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II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way. GCF Retreat Workshop 1 May 2004. A Warm-up Question . A sister in your company has been designated to succeed a top dog, but she worries about your ability to survive the power play.

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II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

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  1. II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way GCF Retreat Workshop 1 May 2004

  2. A Warm-up Question A sister in your company has been designated to succeed a top dog, but she worries about your ability to survive the power play. She’s seeking your counsel, what would you advise her ? II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  3. Outline • Lessons from real cases II • The clues for survival • The key to success • Lessons from real cases III • The humility of service • The road to sanctity • References II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  4. Lessons from real cases II Source of wisdom II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  5. Case 1 Shortly after your new boss has come into play, he receives an anonymous letter complaining your partiality towards some staff. He shows the letter to you, what would you do ? II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  6. Case 2 When your boss subtly put his boy into your team, what would you do ? II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  7. Case 3 When an important project fails, everybody is passing the buck and making you a scapegoat. What would you do ? II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  8. Case 4 When your boss tries to make you an accomplice against company’s tendering procedure, you know if you reject it he will make your life hell & ruin your career. What would you do ? II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  9. To fight or to flight, you need to calculate… What are the biblical & ethical norms ? Standard After all, be accountable for your decision ! Do you get the power you need ? Are your guts up ? What’s on stage ? What’s behind the scene ? Self Situation II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  10. Outline • Lessons from real cases II • The clues for survival • The key to success • Lessons from real cases III • The humility of service • The road to sanctity • References II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  11. The clues for survival : Master the art of invisibility II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  12. Strategies for survival • Be in the crowd, but not of the crowd • Make your boss look good • Detach from blame & credit • Keep your P/E low II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  13. Strategy I :Be in the crowd but not of the crowd II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  14. The mob At these words the whole audience was filled with indignation. They rose up and expelled him from the town, leading to the brow of the hill and intending to hurl him over the edge. But he went away through their midst and walked away. - Luke 4:28-30 - II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  15. The idol, the victim and the mob Pilate said to the Jews, “Behold, your King !“ They therefore cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him !” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King ?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he then delivered Him to them to be crucified. - John 19:14-16 - II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  16. Strategy I :Be in the crowd but not of the crowd • Be corporate chameleon – blend into the mob but closely observe its movement • Dwell in the shadow of others • Beware of insult by omission • Avoid attaching to celebrity or becoming a group’s idol / a scapegoat • Remember, all scapegoats start by being different II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  17. Strategy II :Make your boss look good II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  18. The boss I don’t want any yes-men around me. I want everyone to tell me the truth even if it costs them their jobs. - Samuel Goldwyn - II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  19. The golden rules Rule # 1 : The boss is always right. Rule # 2 : If the boss is wrong, please refer to rule # 1. II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  20. Strategy II :Make your boss look good • Never go around your boss • Tell him what he wants to hear, even when he claims that he wants dissenting views • If he wants something dropped, drop it • Be sensitive to his wishes so that you anticipate what he wants • Don’t report something that he doesn’t want reported, but cover it up. Do what your job requires, and keep your mouth shut - Robert Jackall, Moral Mazes : The World of Corporate Managers- II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  21. Strategy III : Detach from blame & credit II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  22. The blame God asked, “Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat ?” Adam replied, “It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then God asked the woman, “What is this you have done ?” The woman replied, “The serpent tempted me and I ate.” - Gen 3:11-13 - II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  23. The credit "There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there." - Indira Gandhi - II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  24. The blame and the credit The seven phases of a project • Enthusiasm • Illusion of progress • Panic • Disillusionment • Search for the guilty • Punishment of the innocent • Praise / honors for the non-participants II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  25. Strategy III : Detach from blame & credit • Accept blame (for others) in small ways; it tends to inspire loyalty • Practice creative incompetence • Avoid winning battles but losing the war • Don’t get caught in the clash of Titans • Share credit & win yourselves friends • Remember, blame follows credit II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  26. Strategy IV :Keep your P/E low II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  27. Political price-earnings ratio Low Utility High High Visibility Low II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  28. Peter Lynch’s Rules • Buy a stock with a boring name • Buy a stock that does something boring • Buy a stock that is boring and disagreeable at the same time II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  29. The Peter Principle • In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence. II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  30. Strategy IV :Keep your P/E low • Be “the worker” – low visibility, high utility • Trade higher security for lower pay • Peter Lynch’s Rules – “boring” can be a hidden asset • Avoid the Peter Principle • Remember, low risk low return II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  31. The ethics of survival • Work is a curse, filled with conflict of interests; therefore, our obsession is with security • Should security be our ultimate value ? • Should low P/E compromise ROI (Return on Investment) (God’s given talents, resources, opportunities…) ? • Possible conflict between obedience to our boss and obedience to our values • How far are we willing to stretch our integrity in order to survive ? Without our integrity, who is it that survives ? II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  32. The parable of dishonest steward The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of the light. Use Money, tainted as it is, to win yourselves friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. - Luke 16:8, 9 - II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  33. Outline • Lessons from real cases II • The clues for survival • The key to success • Lessons from real cases III • The humility of service • The road to sanctity • References II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  34. The key to success : Focus on your goal II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  35. Strategies for success • Bank on your competency • Play positive • Confront the darkness • Detach from your enemies II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  36. The parable of talents His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master.” - Matthew 25:21, 23 - II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  37. What is success ? • What do I want ? • The true measure of success is achieving your own goal, not someone else’s II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  38. Strategy I :Bank on your competency • Know what you’re good at • Do what you’re passionate & you’ll do it well • Set your goal and focus on it • Don’t borrow other peoples’ desires and goals • Make things happen • Deliver what you advertise • Be “the CEO” and yield high ROI • Remember, high risk high return II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  39. Strategy II :Play positive • Know the big picture • Volunteer for special tasks • Dare to be different • Ally with right people • Collaborate with peers • Tell the truth • Be professional • Choose your battles • Have fun II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  40. Strategy III :Confront the darkness • Aware & beware of the 48 laws of power (Appendix 2) • Political problems are primary and technical problems are secondary • When it isn’t broke, don’t fix it • When in Rome do as the Romans • Be in the office, but not of the office • Know when to hold and when to fold • Remember, be as formless as possible II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  41. The 48 laws of power II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  42. The 48 laws of power II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  43. The 48 laws of power II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  44. Strategy IV : Detach from your enemies • Don’t chase what your competitors have; focus on your own • Love yourself as your neighbors – you become what you hate so as to succeed • Befriend your enemies & convert them • There are no real enemies, only paranoid projections • Remember, the only real competitor is your own ego II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  45. The ethics of success • Work is creative, playful self-expression and self-actualisation • Is self-actualisation our ultimate value ? • Our obsession is with winning • For whom & for what are we fighting ? • Possible conflict between defeating our rivals and protecting our values • Have your competitors disappeared ? If not, you have not achieved success II. Surviving Office Politics In A Christian’s Way

  46. Your feedback / questions, please

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