Hindustan Times, February 6, 2006, Monday

Copyright 2006 HT Media Ltd.
All Rights Reserved
Hindustan Times

February 6, 2006 Monday 1:02 PM EST

HEADLINE: Sharpen your political competence

BYLINE: Hindustan Times

DATELINE: NEW DELHI, India

BODY:
NEW DELHI, India, Feb 6 -- Clandestine. Conspiratorial. Manipulative. Do these words come to mind when you hear a colleague described as "politically savvy"? If so, you're not alone.
Political competence often is equated with Machiavellianism, maintains Samuel Bacharach, author of Get Them on Your Side: Win Support, Convert Skeptics, Get Results (Platinum Press, 2005). The result? "For too long, it has remained in the closet. It's the one competence that everyone needs - but the one that nobody talks about,'' Bacharach says.
Bacharach, McKelvey-Grant Professor of Labour Management and Director of the Institute for Workplace Studies at Cornell University, defines political competence in far more positive terms than some managers might, "It's the ability to understand what you can and cannot control, when to take action, who is going to resist your agenda and whom you need on your side. It's about knowing how to map the political terrain and get others on your side, as well as lead coalitions." And it's never been more critical than today.
"Examine the vocabulary that's part and parcel of our business mindset - words like uncertainty, risk, change, action, and execution," Bacharach suggests. "At every level, businesses need people who are willing to take action and who know how to create change - people who feel secure enough to take risks in an uncertain environment." Political competence gives them the skills to do just that. "Many people can have good ideas," Bacharach says. "But real leaders are those who know how to mobilise others around these ideas. How often have we seen people with great ideas fail simply because they couldn't win and sustain a coalition that could put the idea to practical use in the organisation? People who generate results are politically competent."
Yet MBA programmes and corporate training initiatives remain mute on the subject. Indeed, adds Bacharach, "ask people how they get results in organisations, and they'll tell you about market analysis, planning, brainstorming, HR policy. But they'll never mention politics. And how often have you heard people claim with a certain air of self-righteousness: 'I'm not political' or 'I don't do coalitions'?"
So, if you can't count on your business education or your company to teach you political competence, how can you begin mastering this crucial competency so that your great ideas can get implemented? Understand political competence as a three-phase process that must unfold in the specific sequence Bacharach lays out in Get Them on Your Side. The three phases are:
Map your political terrain
Mapping your terrain begins with anticipating how your stakeholders - anyone who has an interest in or who would be affected by your idea - might react. Expect resistance. Common objections - no matter what the idea is or at what level in the organisation it's coming from - include "It's too risky," "You'll only make things worse," and "You don't know what you're talking about." When faced with objections, too many managers undercut their critics by making their case to the critics' bosses or peers or by picking apart a sceptic's argument. But this only creates antagonism and increases the likelihood that people will become active resisters. Instead of undercutting, ask stakeholders questions to determine their goals.
Get others on your side
"Today, there are few lone heroes, and even fewer positions that command enough power to get results without allies," Bacharach writes. Thus, you need to build coalitions. Your coalition is a politically mobilised collection of individuals committed to implementing your ideas because doing so will generate benefits they value. Assembling your coalition requires careful thought, time, and patience - but it's well worth the effort. "Creating coalitions is the most critical step in exercising your political competence," Bacharach says. "It's an incredibly empowering process. You're telling your potential coalition members that they have the power to move an idea forward or block it. You're offering them an opportunity to exchange ideas, evaluate the legitimacy of an idea, and join in the effort to implement an idea."
Make things happen
Explaining your position in compelling terms isn't the same thing as winning buy-in. Many people won't join a coalition unless you can answer the question, "What's in it for me?" To gain buy-in, "you have to make it clear that there is a payoff in supporting your effort and ... possible drawbacks for not joining your coalition," Bacharach writes.
Once you've persuaded people to join your coalition, you've established a base that will legitimise your idea and push it through the organisation. Your coalition members will network with others in your organisation to propagate your ideas and translate your message to inspire further action. "They are your evangelists," Bacharach says.
The Hindustan Times is provided through HT Syndication, New Delhi.