Dynamic Office Politics: Powering Up for Program Success!

• Author: EIRING, H. LARRY

Office politics and all of the accompanying agendas have become such a pervasive factor in today's business world that the success of an information management professional is directly linked to the success of the record and information management program. Information management professionals must deal with challenges and conflicting forces on a daily basis. By developing and maintaining trust, respect, consistency, charisma and flexibility, along with building effective alliances, an information management professional will be able to "sell" more effectively the agenda of the information management program to the organization's senior management.

Given the high visibility of today's political arena, one would presume that politics is a "new" and exciting profession. The truth of the matter is that politics have been around for centuries. The Ancients (Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians) all were users and abusers of political power. Beginning with recorded history, politics played a role in decision making. The choices may have been simple, but the consequences tremendous. Who may live, die, lead, follow, and where it all would take place were primary decisions of the day.

The decisions may not be as simple and the consequences not as life threatening today, yet politics play an ever-present role in both our business and personal lives. Each of us will spend roughly 30 percent of our life in the workplace. Therefore, the politics that operate in the modern office are an important factor in how we approach our career. Dealing with and managing the politics of the office has a direct impact on how successful we will become over the course of our work life.

It has been said that politics is a "weighing of dreams against fears." It is about your dreams, your vision, and your inherent human fear of failure at meeting those dreams and losing that vision. Another way of looking at politics is to say that it is the art of getting what you want, the way you need it, when you want it. It is like "having your cake and eating it too."

Politics is the art of negotiation, compromise, and satisfaction; not an in-born skill, but a learned ability. The power of politics is the power of persuasion. Learning how and when to persuade is key to political and personal success. True persuasion is really a "sales job" and political persuasion is a broad-ranging "sales job" that must be well planned and executed to be successful. The challenge is persuading others to accomplish the needed objectives.

For the information management professional to be successful, the records and information management (RIM) program must be successfully "sold" to senior management. Management must be persuaded to "buy-in" to the RIM program and believe that it will be of benefit to them. This article presents a methodology upon which the modern information management professional can become a highly efficient and successful political "animal" in the organization to the benefit of the program and the individual.

The Agenda and Challenges

Office politics, like our state and national politics, follows an "agenda." This agenda, usually a set of smaller agendas, is the driver upon which political motivation rides. The agenda varies from office to office, yet maintains important common attributes. The information management professional must seek to make the RIM program a part of the organization's political agenda. Success in this endeavor requires both awareness and understanding of the surrounding political environment.

RIM professionals face a myriad of challenges every day:

Credibility -- Information management professionals and their RIM program often lack credibility, to the detriment of the program.

Recognition -- The recognition that is necessary for the success of the RIM program is often not forthcoming.

Power Base -- Without credible alliances and recognition for the program, a "power base" from which to operate can not be built; it is this "base" that is at the heart of political influence.

Support -- The support of others and of senior management is a critical factor in the success of a RIM program; without this level of visibility and lack of effective alliances at the top and across the organization, a good program will go unnoticed and eventually "die on the vine."

Perception -- A RIM program that is perceived as a solid contributor to the success of the organization will be supported by management and be a winner. Many RIM programs have a "back-office" image and are consequently deemed unimportant or not critical to the mission of the organization.

Vision -- Many RIM programs fail because they lack a clear "vision" and are without direction or defined objectives. A positive, clearly defined vision of what the RIM program can accomplish is a key element in the drive for success.

The Forces of Good and Evil

Conflicting forces, present on a daily basis, can derail a RIM program's quest for success. Realizing which forces are at work and whether they help or hinder, and managing those forces will be essential in neutralizing their impact on the RIM program. It is important to be realistic in dealing with these forces and the environment in which they are functioning. Accepting the reality of the environment will help minimize the frustration that can occur when dealing with political forces.

The more common forces at work in the business setting are:

Turf Wars: Turf wars result when it is perceived that the agenda of one program may be encroaching on that of another. They can also occur in a personal setting when career agendas conflict. To head off turf wars, make sure that overlapping objectives of the programs are "out on the table" and build alliances with the other individuals involved. The situation can often be turned into a win-win for all involved. Brokering: Brokering for power in the office is a common but often unnoticed practice. Building "strategic" alliances with others and offering to share or "broker" situations can help win the support of senior management and, ultimately, help the RIM program achieve its objectives. The key is to be observant. Is the RIM program being noticed? Are you, the information manager, in demand? If not, then you and the program may have been brokered aside. Economics: The...