Organizational Savvy/Positive Politics: 1 Day Course

This course has been developed and run for over twenty years in the USA, Europe, Asia and Australia. Content was developed by top researchers and theorists in political skill at work. Politics occurs in some way in every work environment, every country and every culture. “Positive Politics” was coined by Peter Block in 1987 in his book “The Empowered Manager”. The role of a manager or leader is to help turn political situations into positives instead of negatives and to take conscious actions and formulate a strategy to manage politics effectively to drive performance. There is extensive recent research showing managers who are able to identify the political climate of an organization and apply the right strategy and tactics can facilitate positive results for them, their team and the organization.

Course objectives:

• Understand theory that provides a practical way to describe the political organizational climate(s) within your functional area
• Provide you a personalized report illuminating your personal behavioral style and Emotional Intelligence in the context of the business
• Provide expert coaching to you based upon your report to enhance business relationships
• Be able to describe and recognize the behavioral styles of other people and how they perceive you. Then to influence them effectively (including using Extended DISC and Genos Emotional Intelligence validated assessments)
• Know and practice at least five (5) methods and tools to manage and leverage organizational politics
• Have a “Game Plan” – an approach to address a real organizational politics situation or opportunity and to handle it with versatility and success

Course content:

1. Identifying 4 political behavioral styles
2. Identifying your fit with four political environments
3. Understanding yours and others’ behavioral “type” using the validated Extended DISC system to influence others and improve how they perceive you. (Your personal DISC report illuminates how you and others are motivated, what we fear, how we prefer to communicated with, and how we and others can be influenced consciously and unconsciously)
4. Understanding and improving yours and others’ performance and effectiveness using Emotional Intelligence (includes the validated Genos E.I. assessment)
5. Networking and essential political skills (7 tactics by Kathleen Reardon “The Secret Handshake” 2001)
6. Identifying early indications of political change taking place at work (5 examples by Kathleen Reardon “The Secret Handshake” 2001)Using a published process to determine the political terrain (Joel DeLuca, “Political Savvy” 1999) to determine who to influence, in what order and who to avoid
7. Using a published process to determine the political terrain (Joel DeLuca, “Political Savvy” 1999) to determine who to influence, in what order and who to avoid
8. Using all the above techniques to complete an action plan and role play in teams of three your planned discussion with a key person

Recommended participants: Professionals, Managers, Team and Project Leaders, Executives, Owners

Recommended participant numbers: Minimum 3, maximum 27 (or choose personal in-person or virtual 1:1 coaching)

Duration: Normally one day, half and two day variations available (or personal coaching as required)