‘Office politics’ very often has negative connotations. However, where there are different people with varying interests, motivations and behaviours, political intelligence will always be necessary for individuals to carry out their roles effectively and progress their careers for personal and organisational benefit. Research indicates that the ‘negative’ aspects of organisational politics adversely affect morale, productivity and profitability and a survey suggests that it is a major cause of stress in the workplace; ultimately not being able to navigate office politics can lead to a career progression barrier.
Given this background, people need not only a keen awareness of their political landscape, but more importantly, the skills to manoeuvre effectively around political minefields using a set of behaviours critical to getting things done in a positive way, for all concerned. Political intelligence is often seen to be a sub-set of emotional intelligence.
In this session, you will:
- Gain an understanding of what ‘office politics’ is and why it occurs.
- Investigate the different types of political ‘animal’ which occur in organisations.
- Understand the outcome of negative ‘office politics’ and why opting out is not an option.
- Consider the benefits of positive ‘office politics’ and the necessary skills.
By the end of the session, participants will:
- Be less fearful of ‘office politics’ and feel they have options.
- Have information to consider their own behaviours, as well as those of their colleagues.
Know which skill areas help people be more positively politically intelligent.
Your presenter: Joanna Gaudoin
Joanna helps individuals and organisations build better relationships and achieve greater professional success. She is an accredited practitioner with the Academy for Political Intelligence, helping professional people navigate ‘office politics’ positively. She helps people achieve their goals for their own career and the success of their organisation. Prior to running her own company, Joanna worked in marketing and consultancy for almost ten years with blue-chip clients such as Mars, Diageo, Toshiba and SABMiller.
