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The Smart Woman's Guide to Office Politics: How
to Increase Your Influence & Achieve Your Career
Goals
FEATURED FACULTY:
Marie G. McIntyre, Ph.D., Your Office Coach
770-788-1108
yourofficecoach@att.net
Marie G. McIntyre, Ph.D., Your Office Coach
Marie G. McIntyre, PH.D. writes the weekly workplace advice column Your Office
Coach, which appears in newspapers nationwide. Her practical, down-to-earth
advice is based on years of experience as a manager, HR director, and
consultant.
Marie’s latest book, Secrets to Winning at Office Politics, has been described as
“a survival manual for the corporate jungle.” She is frequently quoted in national
publications, including Fortune, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, &
CNBC Online.
As a consultant, Marie has worked with a wide variety of business and
government organizations, including Cisco, The Home Depot, Walgreens, AT&T,
and Panasonic. She also provides individual advice and career coaching through
her website yourofficecoach.com. © Marie G. McIntyre, Atlanta GA, All rights
reserved.
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Marie G. McIntyre, Ph.D.
Your Office Coach
www.yourofficecoach.com
Practicing Positive Office Politics
How to Increase Your Influence & Achieve Your Goals
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Marie G. McIntyre, Ph.D
Your Office Coach
 Free coaching tips: www.yourofficecoach.com
 Personal coaching: mmcintyre@yourofficecoach.com
 LinkedIn & Twitter: @officecoach
 Book: “Secrets to Winning at Office Politics”
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
1
Topics for Today

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE: Increasing your organizational IQ

ORGANIZATIONAL REALITIES: Lessons in leverage

MANAGING UP: Being smart about power differences

CAREER SUCCESS: The “Three R’s” of getting ahead

POLITICAL SUICIDE: Avoiding career-killer behaviors
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE
Smart people can be politically stupid.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE
Political Intelligence
Achieving your goals
by successfully managing
relationships at work.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE
Top Ten Tips (plus one)
for
Practicing Positive Politics
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
3
POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE
GOALS!
Tip #4
Tip #1
Goals are more useful than wishes.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE
GOALS
Business goals
The responsibilities of your position
Personal goals
What you want in your career
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
4
POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE
Problematic Personalities
MARTYRS
(Whiners, Pleasers, & Crusaders)
Lose influence through SELF-SACRIFICE
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE
Problematic Personalities
SOCIOPATHS
Lose influence through SELFISHNESS
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE
Problematic Personalities
DIMWITS
Lose influence through LACK OF SELF-CONTROL
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE
Politically smart people
consciously choose
their behavior.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE
Winners
Practice positive politics to achieve both business & personal goals.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE
Three Key Questions

What goals do I hope to accomplish?

Who can help me or hurt me?

How well am I managing those relationships?
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
7
ORGANIZATIONAL REALITIES
Tip #2
Forget fairness, look for leverage.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
ORGANIZATIONAL REALITIES
One of the best ways
to make yourself sick
is to expect organizations
to be rational.
Geoffrey Bellman
The Consultant’s Calling
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ORGANIZATIONAL REALITIES
The “Facts of Life” at Work

Organizations are not democracies.

Some people have more power than others.

Virtually all decisions are subjective.

Your boss has control over much of your life.

Fairness is an impossible goal.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
ORGANIZATIONAL REALITIES
Leverage
Your ability to influence
the outcome of a situation.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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ORGANIZATIONAL REALITIES
Where do you focus your energy?
Fairness
ENERGY
“Fairness” looks backwards.
Leverage
“Leverage” looks forward.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
ORGANIZATIONAL REALITIES
What gives people leverage at work?
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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ORGANIZATIONAL REALITIES
Sources of Leverage
 Position
 Results
 Information
 Expertise
 Association
 Attitude
 Empathy
 Networks
 Inclusion
 Detachment
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
ORGANIZATIONAL REALITIES
Your power
to affect their outcomes
Their power
to affect your outcomes
The Leverage Equation
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
11
MANAGING UP
Tip #2
Tip #3
Learn to deal with power differences.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
MANAGING UP
Assess Yourself
 I tend to get into power struggles and control battles with my boss.
 I resent the fact that my boss has the power to direct my activities.
 I may intentionally ignore something that my boss requests or expects.
 I tend to feel somewhat anxious when I am with my boss.
 I am very hesitant about expressing disagreement to my boss.
 I often decide not to share my ideas or opinions with my boss.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
12
MANAGING UP
Reactions to Power
Fight
•
•
•
•
•
Flight
Take a breath
Don’t argue or debate
Ask real questions
Listen & discuss
Be an adult
DISCUSS
•
•
•
•
•
Take a breath
Don’t apologize
Explain the facts
State your opinions
Be an adult
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
MANAGING UP
Tip # 4
“Manage up” without sucking up.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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MANAGING UP
Identify your boss’s “Operating System”
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
MANAGING UP
“Operating System”
The emotional needs
that drive your boss’s
behavior and decisions.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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MANAGING UP
Operating System #1
Control
Fear: Losing power
Values: Authority, hierarchy
Hot button: Lack of respect
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
MANAGING UP
Operating System #2
Conformity
Fear: Being different
Values: Tradition, loyalty
Hot button: Not following policies
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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MANAGING UP
Operating System #3
Competition
Fear: Not being successful
Values: Winning, gamesmanship
Hot button: Lack of engagement
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
MANAGING UP
Operating System #4
Affiliation
Fear: Not being liked
Values: Sociability, friendliness
Hot button: Rudeness
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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MANAGING UP
Operating System #5
Novelty
Fear: Stagnation
Values: Innovation, creativity
Hot button: Resistance to change
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
MANAGING UP
Truly Toxic Bosses
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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MANAGING UP
You Can’t
Enlighten
the
Unconscious.
6. Invite feedback
6 Steps
for
“Managing Up”
5. Express appreciation
4. Share your strengths
3. Grasp the goals
2. Feed the need
1. Respect
the
position
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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MANAGING UP
Plus Six
“Don’ts”
 DON’T get into power struggles.
 DON’T expect perfection.
 DON’T hoard information.
 DON’T harbor resentments.
 DON’T broadcast your complaints.
 DON’T forget your boss’s boss.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
MANAGING UP
Tip #5
Never tell powerful people they “can’t” do something.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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MANAGING UP
How to Work with Executives

Acknowledge their power.

But don’t be a wimp!

Never tell them they “can’t” do anything.

Don’t expect detailed instructions.

Just make it happen. And be sure the details are perfect.

Prepare for limited time and interruptions.

Lose your ego. They have enough for both of you.

Don’t take any abuse personally.

Keep your self-confidence and sense of humor!
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
CAREER SUCCESS
Reputation
Results
Relationships
Tip #6
Career success has three R’s.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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CAREER SUCCESS
Potential Pitfalls for WOMEN
 Conditional speech
 Constant apologies
 Giving up the floor
 Squabbles & cliques
 Emotions on the surface
 Power as an aphrodisiac
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
CAREER SUCCESS
Potential Pitfalls for MEN
 Hierarchy & competition
 Opposition to authority
 Lack of collaboration
 Reluctance to apologize
 Gender stereotypes
 “Frat party” behavior
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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RESULTS
“Do the right things and do those things right.”
RELATIONSHIPS
“Positive relationships build political capital.”
REPUTATION
“What people hear influences what people think.”
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
CAREER SUCCESS
RESULTS
What is your “personal ROI”?
• Why are “they” funding your job?
• Why did they put you in it?
• How can you up your perceived ROI?
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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CAREER SUCCESS
RELATIONSHIPS
How good is your network?
• How many people do you know?
• How well do you collaborate?
• How could you build your network?
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
CAREER SUCCESS
Developing Your Network
IT Guy
Alyssa
Eduardo
+3
0
+1
–2
YOU
Bob
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
23
CAREER SUCCESS
REPUTATION
What’s on the grapevine?
• What do people say about you?
• What’s your “360 status”?
• What would you like to change?
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
CAREER SUCCESS
Tip #7
Invisible contributions have no career value.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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CAREER SUCCESS
The Art of Subtle Self-Promotion
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
CAREER SUCCESS
Tip #8
Follow the Political Golden Rule.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
25
CAREER SUCCESS
The Political Golden Rule
Never advance your own interests
by harming the business
or hurting other people.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
POLITICAL SUICIDE
Tip #9
Protect yourself from adversaries.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
26
POLITICAL SUICIDE
Adversarial or Difficult?
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
POLITICAL SUICIDE
Protect yourself from adversaries.
• Focused adversaries
• Emotional adversaries
• Vengeful adversaries
• Stealth adversaries
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
27
POLITICAL SUICIDE
Three Key Questions

Is this person really an adversary? Or just annoying?

What does this person want?

How do I keep this person from affecting my success?
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
POLITICAL SUICIDE
Tip #10
Don’t become a Change Casualty.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
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POLITICAL SUICIDE
Change Attitude
“Different”
does not mean
“wrong”.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
POLITICAL SUICIDE
Tip #11
Becoming “The Problem” will kill your career.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
29
POLITICAL SUICIDE
“The Problem”
An employee
whose behavior sucks up
more time, energy, & attention
than that person is worth.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
Top Ten Tips (plus one)
1.
Goals are more useful than wishes.
2.
Forget fairness, look for leverage.
3.
Learn to deal with power differences.
4.
“Manage up” without sucking up.
5.
Never tell powerful they “can’t” do something.
6.
Career success has three “R’s”.
7.
Invisible contributions have no career value.
8.
Follow the “Political Golden Rule”.
9.
Protect yourself from adversaries.
10.
Don’t become a change casualty.
11.
Becoming “The Problem” will kill your career.
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
30
CONTACT INFORMATION
Marie G. McIntyre, Ph.D
Your Office Coach
 Free coaching tips: www.yourofficecoach.com
 Personal coaching: mmcintyre@yourofficecoach.com
 LinkedIn & Twitter: @officecoach
 Book: “Secrets to Winning at Office Politics”
Copyright Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.
31