I'm bad at politics. Most of us are.
If you experience evil political people at work or in your business, this article is for you.
Political people suck - in the everyday business world, we call them 'empty suits'. In Texas, they call them 'All hat, no cattle'. They are a natural predator of the business savannah and we probably bump into them every day, in a meeting room where they hone their craft.
I've come up with 5 rules to help navigate around these scoundrels effectively:
Be Switzerland. Be neutral. Political people try to snare you into a political cage of their thinking - and then try to turn it on you. Don't play their game - don't take one side or another - act matter-of-fact and don't play the game — walk away.
Be nice to the person who gives you money. Never gossip about your boss or clients to ANYONE. It always has a way of coming back to bite you where it really hurts. In today's business world, inside information is currency and unfortunately, you can't trust anyone. So keep your comments to yourself. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.
Don't gossip. We all love to gossip — for some reason we like to hear about other's failings, misfortune, and travails (there's actually a word for that - schadenfreude). Candidly, it's NONE of your business. Stop focusing on other people and better understand the reason why the person gossiping is telling you - they probably have an angle or ax to grind. And they're probably gossiping about you too.
Communicate often. In a highly politicized environment, you need to regularly and effectively communicate/document your activities, accomplishments, and ideas. Political people love to fold reality - you need to fight back with facts. Make a regular process to communicate frequently with your boss/clients with weekly updates to 'CYA' any possible future misrepresentation of your activities.
Do your BEST work. The easiest way for a political person can take advantage of you is to stab you in the back when your defenses are low. It's usually when you rushed something or didn't complete it within a stated timeframe (and you slipped it through). They will be there with a shiv at the right moment and announce it to everyone. The best way to combat this is to work efficiently, effectively, and if you do drop the ball, let your boss/client know ASAP before your enemies storm the gates.
Extra Credit - Stand up to bullies. Let's face it - political people are assholes. They thrive and bank their careers on pointing out other's misfortune, and manipulating the facts for their advantage. Sometimes we need to stand up for ourselves and take them to task when they hurt you. One way is to meet with them one-on-one and vehemently point out you know their game. Be calm but be stern, most low-level politicians will slink away and never darken your doorstep again. Higher-level politicians need a light to be focused on them (during a meeting). The best way to do that is to use incontrovertible FACTS and keep hammering their wishy-washy statements until they wither and die. Stand your ground.
Political people and organizations suck. But they are a reality of business - if you do all five (six) rules I've presented, you'll be happier and work more effectively around these stinkers.