December Women’s Forum Hosted by: Wendy Goretski Cindy Lee Presenter: Jo Miller

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. Successfully Navigating Office Politics It is possible to navigate office politics without becoming a political animal. As careers author Erin Burt has noted, “…avoiding (office) politics altogether can be deadly for your career. Every workplace has an intricate system of power, and you can -- and should -- work it ethically to your best advantage.” In this workshop, discover the unwritten “rules of the game” at work, and how to navigate them with effectively. Learn the dynamics of power in your organization. Create a powerful workplace network—and access hidden resources and opportunities.

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. Why We Chose this Topic Why office politics can be the #1 “career killer” The difference between organizational awareness and office politics The Shadow Organization Map: A tool for understanding the hidden dynamics in your organization How to identify the unwritten, unspoken “Rules of the Game” Personal action plan

Jo Miller Helps emerging leaders create a roadmap for their career advancement. Founding Editor of BeLeaderly.com and CEO of Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. A leading authority on women’s leadership, Jo delivers more than 60 speaking presentations annually to audiences of up to 1,200. Has traveled widely in Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East to deliver keynotes and teach workshops for conferences, professional associations, and corporate employee initiatives.

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. I HAVE SOME UNIQUE KOALAFICATIONS

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. The emerging leader’s quandary You can’t get a higher-level job without leadership experience… But you can’t get the experience without the job.

Don’t wait for permission or an invitation to lead. Don’t wait for someone to promote you. Take charge of your own career trajectory! You can’t afford to wait…

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. Office politics Do you enjoy playing the game?

WHY YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO IGNORE OFFICE POLITICS

In LinkedIn’s survey of 954 professional women, 23% reported office politics as their biggest frustration. I asked 169 professional women how they deal with office politics. Over 80% said their response is to either ignore it, or reluctantly play the game where necessary. Many women managers find engaging in office politics to be difficult and painful, and some even view it as “evil”.* Ruderman, M.N. and Ohlott, P.J. (2002).

So why not just ignore it?

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. “…avoiding (office) politics altogether can be deadly for your career. Every workplace has an intricate system of power, and you can — and should — work it ethically to your best advantage.” - Erin Burt, Seven Career Killers.

Those who are politically savvy Have better career prospects Have better career trajectories Are seen as more promotable Are less likely to derail “Women and Political Savvy,” Leslie and Gentry, 2012.

Ignore it Turn into someone you don’t like

Ignore it Be positively politically savvy Turn into someone you don’t like

4 competencies of the positively politically savvy: Social astuteness Interpersonal influence Networking ability Sincerity “Development and Validation of the Political Skill Inventory,” Florida State University Foundation, 2005

Who do you know who does this well? What qualities or characteristics do they have?

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. Office Politics Organizational Awareness Being a savvy observer of the communication and relationships that surround you in your organization

The Org Chart

THE ORG CHART Doesn’t tell the full story

THE SHADOW ORGANIZATION MAP

The Org Chart

Relationships

Influence

Relationships Influence Coalitions

Relationships Influence Coalitions

Relationships Influence Coalitions Key Influencers

This presentation is available at:

Relationships Influence Coalitions Key Influencers

Relationships Influence Coalitions Key Influencers Verticals

Which element of the shadow map was most enlightening for you?

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. EXERCISE: What are some ways to gather information to map your shadow organization? I.Face-to-face interactions II.Virtually

THE RULES OF THE GAME

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. Every organization has unwritten, unspoken “Rules of the Game”.

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. EXERCISE: 1)Identify some “rules of the game” in your organization. 2)What are ways to navigate ethically and effectively within these rules?

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. Three ways to generate quick wins

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. In every organization, there is someone who is great at navigating. Find them! Navigates well at all levels Keeper of the “institutional memory” Gets a “quick read” on people & groups. 1 1 Early- career

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. Build an influential coalition It can be quicker and easier to get great things done from the grass-roots Make a list of like-minded individuals Go way out of your way to support stuff that is important to them Ask for their support for something big 2 2 Early- career

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. “Its not enough to have a bright technical idea. I have seen too many projects led by great, passionate people fail because they tried to be the lone influencer. You have to get the right people in the boat with you. You have to engage the entire human fabric.” Sophie Vandebroek, CTO, Xerox

Copyright 2012, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. Don’t like the unwritten, unspoken “rules of the game”? Become a game-changer! Pay attention to the scope of your influence, and look for ways to expand your reach. Notice when you have the power to “change the game”, and seize it the opportunity. 3 3 Mid & senior level

Q & A

This presentation is available at:

“… a really great piece of advice I learned early on in my career and I’ve used continuously: never let an organization’s structure get in the way of achieving results. I’ve found that one needs to operate inside and outside of the structure, with a positive attitude, always moving forward, filling in the gaps where needed”. Vivian Banta, Vice Chairman, Insurance, Prudential Financial.