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Helping Clients Navigate Workplace Politics for

Successful Career Climbing

Jamie Mitus, Ph.D., CRC

Hofstra University

September 2, 2009

TACE Center: Region IV, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute.Funded by RSA Grant # H264A080021. © 2009 All Rights Reserved

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Outline of Webinar Overview of career climbing

Career climbing of employees with disabilities

Barriers to career climbing

Overview of workplace politics

The effect of workplace politics on career climbing

Navigating through workplace politics


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Janet: The Customer Service Clerk

Janet really enjoyed her job working as a customer service clerk at the bank. She had been in the position for two years when a teller position opened up; a step up from her current job in terms of pay and responsibility. Although Janet has had episodic depression in the past, she has been stable since starting at the bank. Janet has performed exceptionally well in the customer service position but usually doesn’t mingle too much with her coworkers. She along with another coworker Nicole threw their hats into the ring for the position. Nicole started in a comparable clerk position a year after Janet. Yet, the teller position was offered to Nicole. Believing she was more qualified, Janet approaches her boss, Kevin, to talk about it.


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Janet: The Customer Service Clerk (cont.)

“Kevin, I don’t understand why I did not get the position. I know I would do a great job just like I have as a customer service clerk.”

Kevin says, “Well the fact is some people felt Nicole was a more suitable choice because they know her and have a better sense of her skills. You know, she networks with everyone and puts herself out there. You just don’t do that Janet. You should really work on this so the next time around you have a better chance.

Janet later learns through gossip, that Nicole said some negative things about her to Kevin in relation to her job performance which weighed in on the decision not to promote her.


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Definition of Career Climbing “A sequence of posts from most junior to most senior within an organization or department. A career ladder provides a structure for an employee to climb up through an organization. It is most typical of bureaucracies, as flat organization structures tend not to be hierarchical to the same extent.”

BNET Business Dictionary: http://dictionary.bnet.com/definition/career+ladder.html

7/16/09

http://dictionary.bnet.com/definition/career+ladder.html


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Definition of Career Climbing

Types of Career Climbing Organizational vs. Career Climbing

Vertical Career Ladder (Linear)

Horizontal Career Ladder (Spiral)

Inkson, K. (2006). Understanding Careers: The Metaphors of

Working Lives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication.


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Career Climbing of Employees with Disabilities

Consumers may find and secure jobs but career advancement is often more challenging and far less likely.

Was this the case for Janet?


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Barriers to Career Climbing

Disability Considerations

Self Promotion

Work-Place Politics

Career Clarity

Organization Culture

Social Networking


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Career Climbing & Workplace Politics

How they work together


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Definition of Workplace Politics

Activities that are not required as part of a person’s formal role in the organization but that influence, or attempt to influence, the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within the organization.

Robbins, S. & Judge, T. (2009). Organizational Behavior. 13th ed.

Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ


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Definition of Workplace PoliticsSubtle and informal ways of gaining an advantage in the workplace – Sometimes referred to as gamesThey are played to:

Get ahead Gain information Gain power Control resources Dominate over other people Get others to do things you want done

Durbin, A. (1990). Winning Office Politics. Prentice Hall, Inc.: Paramus, NJ


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The games are competitive in nature; competing interests, desires, wants, and needs; usually self-interest driven

Occur when there is decision-making and/or problem-solving going on

Has pros and cons

Definition of Workplace Politics


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Definition of Workplace PoliticsIn simple Terms, workplace politics is getting form point A to point B

Securing a promotion Seeing an idea come to life Gaining support to make a change in the

organization

Pate-Dwyer, K. (2009). How to Win at Office Politics. http://www.bnet.com/2403-13070_23-93243.html

http://www.bnet.com/2403-13070_23-93243.html


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Playing the Political Game Well Defending your own position Earning Respect Exchanging favors Keeping perspective amid the chaos


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POLITICAL GAMES PLAYED AT WORK

Legitimate

Rational persuasion

Consultation

Favor exchange

Personal appeal

Coalition

Legitimating

Illegitimate

Pressure

Threats

Blackmail

Sabotage

Whistle-blowing

Symbolic protests


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Other Types of Political Games Did Janet Encounter Any Political Games? Some Political games include:

Buck Passing Backstabbing Playing Dumb Justifying Misrepresenting Scapegoating Playing Safe Stalling Stretching Gossiping


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Who are the Political Players?The Androids (Naïve) Quiet Limited ideas or input Small group of friends Unambitious Plodder Reliable Often outside interests

Politics unpleasant Avoid at all cost Tell it like it is


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Who are the Political Players?The Streetwise (Sensible) Competent High credibility & respect Generally well-liked Wide networks of contacts Supportive Sociable Co-operative

Politics are necessary Use connections Negotiate & bargain


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Who are the Political Players?The Hustler (Sharks) Self-interested Withhold information Manipulative Controlling Coercive Egotistical Unenthusiastic towards the success of others

Politics is opportunity Manipulate, use fraud Bully, cultivate friends to use later


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Why Political Games Exist Scarcity of resources

A competitive work environment

Subjective performance standards

Unclear job definition

Win-Lose organizational philosophy


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Why Political Games Exist? Cravings for power Emotional insecurity of

people Hunger for acceptance Self interest


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What the Research ShowsHighly political work environments lead to:

decreased job satisfaction (pay, promotion, coworkers, & supervisors)

lower performance decreased commitment increased job anxiety

When there are more diverse interests in the workplace, politics occur more

More common in larger than smaller employer settings


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What the Research Shows Subordinates are more negatively affected by politics

than supervisors

When employees feel that they have more control despite their perceptions of politics they feel less anxious and more satisfied

Employers who are more formalized have less politics

Employers with more hierarchy and/or more centralization have more politics

Ferris, et al. (1996); Valle, M. (2001), Zhou, J. & Ferris, (1995)


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The Effect of Workplace Politics on Career Climbing

Unskilled in Managing Politics ► Stagnation and downward mobility

Skilled in Managing Politics ► Upward mobility

Best to be the Streetwise player versus the Android or the Hustler player.


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Learning to Show Who You Are

How could Janet increase her viability so as to be considered for the promotion?

Politically what should she do?


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Political Challenges Some Clients May Experience

Understanding and recognizing workplace politics

Participating in and coping with workplace politics

Understanding that politics may have little to do with the disability but more to do with the work environment

Being discounted as a political player because of the disability


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Playing the Game EffectivelyGame Plan

Form Allies

Chits

Thick Skin


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Navigating through Workplace Politics

“Political moves are the navigation through your career – not the driver.”

(Susan DePhillips – Former VP of HR for Ross Stores)

Frame arguments in terms of company goals Develop the right image Make yourself appear indispensable Be visible Develop allies & know your enemies Avoid tainted members Support your boss


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Navigating through Workplace Politics Observe how things are done in the organization

Profile influential people in the organization

Develop track record as someone who gets results

Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn

Treat everyone with respect

Don’t align to strongly with one group

Learn to communicate persuasively

Be true to yourselfwww.cnn.com (2008)

http://www.cnn.com/


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Navigating through Workplace Politics The Importance of Forming Strong

Relationships Listen without interrupting Acknowledge a colleague’s point of view, even when you

disagree Offer a favor when you have expertise to share Ask questions Don’t overdo it Beware of flying solo

www.BNET.com (2009)

http://www.bnet.com/


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Comments & Questions

Final Thoughts about Janet?


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Contact Information

Jamie Mitus Ph.D., CRC, LMHC, LCPC

Hofstra University- Department of Counseling, Research, Special Education & Rehabilitation -

Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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THANK YOU!


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TACE Center: Region IV Toll-free: (866) 518-7750 [voice/tty]

Fax: (404) 541-9002 Web: TACEsoutheast.org

My TACE Portal: TACEsoutheast.org/myportalEmail: [email protected]

http://tacesoutheast.org/

http://tacesoutheast.org/myportal

mailto:[email protected]


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Education CreditsParticipants may** be eligible for CRCC and CEU credits.

CRCC Credit - (2.0) By Tuesday, September 8, 2009, participants must score 80%

or better on a online Post Test and submit an online CRCC Request Form via the MyTACE Portal.

CEU Credit - (.20) Site Coordinators must distribute the CEU form to participants

seeking CEU credit on the day of the webinar. Site coordinators must submit CEU form to the TACE Center:

Region IV by fax (404) 541-9002 by Tuesday, September 8, 2009.

My TACE Portal: TACEsoutheast.org/myportal**For CRCC credit, you must reside in the 8 U.S. Southeast states served by the TACE Region IV [AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN]. If beyond TACE Region IV, you may apply for CEU credit.

http://tacesoutheast.org/myportal


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Disclaimer

This presentation was developed by the TACE Center: Region IV ©2009 with funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) under the priority of Technical Assistance and Continuing Education Projects (TACE) – Grant #H264A080021. However, the contents of this presentation do not necessarily represent the policy of the RSA and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government [34 CFR 75.620 (b)].


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Copyright Information

This work is the property of the TACE Center: Region IV. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the authors. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the authors.

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