do you know who is moving your cheese?
TRANSCRIPT
Do You Know Who Is
Moving Your Cheese? Navigating and Surviving Organizational Politics Like a Pro
Panelists:
Marc Tate, Principal Booz Allen Hamilton
Dr. Akosua Barthwell Evans, CEO The Barthwell Group
Panelists Bios
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Mr. Tate is a Principal at Booz Allen Hamilton in the Healthcare market, specializing in the Information Technology capability. In that role,
Mr. Tate leads the firm’s business at the Social Security Administration which includes developing the market strategy and growth
projections for an over $90 million account portfolio, coordinating participation from across the firm, and leveraging existing relationships
to expand the firm’s business base. He has also led consulting work for not-for-profit organizations, providing vital management
consulting support for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, United Services Organizations, and SUNY College at Old Westbury.
Mr. Tate is also engaged in and leads many of the firm’s diversity initiatives. As a past diversity manager of the year and leader in the
Board Diversity Initiative, he has worked with recruiting to improve the firm’s methods for identifying and attracting qualified candidates
with a wide array of backgrounds and experiences. Mr. Tate is also part of the firm’s oversight team for the National Society of Black
Engineers. To support recruiting efforts at Virginia’s five Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Mr. Tate was a featured speaker at
the Virginia High Tech Partnership internship program. He is also the Program Manager for the Black Engineer of the Year Award
program, responsible for evaluating and developing nomination packages for submission.
Mr. Tate holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Mary Washington and a MS in Information and Telecommunications
Systems from Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Akosua Barthwell Evans is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Barthwell Group, Inc., a multi-faceted management
consulting firm specializing in providing strategic management (developing and implementing planning, diversity, branding, and
teambuilding strategies), partnership building, and workshops and training seminars to clients throughout the United States. Founded
in 2005, the Barthwell Group has established a track record of successfully serving a number of clients including Lockheed Martin
Aeronatuics Company, TIAA-CREF, ING, Jackson State University, and Stillman College.
Under Dr. Evans’ leadership, the Barthwell Group has experienced impressive growth both in revenues and personnel largely due to
multiple contracts from highly satisfied clients. This weekend, Dr. Evans will receive the “Entrepreneur Leadership Award” from the
Women of Color STEM Conference.
Prior to launching The Barthwell Group, Dr. Evans was an accomplished banker, lawyer, and management consultant. In addition,
throughout her career, Dr. Evans has provided leadership to a variety of not-for-profit organizations throughout the United States
through her board service. In addition, Dr. Evans has organized three scholarship funds benefitting African-American students at higher
education institutions throughout the United States. Dr. Evans is a graduate of Barnard College and Yale Law School. She holds a Ph.D. and M.Phil. from Columbia University.
Marc A. Tate
Dr. Evans
Icebreaker: Organizational Politics
Questions True False
1. Watching the TV show “Survivor” is all you need to do to better understand
how to survive organizational politics
2. Women are more likely than men to gossip in the workplace
3. Using an informal network to get things done is cheating
4. Building a trusted network is a key ingredient that can help you become
successful in your organization
5. Since perception is key in the workplace, golf should only be played for
pleasure and never mixed with business
6. If you do not like the structure of your organization, you should do everything
you can to resist until changes are made
7. Happy hours, lunches, and other social events are a great way to meet new
people and build your network
8. It is best to have one mentor at a time who is most similar to you with the
same background and experiences
9. Flexibility and adaptability will go a long way in helping you navigate through
your organization
10. The speaker for this presentation has no clue what he is talking about
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Understanding your “cheese” and how it links to organizational
politics will get you into the game sooner
Do you know what your cheese is?
Have you been relying on your same old cheese for too long? And why?
Have you looked for new cheese?
Have you learned how to protect your cheese by playing the game?
3
With your cheese in mind, understand that all organizations are
political – but what does that mean?
Organizational politics involve power and influence
– The pursuit of agendas and interests (i.e., your cheese)
– Who gets what they want; How do they get it? When do they get it?
With an ever-changing work environment, nothing is static
– Anticipate change, and be ready to adapt quickly (don’t be complacent)
– The people who are always reinventing themselves tend to have success
– Staying current on your work environment trends puts you in a good position
With change in mind, use organizational politics to your advantage to get your cheese
– Influence without authority
– Use office politics in a healthy, positive way (not a sneaky, manipulative way)
“Anyone who uses the informal network of an organization to get things done is
using organizational politics.” – Using Organizational Politics to Your Advantage, by Patricia Addesso
“Movement in a
new direction
helps you find
new cheese.” -Who Moved My
Cheese, by
Spencer Johnson
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Surviving office politics requires employees to have the ability to
handle negative politics and adversity with positive politics
Handle Negative Politics
Neutralize Negative Politics
Identify those who use negative politics
– “Keep your friends close but enemies closer”
– Get to know these colleagues and be courteous, but be careful of what you
say around them
– Understand their motivations and goals
Note that people who aggressively use negative politics generally do not think
much of their abilities
Build a strong network of people all around you
– Use your network to increase the visibility of your achievements and attract
new opportunities for yourself
Build a strong reputation across your organization
Maintain your integrity and become known as a trustworthy and ethical person
Negative
Build your network and reputation
Neutral
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Less work-oriented than men
Have many personal commitments
(more family-oriented)
Less financially-oriented
Use informal networks ineffectively
Strong communications and
emotional intelligence
Guided by emotions, not reason
Not natural executives/leaders
Work better in groups
(consensus builders)
Will gossip and cause conflict
Not politically savvy, but loyal Strong in the arts, not STEM
Misconceptions can be overcome by increasing your political savvy
Women have historically been challenged by gender misconceptions
that must be considered in navigating organizational politics
Will be flexible and empathetic
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Successful employees must learn to be political in a positive way
Form Alliances
Negotiate
Be Careful
Be Authentic
Form trusted allegiances
Advocate for each other
Allies will be your key to success
Don’t use your alliance negatively
When doing things for others, don’t
over do or cater only to those in charge
Be honest, and trustworthy
Avoid gossiping to get ahead
Rise on your own efforts
6 Tips for Utilizing
Positive Politics
Be visible – volunteer for high profile tasks
or get your accomplishments written up in
a newsletter
Praise others – send a note of
congratulations to colleagues who receive
promotions or have success on a project
Make an effort to connect – call a
colleague you have not spoken with in a
while and invite that person to lunch
Diversify network – Attend a different
forum’s event
Engage in activities – Play golf even if you
never have before
Understand timing – know when it’s the
right time to ask for something, or provide
your input
Do favors for people, but ask them for
things in return
Create win-win situations
7
Moving your cheese is not a specific science, but understanding best
practices will help you navigate organizational politics moving forward
Stay current on your
work environment
trends
Identify a mentor and
advocate for others
Be proactive in
reinventing yourself and
creating new successes
Build a network of
diverse perspectives
built on mutual respect
Anticipate change
and be ready to
react quickly
Best Practices for
Navigating
Organizational
Politics
Learn the art of
small talk while
being authentic
Get to know co-workers
on a personal level
Avoid gossip
8
Questions and Contact Information
Marc A. Tate
Principal
Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
575 Herndon Parkway
Herndon, VA 20171
Tel (703) 902-5094
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Dr. Akosua Barthwell Evans
CEO
The Barthwell Group, Inc.
2035 West Boston Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48206
(313) 866-9000
Additional Resources
Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson
The Power of Leadership “Being the Leader Producing Results” by Daniel Sweet and Debbra Sweet
It’s not a Glass Ceiling It’s a Sticky Floor by Rebecca Shambaugh
6-Myths about Men and Women in the Workplace (http://www.openforum.com/articles/6-myths-about-
men-and-women-in-the-workplace)
Organizational Politics- Developing Ethical Leadership for Corporate and Career Advancement
(http://www.organizationalpolitics.org/)
The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace (http://www.hodu.com/EQ.shtml)
Using Organizational Politics to Your Advantage (https://www.phoenix.edu/profiles/faculty/patricia-
addesso/articles/using-organizational-politics-to-your-advantage.html)
Dealing with Office Politics- Navigating the Minefield
(http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_85.htm)
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