1. It’s Politics, As Usual By Lafe Low Presented by Rebecca Johnson April Rains-Grassman

2.  “Any time you get three people together, you’ve got politics. It’s a reality of human relations.” – Doug Barker CEO

3.  Political skills such as identifying stakeholders, managing relationships and communicating well are critical for IT leaders.  However, they are hardly unique to the CIO role.

4. On the Campaign Trail  Politics is preferable to raw displays of power – especially if you are at a power disadvantage.

5. Understand your constituency  Know whom you are dealing with  Know how they fit into the organizations  Take into account the needs and desires of your constituency

6. Press the flesh  Good communication  “I don’t call it politics. I call it engagement or communicating.” - Bob Weir  Wide-open communication policy

7. Secure endorsements  Building and maintaining relationships throughout the organization, with allies and opponents alike  The most important political task facing any CIO  Forming alliances means bringing others into the decision-making process

8. Watch the weathervane  Political savvy means being prepared for change  CIOs should keep their strategy clearly in mind  Otherwise when political changes occur, “you won’t know how to make compromises that don’t compromise the overall goal.”

9. Keep campaigning  Be patient when pressing for initiatives  You put processes in place and people will change over time.  You may lose at first, but you will win in the long run.

10. It’s Critical to Be Political  Ultimately, the skill set of a seasoned politician is not all that different form that of a seasoned senior-level executive. Most executives who have risen to the level of CIO will have mastered at least some political techniques.  For the politically challenged, these skills can be learned.  “There is no magic in it”

11. Source  http://www.cio.com/archives/040104/hs_politics.html http://www.cio.com/archives/040104/hs_politics.html  CIO Magazine – 04/01/2004