Political Savvy In the Work Place

1. Political SavvyIn the Work Place August 8, 2013 Claudette Johnson Cassandra Blackwell

2. Political Savvy Objectives • Define Political Savvy • Test Your Political Savvy IQ • Identify Six Key Strategies for Political Savvy Individuals

3. What is Political Savvy? • Actively recognizing and acting upon the internal and external politics that impact the work of the organization • Ethically building a critical mass of support for an idea you care about • Being aware of the culture and relationships within an organization

4. Why is Political Savvy Important? • Political savvy is necessary to: • Manage office politics and get things done • Protect ourselves from political tactics • Avoid political blunders • Position ourselves for the future

5. What is Your Political Style?

6. Activity: Your Politically Savvy IQ Test Your Political Savvy IQ The Political Savvy I.Q. test is a learning tool. It is designed to elicit individual preconceived ideas about political savvy. Many of those ideas were found to be inaccurate.

7. What are the Characteristics of a Politically Savvy Person? • Uses intuition • Has focus and orientation towards goals • Uses relationship knowledge • Discusses controversial issues in non-offensive way • Manages impressions

8. What are the Characteristics of a Politically Savvy Person? • Obtains support for one’s ideas • Knows when to follow chain of command • Acts friendly and social with co-workers • Supports their leader • Avoids gossip • Uses organizational grapevine wisely

9. Who Needs to Be Politically Savvy? • Employees at all levels • Managers • Leaders Political savvy has little to do with one’s place in the hierarchy…anyone can have political savvy regardless of position in the company ~ Joel DeLuca, Author of Politically Savvy

10. What Does it Mean to be Politically Savvy at the IRS? • Personal Leadership – Behavior: Political Savvy • Definition:Recognizes and acts upon the internal and • external politics that impact the work of the organization. • Approaches each problem situation with a clear perception of organizational and political reality; • Recognizes the impact of alternative courses of action. • Utilizes the most effective channels to accomplish organizational goals. Influences others to accomplish business objectives.

11. What Does it Mean to be Politically Savvy at the IRS? HCO Office of Leadership Succession Planning

12. What Does it Mean to be Politically Savvy at the IRS?

13. How Do I Become Politically Savvy?

14. How Do I Become Politically Savvy? Work the human system

15. How Do I Become Politically Savvy? Actively Focusing on the Six Key Strategies of Politically Savvy Individuals • Partnering with your leader • Being a team player • Knowing where the leverage lies • Practicing subtle self-promotion • Connecting with the power people • Committing to the business Developed by YourOfficeCoach.com:

16. QUESTIONS?

17. Political Savvy Summary • Political Savvy defined: Actively recognizing and acting upon the internal and external politics that impact the work of the organization. • Political Savvy IQ: Participated in an IQ Test as a learning tool that focused on explaining preconceived political savvy ideas. • Political Savvy Strategies: Identified six key strategies for politically savvy individuals.