I hear many complaints daily about the “injustice” of politics in corporate America. Employees say their bosses are “lying” or issuing “personal attacks” on them. In fact, based on the pure ideals we are taught as children, this might seem to be the case. However, corporate culture is not the “real world” in which we live our personal lives. Each corporate culture is its own world with its own rules and reality. To understand this, one must understand the directions and desires of this world and learn how to best adapt to achieve the vision and mission of the corporation.
— Integrity and Policy —
I must say that the words “integrity” and “policy” do not belong in the same sentence. This is by no means an insult to corporate politicians, but politics is not a reflection of the integrity of the individual.
The primary purpose of politics is to obtain a result. In some cases, management may not tell the whole truth and may apply “plausible deniability” to avoid prosecution. However, when a fake is used, it is primarily to perform a task. In this way, managers may not directly “tell” you what needs to be achieved, but instead create a gap or imbalance, forcing the need for change and action. The end result is a desired result.
Keep in mind that, of the many reasons for this approach, one of the main goals is to delegate responsibility to subordinates. If a manager constantly has to tell you what to do and how to act, then he or she could do the job very well himself. This defeats the entire purpose of his position, as well as the manager’s, and interferes with the desired result. However, if they create an imbalance in front of you, then you must creatively resolve the situation, define a path, and come up with a viable outcome to achieve rebalancing.
— The Thin Line —
While I say that today’s ideals of integrity do not apply to corporate politics, in fact, there are some cases where individuals abuse their political power. As such, ethics and morality begin to apply. Not only must you, as an employee, understand the reasons for and applications of politics, but those who wield the political sword must understand how to apply their power correctly without crossing the line.
The only problem that appears in this situation is the ability to differentiate between “a lie” and a “political deviation”. In fact, it is a difficult task if you look at it in simplistic terms. However, until a person has gained some experience with corporate cultures, my standard answer is: “when you’re in the corporate environment, it becomes a political turnoff.” One should not take things personally in the corporate environment, as it is not about the individual; It’s all about results — plain and simple.
However, the political world can be overstepped by the power-hungry or untrained corporate politician. The only way to judge such an action is based on his own personal lines. If in fact a situation seems to slip into his personal life on purpose, then a decision must be made. Such situations can occur when your associates can create conflicts in your personal life.
The most important lesson to be learned is that you should never provide access to the personal world within the corporate world. In fact, for a pleasant interaction, it is accepted that you provide basic information about your personal life. However, keep it simple and don’t provide any information that could create problems with others. It is important to keep a distance between the realities of your “personal world” and the realities of your “corporate world.”
— How many of me are there? —
In fact, this whole scenario can complicate one’s life with the idea of ​​maintaining two different “selves”. However, to successfully balance your world with your corporate world, it is best to view your corporate world as an “underworld” of your entire life. In all cases, all human interaction is lumped into a single world, with a multitude of underworlds and environments. You have your corporate world, your “friend” world, your hobby world, and your family world, just as examples. In fact, you experience different rules and expectations (ie, policies) in each one. Therefore, by learning the rules of the corporate underworld, just as you have its other worlds, you can easily integrate and manage politics for greater success in your career and life.
— Whats Next? —
In the corporate world, it’s not a matter of ethics or integrity; it is a question of results. Properly trained managers are capable of using the policy as an effective tool to obtain results in accordance with the vision and mission of the corporation. You, as an employee, must learn to separate your personal world from the corporate world so that you can effectively understand the purpose and direction of the corporation without falling prey to your own personal ideals.
Every corporation is a living being, breathing and consuming as much as a human being. Just as your cells fight for the survival of humans, corporate politics is not about the individual, it is about the survival of the corporation. By understanding where the line exists between your two worlds and adapting to the idea that political motivation is about results, then, in fact, your interaction within this strange new world will be more effective and successful.
