Navigating Organizational Politics with Heart

A year ago a client suggested I watch the Netflix series, “Chimp Nation”  to get a better sense of their current work environment.  If you’ve not seen it, it’s an extraordinary documentary on a chimpanzee colony based in Uganda’s Kibale National Park.   What’s fascinating is how it demonstrates the way hierarchy in this colony is maintained, disrupted, and rebuilt.

Like many of my clients, this leader was describing the common dysfunctional behaviors associated with  organizational politics. You know the corporate form of “chest beating”  and defensive posturing that includes people making decisions that seem to favor their personal agenda over what’s best  for the organization, actively advocating for an expanded team (AKA empire building), and more.  Of course, these behaviors seem to surface more when the stakes are high and uncertainty abounds in companies. Even though our physical safety is not threatened, like the chimpanzees’ (spoiler alert), these “political” behaviors and our perceptions of them create unnecessary churn in teams, making it harder to get things done.  It’s no surprise that it takes a heavy emotional toll. 

Flipping the Script on Organizational Politics
Over the past few months, I’ve been listening to how leaders deal with this very real dynamic that exists in all social systems, particularly organizations,in ways that  help their teams and hold onto their sense of personal integrity. I’ve noticed an interesting through-line for these approaches;  navigating  organizational politics with heart and showing a sense of care for people.   Here’s what I’ve learned: 

1. Slow your roll Our perceptions of others’ behavioral motives are based on our past experiences, expectations, and emotional state in the moment. These perceptions are filled with assumptions, often influenced by others’ opinions .  Building out systems to identify and test assumptions about why people are showing up the way they are opens the door for greater learning. (Please see my own prior cringe story of assuming someone’s malintent.) Get curious about why someone might be behaving in a particular way. What if there is a good reason? And how does the environment/system around the person trigger this type of behavior?

2. Lead with humanity  A client of mine described a success story which seemed counterintuitive. Talking with a colleague he perceived as political, he held off on giving feedback and focused instead on empathizing with the person’s current challenges in their role.  This genuine expression of empathy opened the door for greater understanding on both sides, and served as a fly wheel for deeper trust to move forward.  Show up with even more compassion and care in your interactions with others you perceive as “bad actors” and see what happens.

3. Walk your talk  This “oldie but goodie” bit of advice gives you immediate agency to model and uphold the collaborative behaviors that are 100% within your control – your own.  Affirm and reinforce these behaviors within your team. Coach people to step back and reflect and empathize more. Encourage people to step into others’ shoes first before taking action.

4. Mentally expand your team Most leaders I work with say they give people on their teams more support and grace than those on the outside.  What helps them to show up more authentically compassionate and  empathetic with peers and partners outside their teams is to imagine expanding their teams in their heads to include peers, cross-functional partners, senior leaders and other key individuals.  Before engaging with someone in a meeting, take a moment to visually imagine if they were part of your team, how would this change things for you? 

5.  Self regulate The stress of working day to day in these work environments naturally takes a toll on people’s emotional state and nervous system.  When we live in this constant state of fight or flight, it’s easy to lose perspective and decrease our decision making effectiveness. Actively building practices to decompress, step back, and restore are crucial, not optional.  The next time you’re preparing for a meeting, build in ten minutes to engage in some breath work or mediation using your favorite apps, or go old school analog, set a timer and simply follow your breath.

Navigating organizational politics is not easy, but it’s also not impossible. Maintaining a sense of openness and collaboration may seem counterintuitive in these situations but actually it can increase  both your  empowerment and effectiveness and invites others to do the same.