Description

As Winston Churchill said: “When you mix people and power, you get politics.”

Organizations are much more political than most people realize and simply being a dedicated, hard-working employee is usually not enough to succeed. For example, two managers at the same level in an organization may not be equal in terms of their power and influence. One manager may be more influential because he or she is well liked and respected by subordinates and superiors. In addition, he or she may understand the politics of the organization and how to “play the game.”

Influence, power and politics are on-going processes in day-to-day organizational life with important implications for organizational performance and employee satisfaction. Leaders must often act politically to gain and hold their powerful leadership positions. Thus, success in the workplace demands that an individual not only be competent in task and functional skills, but also in political skills. Political skill is a positive social competence that helps people network, influence others, demonstrate social astuteness and appear sincere in their dealings with others. Using political skill – motivating others, inspiring trust, orchestrating support- to influence these interactions is critical not only to personal and job success but also to the performance of the organization as a whole.

In this course, participants will be introduced to the concept of positive politics. Positive politics is a set of positive traits critical to contemporary work environments, which focuses on collaboration, diplomacy, contribution and cooperation. You will discover the powerful role that organizational politics plays in a corporate environment and the conditions under which political activity is most likely to occur. With two powerful case studies, you will be able to identify different types of political behaviors, both functional and dysfunctional.

Learning Outcomes

  • Assess their political skill
  • Explain the difference between Influence and Power
  • Explore the impact of personal work styles and politics on the work environment
  • Identify the types of Political Behaviours and characteristics of Political Players
  • Implement Positive Politics Strategies, including Networking and Collaboration
  • Apply political skill to achieve personal and organizational goals, increasing performance for both

Duration

12 hours

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Instructor

Dr. Wendy E. O’Connor is a social psychologist, with an expertise in organizational politics. She founded Executive Spin Inc. in 2002. Her practice specializes in executive assessment and leadership coaching. Clients have expressed their appreciation for her ability to accurately understand their world, fostering an atmosphere of respect, credibility, and trust.

Dr. O’Connor’s strong analytical skills are evidenced in her successful national and regional change strategies. She is noted for bringing both academic and practical work/life experience to her client approaches. A critical ingredient is her distinctive ability to operationalize and implement a vision. The vision then acts as a catalyst for change, promoting focus and clarity of action.

Earlier in her career, she thrived in many roles with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). As a TV producer-director, and a radio/television announcer, she covered many controversial and sensitive stories. Her curiosity led her to pursue advanced degrees in social psychology. Dr. O’Connor is a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University (BA), received her MSc from Memorial University, and PhD from Carleton University.