# Politics Everywhere – 9 Workplace Lessons from the Campaign Trail

- Link: https://kollersearch.com/politics-everywhere/
- Published: 2016-03-14T05:29:06-04:00
- Author: Vincent

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=”800″][vc_column_text]As I am glued to “Morning Joe,” “Meet the Press,” the debates
and now the primaries, I can’t help but wonder if there are similarities between
American politics and office politics. Once you get a bunch of people together with
different agendas and beliefs, certain issues start to arise. People fight for power,
darts get thrown, coalitions start to form, defensiveness develops, and people often
are not operating as their best selves.

And, just as the behavior of our political candidates is the subject du jour in 
the news, the way that employees behave in the workplace is an ever-popular topic
with our client base.  Five times in two days, client discussions led to a reference
to an employee’s weak interpersonal issues or low emotional intelligence. This highlights
my basic belief that when people fail in their jobs the most common reason is not
technical-skill-based, but interpersonal issues. Therefore, it is no surprise that
at Koller Search we give great attention to how job candidates communicate and interact.

Can our sparring political candidates provide some insight for winning in the workplace?

 * The political slate has been filled with different personalities and voices, 
   leading to descriptions such as “low energy,” “boastful” or “angry.” Consider
   the tone and conversation style that colleagues may use when they describe you.
   Many labels come with judgments, so be sure that what you are projecting is what
   you want to be said about you.
 * Candidates at town halls and on the stump can afford to present largely at one
   speed; in fact, unwavering consistency may even be the goal. When interacting
   with colleagues, however, it may be better to calibrate your approach depending
   on who you are dealing with.  If you pay attention to the cues, you may see how
   to modulate your style to be more effective.
 * Just as honesty and transparency are said to be important to voters, these traits
   are more important than ever in the workplace. The advice of when to admit wrongdoing
   is different for public figures than it is for an employee; the smaller stage
   leaves less room for “spin” and for being able to turn attention to other matters.
   The truth often comes out in the office setting, so it is often best to just “
   fess up.”
 * Accountability is also an attribute we seek in our presidential choice and in
   our colleagues. Just as blaming the competition or the media doesn’t reflect 
   well on the political candidates, playing the “blame game” at the office is frowned
   on and doesn’t even eliminate the “problem” at hand.
 * Voters focus on depth of experience, and your colleagues do, too. You become 
   more credible if, when pushing for a certain outcome or strategy, you back it
   up with something like, “In my experience, when X happens….the result is Y.” 
   The more you share your experience, the more likely you will be respected and
   seen as authoritative.
 * The pundits continually ask, “Where’s the plan?” in response to the candidates’
   campaign promises. Is your supervisor asking “Where’s the solution?” to your 
   complaints?  Providing tangible, well-thought out solutions leads to a greater
   chance that the problems you cite will be addressed.  Especially if done with
   finesse, delicacy and emotional sensitivity.
 * Partisan politics may be a given in government, but divisive tactics are destructive
   in the workplace.  In fact, with collaboration on virtually every company’s code
   of conduct today, the smallest amount of divisiveness may not be tolerated.  
   Think instead about bringing people together and building bridges across different
   groups.
 * Moreover, there is a level of professionalism and decorum that is associated 
   with being a presidential candidate as well as a staff supervisor.  A manager
   is supposed to set an example for others.  Anyone in a position of authority 
   should routinely ask: Am I living up to the responsibility given to me?
 * The political candidates have set a good example of how to “say goodbye gracefully.”
   There is a right time to leave your job and a right way to resign. Be careful
   not to show bitterness or to bad mouth colleagues, but an honest exit interview
   is fine. And manipulative tactics to get a promotion or pay raise can backfire,
   so it is best to make your decision to leave or not, and make a clean break.

Both the political and office landscapes are full of bumps, sharp turns and the 
need for agility. While employees’ poor navigation skills may lead to more search
work for Koller Search Partners, it is not the way we want to grow our business.
For us, the more people in the marketplace who know how to play the political game,
the better candidate pool we ultimately have.  And, the more emphasis we place on
assessing interpersonal skills, the better our placements will be.  After all, election
season will be over in 8 months, but corporate politics will be here forever.[/vc_column_text][/
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