How Politics Kills Organisational Performance
Politics can be defined as the actions associated with people or groups arriving at decisions or forming a consensus, which in part is influenced eventually by the majority, upon which a person steers and influences others to strengthen the force of their own opinions or convictions upon people, who have no specific feelings or thoughts on the subject in consideration.
Politics is used to increase the power of relationships with others, either as single people or groups, to influence the distribution of resources or status. Many different methods are used in politics to control the distribution of physical resources, typically items of perceivable permanent or temporary value, or to increase the status of a person or group to the detriment of other people or groups.
Political Influence
The methods used to influence the political landscape will include promoting one's views by controlling others, negotiating with or against other political issues, invoking laws, and exercising coercion, including warfare against adversaries.
Politics is exercised within organisations by directors, team leaders, and staff in social interactions at various levels, multiple times, and with varying degrees of force. In politics concerning government, people form themselves into political parties, allegiances, or groups to present their views of the world, thoughts, ideas, or stances on issues.
Members often agree with others in the group on their positions on many topics and support other group members to ensure that their opinions prevail over other people's equally valid but differing opinions and views.
The Freedom of Democracy
Democracy is based on the belief that people have the freedom to speak, express their opinions and take any reasonable action to influence the thoughts of others, with the warning that any such reasonable action is within the confines of social boundaries, the law and that they do not disrespect or affect an injustice upon others.
In government, democracy preserves an environment where others are respected, protecting human rights and fundamental personal freedoms. In this environment, everyone can equally and freely express their thoughts, and free speech is protected.
In countries where democracy is practised, people have the right and enjoy the direct authority to think, deliberate, talk freely, choose governing officials, decide upon legislation and how valued resources are distributed, authority is shared or delegated, and status is rewarded.
Democracy confers the divine right to all in terms of the freedom of association, of assembly, to own personal property, practice their choice of religion, and to give their consent to be governed through the right to vote, with the freedom of unwanted governmental deprivation of the right to liberty, life and rights, no matter how much in the minority people might be.
The Pursuit of Power And Influence
Every organisation has a hierarchy of people, thoughts, directors, team leadership, and power, which is unevenly distributed throughout the organisation, often in places where they are least expected. Specific parts of the hierarchy are more likely to seek power and status than others.
This will vary between organisations, industries, and geographical locations.
However, pursuing power and status is considered workplace political behaviour. Organisational politics refers to the personal agenda that directors, team leaders, and staff utilise within an organisation and the manoeuvring and activities they take part in to assemble the power to act in a way they see fit by increasing their status amongst others, gathering the resources and authority to function, to achieve or gain a desired outcome.
The act of politicism takes place when a person or group of people assume the necessary actions to inflict their own will at the expense of others, which may or may not be in the best interests of other people in which they convey information that might or might not be truthful.
They may cast a different impression upon an issue, hide or influence from the group majority about the true implications of a problem, or steer others to a conclusive course of action that does not resolve the issue but furthers the power and status of those who look to influence others for their pecuniary advantage.
Causes of Organisational Politics
Understanding the causes of organisational politics aids in the reduction of the adverse or dysfunctional effects of politicism to support colleagues in engaging in the more favourable political behaviours that help organisational stakeholders. The goals of organisational politicism include the following:
- Furtherance of personal goals and aims.
- The building of powerful allies and networks.
- The need for recognition, usually as the result of personal insecurities.
- Self-interest and protectionism.
- Developing and managing invaluable connections.
- Money and financial rewards.
Organisational politics occur in most, if not all, organisations. These complex social networks interconnect horizontal relationships between teams and vertical connections between directors, team leaders, and staff. Defining where a political stance lies, its direction and the overall understanding of the political landscape within an organisation can be challenging.
The Use of Politics
Colleagues experience the impact of organisational politicism, positive or negative, throughout their work. Politicism can occur when gathering information for political reasons by engaging in office gossip or joining and acting as part of a group to manipulate others.
In contrast, others will use politics to climb the corporate ladder, to be seen as productive and efficient, and to curry favour with potential partners who have the power to further a person’s personal goals and aspirations. The characteristics of politicism will include some or all of the following:
- Self-Promotion: When people act purely to further their careers without regard for their impact on others, including taking credit for others' results, publicly identifying others as foolish or unintelligent, and putting people down to bolster their self-image or increase their self-worth.
- Office Politics: Office politics occurs when colleagues or groups try to influence other stakeholders through manipulation, persuasion, pressure, or influence. This can positively influence those sceptical of a course of action to get them on board with a project or vision. However, the negative impact is that it can cause disagreements, leading to increased tension if people believe that a change of mind concerning an issue is at the expense of others.
- Territorialism: When colleagues become stubbornly attached to a specific role or position within an organisation, in which they undertake the role entirely or all of the tasks associated with a role themselves. Typically, this might be a team leader who will only hand over the reins of a project once it has been completed.
- Factionalism: Seen when a group of people becomes disjointed in their thoughts and beliefs in the way that the goals and aims of the group should be achieved or completed. It becomes difficult to steer and manage tasks when common interests become disjointed. The larger group splits into smaller groups to form alliances in which the aspirations of the splinter groups do not align with the leading group's goals and aims. This can increase the innovation and agility of the leading group but can have negative consequences where splinter groups commit to achieving the goals and aims of the group in diverse ways.
- Gatekeeping: Colleagues whose position or influence in an organisation gives them a degree of power to block or control access to resources or people who have the authority to preserve and support their power to avoid confrontation and being challenged. This stifles innovation and entrepreneurialism, which stops others from performing at higher levels or their best.
The Side Effects of Office Politics
In contrast, the positive effects of organisational politics include improved performance and motivation among directors, team leaders, and staff. The reality is that it can go either way, depending on how an organisation uses this tactic, the common adverse side effects of which might include:
- Increased Stress: Stress comes from the constant fear of the unknown and the threat of directors, team leaders, and staff losing their jobs.
- Decreased Productivity: Directors, team leaders, and staff caught up in organisational politics pay less attention to their work and other commitments.
- Low Concentration Levels: Directors, team leaders, and staff preoccupied with personal agendas are less likely to perform at their best.
- Cynicism: Being cynical can lead to low morale, productivity, and dissatisfaction.
- High Staff Turnover: Directors, team leaders, and staff who excel at what they do but leave an organisation because of its politics may result in a lack of qualified colleagues or a loss of organisational knowledge and experience.
- Demotivated Staff: Undeserving directors, team leaders, and staff succeeding or engaging in toxic work practices could leave the rest of an organisation's colleagues feeling demotivated and demoralised.
- Miscommunication: Organisational politics thrive on manipulation, leading to a prevalence of miscommunication. Directors and team leaders are often provided with edited versions of events, while colleagues are kept out of the loop.
- Decreased Productivity: The organisation's overall performance suffers due to the negativity caused by lousy office politics.
- Resentment: Colleagues resent their directors, team leaders, and the organisation.
Bad office politics occur when people in power and trust use their influence for personal gain. Unfortunately, backstabbing, gaslighting, and the formation of unhealthy cliques are common in office environments. Individuals cannot avoid corporate politics, regardless of their position within the office. It is a reality that must be acknowledged.
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