Factors in organizational politics

1. Tip Sheet for Leaders on Politics
Conflicts, interests, and power are three primary factors in organizational politics. Politics in the
workplace shouldn't be about negative behaviors or undesired actions. Politics is about
understanding the environment of your organization - it is a tool to help to make better
decisions. Politics is a tool to assess the operational capacity and to balance diverse views of
interested parties. In short, politics is power and should be used to implement decisions and
policies with political sensitivity. The following is a list of tips for leaders on politics:
1. Understand the political relationship by defining the politics in the organization first
2. Identify the benefits of politics and develop a political map
3. Implement decisions and policies with political sensitivity
4. Acquire political responsibility
5. Be professional and responsible
6. Have personal and legal responsibility
7. Use political favors to accept policy
8. Increase power over decisions
9. Use political environment to access future decision making
10. Assess operational capacity
11. Assess value and substantive worth
12. Map the political landscape to assess the organizational strengths and weaknesses
13. Understand the political resources, incentives, and exchanges.
14. Develop your arguments and prepare in advance
15. Know how to use the formal rules
16. Take advantage of information opportunities
17. Negotiate, compromise, and adapt
18. Balance diverse views of interested parties
19. Advance the goals of stakeholders
20. Work within the scope of authority and meet ethical guidelines