Absolutely
I failed at corporate politics, and this is probably one of the reasons why I became an entrepreneur.

Years ago, in one of my last corporate jobs, I was eager to make an impact in my first 90 days. I looked around for lowhanging fruit:
1. Reviewed one of the sales systems, hoping to improve it.
2. Realized the company spent a lot of money on printing and couriering bills to clients and attempted to change the process so email bills would become the primary way clients accessed their bills.

The result? Not only did I make enemies of folks in other departments who saw me as encroaching on their territory, but I also didn’t achieve any of my 90day goals.

So now let me tell you about what I learned about navigating office politics.

Office politics are the unofficial rules of the game in any workplace. It's a complex system of power and relationships that operates within an organization. It's about understanding who holds influence over projects, decisions, and other people, how that influence is exercised, and what its impacts may be.

Why is it important to understand office politics? If you're going to be an innovator, a corporate entrepreneur, someone who pushes ideas within your workplace, you've got to understand it for the survival of the projects you are going to pitch. This could mean knowing who to approach first with a new proposal, whose buyin you need to secure, or even the best time to introduce a new project.

The numbers speak for themselves. A study published by the Journal of Applied Psychology says that politically savvy individuals tend to have better career prospects, higher salaries, and greater job satisfaction.

So now that we know why we need to navigate office politics, let's talk about how to do it:

1. *Figure out who the gatekeepers are.* Knowing who holds the key to your resources or decisions is vital. If you know that your CFO is the person you need most to sway in getting your project approved, then tailor your pitches to talk about return on investment and costbenefit analysis.

2. *Create alliances.* According to a McKinsey study, employees who help each other are 10 times more likely to be highperforming. Aligning yourself with people with similar goals can help push your project forward.

3. *Timing is crucial.* According to KPMG studies, 75% of organizational change projects fail because of timing. You’re not going to get approval if you pitch your project after the budget has been approved. Timing your proposal before budget approvals is key.

4. *Address perceived risks.* A CEB study says that executives are 67% more likely to approve projects if the risks have been clearly outlined. Propose a pilot project to mitigate those risks.

5. *Demonstrate resource allocation.* In a Gallup study, executives complained about the misallocation of resources. Show how you can use existing resources within the organization rather than asking for more.

By understanding the political nuances and backing your strategies with facts, you not only improve the likelihood of your project getting approved but also position yourself as a strategic thinker, which is helpful for your career.

Thank you for listening.



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