Robina Chatham, lecturer in IS, Cranfield School of Management The
resignation of Peter Mandelson last week underlined the tarnished
reputation of politics, whether it be the kind practiced in the
Houses of Parliament or in the corridors of every corporate
building, writes Ross Bentley
But, says Robina Chatham of Cranfield School of Management,
corporate politics is an inevitable dynamic of a company structure
and should be embraced, not avoided. She says that it is during the
schmoozing and networking that relationships are built and
influence gained.
Chatham runs a course on organisational politics and has written
several white papers on the personality profile of IT workers. She
suggests that the average IT professional is likely to avoid any
potential conflicts and prefers to get things done through
conventional routes.
"IT people tend to stick to the rules," says Chatham. "They
construe corporate politics as someone trying to get one over
someone else, scoring points, doing deals and resulting in a
win-lose-type situation.
"However, in most cases, corporate politics is really about
people getting things done - where collaborative efforts start,
where people can be open and honest and where a win-win position
can be achieved."
"But IT staff are busy," I hear you cry. "We have not got the
time to run around networking." Well, surely you have to take time
out to eat?
Do not spend lunchtime eating in front of your monitor. Get out
and lunch with colleagues from other parts of the business, says
Chatham. "Often, it is in this less pressurised environment that
ideas are formed and relationships forged."
But, says Chatham, it is one thing to recognise the secret
political life beneath the day-to-day running of a company, it is
another to participate with integrity.
With regards to corporate politics, Chatham recognises four
distinct psychological profiles within large firms:
- Baboons cannot play the game of company politics. they will be
Machiavellian but will often conspire with the powerless. He sees
things in black and white.
- Foxes exude a charming veneer but beneath the surface are
self-centred and slightly insecure. The fox will exploit others'
weaknesses and relishes games where there are winners and
losers.
- Sheep see things with a wide-eyed simplicity and believe that
those in authority are right. They are principled but have
difficulty forming alliances.
- Dolphins are creative and imaginative and take account of other
people's views. The dolphin shares information and likes to
engineer win-win situations.
Apparently, the average IT worker is more likely to demonstrate
the traits of the sheep. What do ewe think?
ross.bentley@rbi.co.uk