Why do internal politics hinder digital initiatives? Because of people and power! Here are some techniques and strategies to avoid or mitigate the impact of internal politics and make it easier to succeed in your digital initiatives.

2. Strategy Advisor
18 years of extensive hands-on consul9ng
experience with intranet and digital
workplace strategy in over 60 large, global
organiza9ons.
Ten years of research: annual surveys and
reports since 2006
Researcher
Approximately 300 organiza9ons
worldwide each year
• Air France
• Air Liquide
• Allianz Worldwide
Partners
• Biocodex
• BNP Paribas
• Euler Hermes
• Euronext
• Group SEB
• LafargeHolcim
• Nokia
• SNCF
• Société Générale
• Sodexo
• Vinci
Paris-based Workgroup
Author
MITSloan Management Review
Neutralize Internal Poli9cs in Digital Ini9a9ves
How Digital Leaders Inspire Engagement
Harvard Business Review
Tracking the Trends in BYOD
The Company Cultures That Help or Hinder
Digital Transforma9on

3. Deepen involvement
Broaden decision-making
Fluidify silos
Why do internal poli9cs hinder digital ini9a9ves and
what can you do about it?
Jane McConnell • Advisor • Analyst • Workshop Facilitator • jane@netjmc • @netjmc

4. The Why
It’s about freedom, power and compromises.
In the beginning…

5. Communica9on IT HR Leadership
Message Toolset Profiles Decision-Making
Target and Timing Rollout
Exper9se (Personal
Branding)
Hierarchical Controls
Losing Control?
41
Authorita9ve,
stable managed
dimension
Structured
collabora9on
dimension
Social collabora9on
dimension
32
Authorita9ve,
stable managed
dimension
Structured
collabora9on
dimension
Authorita9ve,
stable managed
dimension
Consumer-
like cloud
services
BYOD (bring
your own
device)

6. 4
Social collabora9on
dimension
3
Structured
collabora9on
dimension
Authorita9ve,
stable managed
dimension
Consumer-
like cloud
services
BYOD (bring
your own
device)
A coherent, global digital ini9a9ve
Libera9on of people
Mul9ple ini9a9ves
Loss of control

7. Freedom of decisionsImposed from the top
Our favorite flavorsCommon vanilla
“We re happy with
what we have now.”
“We’ll build something
beeer together.”
A “coherent, global” digital ini9a9ve raises issues…
…that ofen trigger internal poli9cal struggles.

8. Poll: Do internal poli9cs impact your digital ini9a9ves?
• No problems!
• It's a manageable concern, requiring special effort.
• It's a serious concern holding us back.
• Don't know.

9. Internal poli9cs intensify in digitally maturing organiza9ons
manageable concern
requiring special effort
serious
concern
holding
us back
already
dealt
with
this
18% 22%40%
6% 13%43%
not relevant for
us/don’t know
38%
20%
2016
2013
Data from 2013 and 2015 surveys of approximately 300 organiza9ons. Figures from the most digitally mature organiza9ons each of those years.

10. 1. Deepen involvement
2. Broaden decision-making
3. Fluidify silos
The How

11. but it takes more than senior leadership to make it happen on the ground.
25 50 75 100
30
30
20
20
73
30
28
32
18
22
24
32
38
40
60
78
On-going
Change ini9a9ves “owned” by front line and opera9onal people.
Buy-in from all or most business units.
Collabora9ve, cross-organiza9onal decision-making & planning.
Top leadership strongly involved.
Clear role of digital in company’s strategic vision.
Alignment, coherent cross-organiza9onal framework.
Data collected 2016. 311 people around the world.
Numbers represent ac9ons, not inten9ons: “planned” and “not planned” are not included on the chart, which is why the bars do not quite reach totals of 100%.
Agree & strongly agree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Done
Yes, and highly effec9ve
Yes, but no
impact
Work in
progress
Natural 9me for Internal poli9cs
BU, Country, Func9onal Management
Opera9onal
Reality
1
2
3
Opera9onal Comes in LastEnterprise Senior
Management

12. BU, Country,
Func9onal
Management
Opera9onal
Front Lines
Enterprise Senior
Management
Top Down Authority and Decision-Making
Superficial Approach
Listening, Sharing, Nego9a9ng Agreements
BU, Country,
Func9onal
Management
Opera9onal
Front Lines
Enterprise Senior
Management
Deeper Approach

13. Deepen Involvement…
• Front Lines •Young, New Workforce •Value Behaviors, All Levels

14. 1. Deepen involvement
2. Broaden decision-making
3. Fluidify silos
The How

15. Principles last . Strategies change.
Examples
All digital ini9a9ves will be clearly linked
to opera9onal and strategic needs.
We facilitate local ini9a9ves rather than
force central solu9ons.
All spaces, communi9es and team sites will
be open unless there are confiden9ality
reasons for closing them.
….
Define the framework together. Iden9fy the
fundamental principles.
Decision-Making Freedom within a Framework

16. BU, Country,
Management
Opera9onal
Front Lines
Senior
Management
Define the framework together. Iden9fy the
fundamental principles.
Involve the right people from the beginning.
Be sure to include people from the “edges”,
those that are close to customers.
Decision-Making Freedom within a Framework
Project Ini9ator
& Sponsor
Understanding,
Agreement
Opera9onal
Front LinesBU, Country,
Management
Senior
Management
And so on…

17. Who should decide?
The person closest to the issue who is
accountable for the outcome.
By consul9ng those who will be impacted
by the decision.
By respec9ng the organiza9on’s
fundamental principles.
How?
Place decision-making at the lowest level of
accountability.
Define the framework together. Iden9fy the
fundamental principles.
Involve the right people from the beginning.
Be sure to include people from the “edges”,
those that are close to customers.
Decision-Making Freedom within a Framework

18. Broaden Decision-Making…
• Simple Framework •The Edges •Sabotage

19. We can’t break silos. We can build
connec9ons and flows between them.
1. Deepen involvement
2. Broaden decision-making
3. Fluidify silos
The How

20. 1. Open informa9on sources.
2. Make work visible.
3. Complement, don’t duplicate the organiza9onal structure.
4. Open silos especially at the top.
Tips and examples:

21. Legal
Financial
Compe99ve
Image
Misinterpreta9on
Inappropriate use
Deliberate transmission to third-party
Risks and consequences
If
Keep it closed
Only then
Poten9al
“It’s confiden<al” “No one else is interested”
Specific to a group
or part of the
organiza9on
If
Leave it open
Then
But no…
Serendipity may bring
unexpected benefits!
18% of companies with open
informa9on systems say internal
poli9cs are a “serious concern
holding us back”.
The figure is 51% for companies
with closed systems.
1. Open Informa9on Sources

22. Working out Loud at NASA in the
1960’s - “Monday’s Notes”
Key Managers for Apollo (L-R): Charles Mathews,
Dr Wernher von Braun, Dr George Mueller. and
Gen. Samuel Phillips.
Text extracts and photo from Dr. Roger Launius. Case developed in Show Your Work by Jane Bozarth, 2014.
heps://launiusr.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/comments-on-a-very-effec9ve-communica9ons-system-marshall-space-flight-center’s-monday-notes/
Senior managers, lab
directors, project managers,
and other personnel
Every Monday - One
page Note about
week’s progress and
problems sent to von
Braun by individuals.
1
Von Braun commented
in the margins of each
Note. Returned to each
person individually.
2
Full package of Notes
duplicated and sent to
everyone.
3
Wernher von Braun, in the 1960’s. Director of the
Marshall Space Flight Center. Ini9ator of Monday Notes.
Photo from Wikipedia.
2. Make Work Visible

23. 3. Complement, don’t duplicate the
organiza9onal structure.
Allow only communi9es that are cross
organiza9onal.
4. Open silos from the top down.
Prac9ce job-swapping at the top levels of
the organiza9on.

24. Why do internal poli9cs hinder digital ini9a9ves and
what can you do about it?
Thank you! Get in touch with Jane McConnell • jane@netjmc • @netjmc
Deepen involvement. Broaden decision-making. Fluidify silos.