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Reframing Organizations , 3 rd ed. Chapter 10. The Manager as a Politician. The Manager as a Politician. Skills of the manager as a politician Ethics and politics. Skills of the Manager as a Politician. Agenda setting (knowing what you want and how you’ll try to get it)
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Chapter 10 The Manager as a Politician
The Manager as a Politician • Skills of the manager as a politician • Ethics and politics
Skills of the Manager as a Politician • Agenda setting (knowing what you want and how you’ll try to get it) • Vision or objective • Strategy for achieving the vision • Mapping the political terrain • Determine the channels of informal communication. • Identify the major players. • Analyze possibilities for internal and external mobilization. • Anticipate the strategies others are likely to employ.
Drawing the Political Map • Frame the central issue—the key choice that people disagree about. • Identify the key players (those who are most likely to influence the outcome). • Where does each player fall in terms of the key issue? • How much power is each player likely to exert? • Example: Belgian bureaucracy • Key issue: Are automated records a good thing?
High Top Management Techies Power Middle Managers Front-line Officials Low Pro-Change Opposed to Change Interests The Political Map as Seen by the “Techies”—Strong Support for and Weak Opposition to Change
High Top Management Techies Middle Managers Front-line Officials Middle Managers Power Low Pro-ChangeOpposed to Change The Real Political Map: A Battle Ground with Strong Players on Both Sides Interests
Skills of the Manager as a Politician (II) • Networking and building coalitions • Identify relevant relationships. • Assess who might resist. • Develop relationships with potential opponents. • Persuade first, use more forceful methods only if necessary.
Skills of the Manager as a Politician (III) • Bargaining and negotiation • Value creating: look for joint gain, win-win solutions. • Value claiming: try to maximize your own gains.
Value Creating: Getting to Yes (Fisher and Ury) • Separate people from problem. “Deal with people as human beings, and the problem on its merits.” • Focus on interests, not positions. • Invent options for mutual gain. • Insist on objective criteria—standards of fairness for a good decision.
Value Claiming: The Strategy of Conflict (Schelling) • Bargaining is a mixed-motive game (incentives to complete and collaborate). • Bargaining is a process of interdependent decisions. • Controlling others’ uncertainty gives power. • Emphasize threats, not sanctions. • Threats are only effective if credible. • Calculate the optimal level of threat: too much or too little can undermine your position.
Morality and Politics • Ethical criteria in bargaining and organizational politics • Mutuality: Are all parties operating under the same understanding of the rules? • Generality: Does a specific action follow a principle of moral conduct applicable to all comparable situations? • Openness: Are we willing to make our decisions public? • Caring: Does this action show care for the legitimate interests of others?
Conclusion • Politics can be sordid and destructive but can also be the vehicle for achieving noble purposes. • Managers need to develop the skills of constructive politicians: • Fashioning an agenda • Mapping the political terrain • Networking and building coalitions • Negotiating
