should all understand something about the future strategy of the business we’re in but I’ve also had the experience of wanting to figure it out but overwhelmed by how much I could know, and not ever knowing enough to be able to talk knowledgably on the topic. What I realized as I worked in different businesses however was I didn’t need to know everything on the business strategy but enough to use a test and learn approach to trying out  what I did know. You can increase your value to the company by taking a few steps to provide your perspective on the landscape – don’t consider it a project but just part of daily habits. 

You don’t need an MBA to have a position on the business strategy nor the competition, but what you do need is to have is curiosity to stay informed, and courage to test your positions. The second step is vital
because without testing your positions with others no action can be taken with them and no one will ever give you credit for knowing things.  

Here are a few steps that you should consider in shaping the landscape.

Do you have the confidence to assert a position on the business strategy with key influential in your world? 
Women will sit on their business opinions because they lack confidence in having all the information before creating a formal perspective. Business moves fast. You should always have a position on where the business is going even if you’re the new kid on the project. If you’re part of a big company don’t just stay focused on your area make sure you you’re glancing at related areas – big companies have lots of information sources, pick one or two and make sure you glance at them daily. External web sources are also useful and often provide summaries weekly on companies. 

If you learn something that is interesting but you don’t know what it means then ask others for their thoughts on it, or if they know more. Once you start piecing together a perspective, you don’t have to make a big deal positioning your ideas with others but you should practice verbalizing them with people you work with. Something like: 
“From what I’ve heard so far sounds like if we keep doing X, Y could happen because of A and B. What do you think of that?”
 Listen to what others say in response. You can adjust your position as you go. That’s what everyone is doing – test, learn, adjust, test, learn adjust. As you get more confident in the position you can try it with more
influential people.  

Are you confident enough to assert a position on the direction of the competition? 
It’s quite amazing how often we don’t take the time to understand the competition to our business because it’s someone else’s job. It’s pretty easy these days to pay attention get intelligence on the competition by using alerts or news updates. Take the time to be interested in the companies. Be someone who can inform your colleagues on what competitors are up to, and again try your understanding of the competition with your co-workers or boss. 

Do you have confidence for a spontaneous voice?
I bet in meetings today you may be sitting on your point of view as you want just a bit more information to solidify your view, or you know someone will say what you’re thinking soon. Sound familiar? Even without the preparation you should blurt it out – as you have as much insight and knowledge as majority of people in the room may be more (just guessing, but I think it’s true). However if you’ve been practicing speaking about a business strategy and understand the competition you’re going to be in a better position to go ahead and blurt out your idea. 

It takes confidence and courage to make statements about business strategy, and the way to build those is to practice, and practice and practice. You can do it, and believe me, to do it well you don’t need an MBA.

How many fears do we have to overcome to be seen? We have to show up, be visible, interrupt, toot our own horn, ask for responsibilities,and negotiate. If life resembled our dreams of how work-life could be it would probably go something like this… 
 
Our talents are recognized in the organization, so much so, that in a meeting somewhere among the executives they remember how marvelous we are and invite us to the next meeting to hear our opinions. The meeting is scheduled at a vacant time slot on our calendars later in the week. We arrive at the meeting a few minutes early to which a few people are already present and welcome us into the room with smiles, offer to get us a coffee (okay that’s a real dream), ask about how our project is going and have we progressed against an earlier challenge for which they had provided some thoughtful advice. We take a comfortable empty seat at the table, are able to contribute to some of the small talk about the latest strategies for the business as we were cc’d on an earlier mail thread. The meeting starts by the director in the room providing a brief overview of the topic to be discussed and then we all have an opportunity to contribute our thoughts and ideas, and ask inquiring questions in a friendly supportive manner. The execs decide they’d like me to to own the project, and offer support with their people and resources to get it done, and to not hesitate to call them if we have a question. 
 
Oh, dream on! Like that’s going to happen. Though don’t forget the dream as when you are a successful
leader you can work to encourage your organization to provide a supportive environment like this, but in the meantime here are the potential challenges you’re going to face and some suggestions for how to handle
them.

Can you negotiate the meeting time? 
How many times have you had something else planned and someone schedules a meeting over your time, or puts it in late or too early in the day? Now think how many times did you ask if it was possible to change the meeting time? Negotiation is something women don’t do well, and this task is a negotiation.  It’s always worth asking if there’s another potential time slot. While you can ask the execs when they might be free, its also useful to work with administrators to get times moved around. 
 
Do you have the right information to be prepared for the meeting? 
May be its okay not to prepare because you know it all, though this isn't generally known to be a female position, however pro-actively asking if there’s anything you should be familiar with or take a look at ahead of time can be helpful. Perhaps there are some mail threads or presentations they’re going to assume you’ve seen that you should see ahead of time - ask for this information ahead of time.

Do you enter the room with the attitude of belonging there? 
This may sound like an unimportant behavior but it can make a difference and is within your control. When you go to the meeting, walk in with confidence and be ready to engage. There are some actors who say they create their characters from the floor up – they put on the right shoes and figure out how a character would walk and take it from there. So how would a confident trust worthy leader enter a room? Don’t hesitate on the way in or laden yourself down with bags, or laptops. Walk confidently into the room like you belong there –because you DO belong there. 

Are you ready for the ‘How’s it going?’question? 
While we’d love to think our managers know how to talk to us and show an interest in our work, it doesn’t always happen and they'll often throw us the ‘how’s it going?’ bone question. We should always be prepared to answer that question. You can have responses that range from your thoughts on the company strategy, asking them for their perspective on future based on something you’ve considered, or update on your project. The key is to provide a response that will encourage them to ask another question, or allow you to ask questions about the business. Stop right now - if an senior exec asked you, 'How's it going?' what would you say? Get something prepared now, and be prepared to use it.
 
Do you take a seat at the table?
If there is a seat at the table, take it and be near where the action is happening. If you don’t it will limit your ability to participate in the conversation – women have enough challenges in getting heard in meetings so if you choose to sit away from the action you’re going to make it harder for you to participate. These are the ways we can painfully hold ourselves back on a daily basis. 

Do you speak clearly and directly? 
Many women tone down their language to be inclusive, non-judgmental and offer up opinions in the forms of
questions and litter dialog with qualifiers. "I was thinking may be, perhaps we should go forward with the plan Tom was suggesting if we think it's a good idea? unless others have other ideas?" We need to work on speaking in direct sentences and communicating what we mean, and getting it right first time. It takes practice. 
 
Can you handle interruptions and re-track derailments? 
There’s always someone in the room who wants to share their opinion, shoot holes in your opinion, or decides any time is an opportunity to show how clever they are. Women are frequently talked over, or when they speak up are not heard, ignored or not responded to, only to have a man say the same thing a minute later and have others engage in dialog. Some techniques for managing this were given in a previous article. It’s important to have a strategy or plan for how to manage it when it happens. Don't be afraid of trying different approaches.
For ideas: You can't be heard if you're not making a noise

Will you step up and take on the new project?
If you want to take on the new project then ask for it, if they ask you say ‘Yes!’ You are not to make suggestions of other people who could do it, or maybe you could do some of it, or you need to review other work items before saying yes. If this is an interesting project that is something you want to do and have career progress potential then seize the day. Women are their own worst enemies in not saying yes to opportunities because they want to be certain they’re good enough, doubt themselves and think someone is better, or don’t want to appear eager. Take a risk, have confidence – DO IT!
For example: Hear Ginny Romerty experience doubting herself, and she's now President and CEO of IBM!

Do you know how to ask for support to get the work done? 
Once you have the opportunity to lead the project, we’re not done yet in terms of overcoming challenges. Just because you’ve said yes to the work, doesn’t mean you can’t ask for support to get the work done – do you need people, budget, equipment? What will it take to get the project complete? Start setting the expectations that an ask will be made soon once you’ve thought through the work. Again this is negotiation, women don’t do this well, so if it feels uncomfortable you’re not alone – ask and worst that will happen will be ‘no’. 

Have you identified someone who could give you occasional pointers? 
If this is a project that you’d benefit from strategizing with someone, ask for help, someone to bounce ideas off. It could be a formal arrangement, or you could informally ask someone to give you some pointers. You don’t have to go it alone and have all the right answers –this is when you strategically move to finding and using mentors, and perhaps even the person who gave you the opportunity could spare a few minutes. 
For ideas: Getting what you need - a valuable lesson in using contacts 
 
Will something need to be prioritized to give you time for this?
Cool you’ve landed a new project but what happens to your already full plate? Think of ways to prioritize, delegate, or lower the expectations on the delivery. The last two options here are again ones women struggle with but are essential strategies to use in order to move ahead. You are not letting people done in using any of
these techniques you’re making trade-offs to give the business what it needs AND you’re helping the business take advantage of your talents in new and progressive ways. 
 
It’s no wonder when reviewing this list that our dreams of engaging in a meeting can sometimes turn into a stressful nightmare. However, I hope you realize that every one of the steps above is yours to practice and improve – you have the power to master these skills that can make a difference in how you’re perceived and the opportunities that come your way. So now you’ve been provided with the anatomy of a meeting and where gender comes into play you can roll up your sleeves and start to make progress by picking ONE of these areas to work at. A career is not a sprint but a marathon so you have time to master skills as you move forward. We’ll keep providing ideas on how to master these skills here in future posts.

Boy, are we in trouble with diversity and hearing different perspectives. While we look at the statistics of female representation in meetings in different locations and decision making venues we know things look fairly gloomy, but once you dig into the behaviors driven by the statistics the negative impact of lack of diversity multiples. 

In part 1 of this piece I talked about the basic challenges that can lead to women holding back or being overlooked in meetings and discussions. However it’s not simply a matter of women conquering their fears to overcome participation, once they do this you’ll have more voices in the room, but if you think you’re about to benefit from diverse thinking, especially a female point of view, then think again as that doesn’t necessarily follow once they have their voice. Let me explain.  

Women really want to be an equal player in the workplace. They value equality and believe that hard work should be rewarded and recognized. If only we can be perceived as ‘one of the guys’ we can be heard and achieve equality right? Wrong. Achieving ‘one of the guys’ status does not provide any benefits related to gaining insight from feminine intuition. How so? 

What percentage of a group needs to be female before a female perspective is raised on issues? Higher than 40%. While businesses are trying to get excited about increases in the number of females in the workplace they are still falling woefully short of the critical number to have a women’s perspective heard. 

In a research study, they knew from a survey that on a certain topic women held different views than men, so in a follow up study they used a meeting forum to experiment with how many women in the room were required before the point of view expressed in the survey results became a view expressed in the 
meeting. It wasn’t until 60-80% women were in the meeting that the view showed up. 

I came across that research shortly after I had been interviewing people in software development. My motivation was to examine how unintended gender bias shows up in the decision making process of software development. I interviewed men and women from different disciplines and at different  levels of seniority on the topic. The only job discipline group that didn’t admit to using personal opinions at work was research type disciplines, where it was felt that representation of unbiased data was what provided them with credibility to do their job well. However most other disciplines interviewed did say that they did bring personal opinion to discussions and decision making. They would bring personal needs to bump up feature requests, decide on what to build based on what engineering challenges they wanted to take on or skill they wanted to develop. There was one type of opinion that women said they never or extremely rarely used - it was an opinion that would identify them as a woman. The women interviewed said they are very cautious in ever raising a point of view that explicitly supports a female perspective. The justifications for this behavior included not wanting to seem different from the others and being seen as a woman, why put forward an idea when it’s not going to have critical mass support for making it on the feature list (no one wants to suggest ideas that are going to be rejected), and also one woman realized it never dawned on her to have a woman’s point of view as she’s worked so long as a ‘guy’ that she only tackled problems with critical evaluation perspective and not from her personal female experience. While I don’t think in real world situations it will take 60-80% female representation before a female perspective is heard, let’s just say it is far above the 20% that is present in many business today. 

Women account for 51% of the population and are often touted as influencing 80% of the purchasing decisions. I think it’s worth making sure a female insight isn’t accidentally overlooked or ignored. 

Let’s start with some advice to increase the amount of heard female participation in the meetings:

1. Ask questions of individuals rather than leaving it for those with the loudest voices to hold air time. And don’t just launch in the first time you try it with, “Rebecca, what do you think?”, make sure there’s a warm up question or two so Rebecca can have a mental prep time. 

2. Watch for signals that Rebecca wants to contribute she will be giving cues of wanting to participate but the floor will not provide the opening. 

3. Ask questions to insure you’re getting a well-rounded perspective on your customer from a business perspective. “Although we know product X is for men and women, is there anything in particular we need to consider for women, given this team is mostly men designing it?”

4. Let everyone know that even though decisions are being made in the room if people have ideas to share after the meeting send mail or catch ‘me’ later. Better to get the feedback a little late than not at all. In the next  meeting thank people individually for their follow ups so they feel recognized.

5. And women who are more senior in the room – it’s your job too to enable other women as well. It doesn’t mean you have to agree with their contribution, but women can also not enable other women in the same way as men operate.