Office Politics

With national and state political battles gripping the country, it seems appropriate to revisit the pain and potential of workplace politics. Librarians, like most politicians, cope every day with colleagues who lobby for their special interests, make remarkable promises yet fail to follow through, negotiate to pass a bill, leverage patriotism and loyalty, and use surveys and polls to justify their support or opposition to ideas.

Like it or not, people and organizations are inherently political. Political decisions can be as simple as always occupying the same chair in a meeting, or making the case for an expensive resource, or ending up with the corner window office instead of the one next to the thumping drop box.

Essentially, it comes down to accepting, understanding, and negotiating. After shaking free of the belief that politics live outside the workplace, you can develop into an effective political navigator and negotiator. In time, you'll manage the storm of discussion that can suddenly envelop a seemingly innocuous idea.

Your inner politician

With your political antenna raised, you will become an effective player in the system, alert to the pitfalls and land mines that populate the office scene. This means learning the lay of the land, not for the purposes of being a manipulator but to become an effective advocate for positive change and support within your work organization.

This does not require a personality change. Initially, understanding yourself and what motivates you provides insight and perspective on the nature of your political environment and helps identify those situations where you can make positive change. You can also begin to identify what motivates colleagues and begin to construct a strategy and coalition to help move your own concerns/desires/outcomes forward. While this might sound calculating and sinister, it doesn't have to be. The difference is you will be a player, attuned to the process, and, with a bit of homework, you'll be rewarded with success.

Libraries are political, too

Browse any library's stacks or probe a business database, and you will find a plethora of books and articles on interpersonal skills and behavior management in the corporate setting. There is a lot of information available on how to “win the war” or book titles that suggest office politics is a game to play in order to succeed and climb the corporate ladder.

Not so much in library literature. Is this owing to the basically helpful nature of librarians? Are we such a friendly group of people that we never encounter conflict among our colleagues and magically make things happen (and travel around in a protective bubble) like Glinda, the Good Witch? Past Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) studies, such as the Scherdin Study in 1992, and MBTI scores collected between 1971 and 1984 by the Center for Applications of Psychological Type (CAPT) indicated librarians tend to be more introverted as a group. Perhaps because of our natural inclination to be reflective thinkers, we especially need to make a rigorous effort to communicate and work harmoniously with one another.

The popularity of Library Journal's How Do You Manage? column, the TV parody The Office, and even the widely read cartoon strip Dilbert all point to a need and desire for us to discuss and improve both office culture and our political IQ. Library workplace environments have zones of tension and dynamics just like any corporation, often leading to the formation of political camps. These different cliques influence productivity and work-related issues and, at worst, give meetings the feel of the Camp David negotiations.

Politics are frequently perceived as being a negative, focusing on destructive tendencies, but they can also be positive or at least neutral. It is possible to engage in office politics to help build understanding and mutual support among your colleagues. Being aware of the personalities and how they impact the office environment can be a useful step in the right direction. Perhaps you recognize these types of power players common both in Washington, DC, and at your workplace.

The lobbyist

The librarian with an agenda to push through

This particular librarian has a wonderful idea to implement in the library posthaste. It’s kind of a “no-brainer” (at least in her eyes), and she feels all parties should be on board as soon as the idea is pitched. When resistance is met, the librarian in initially taken aback but then proceeds to petition all parties involved, trying to sway opinion and urge coworkers to come along.

This type of librarian has a lot of energy and drive. The lobbyist sees a problem and has the tenacity to find a solution. As there is a flexible management structure in place, it seems logical to act appropriately and in a timely manner to the situation. However, this person may be so focused on their project, they fail to see the bigger picture, or they may be new and unaware of previous attempts to solve the problem or the political maneuvering that historically happened to create the situation in the first place.

CON Tunnel vision

The big talker

A colleague who makes big promises with little follow-through

The powers that be have just announced budgetary cuts for next year, and the fiscal situation looks dire. At the staff meeting, people are looking for ways to make cuts in personnel, the collection, and hours. A bright individual comes up with several ideas to offset the budgetary woes with grant proposals and appeals to groups, corporations, and individuals, all the while promising to take the lead on the work. This person has done this before and reassures the group these efforts could succeed. As the months trickle by, however, people start to get nervous, and not a lot of action has occurred.

This noteworthy colleague is a wonderful idea person. You just give them a little kernel of a problem, and they can come up with all sorts of ideas and angles toward a solution. No matter how ominous a situation may be, they have the vision and ability to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions, but that's where it ends. The person who just talks in circles usually is short on action and may try to push the work off on other people. If they do follow through with the actual project, it may take a while, and the deadline may come and go.

PRO Idea person

CON Short on action

The negotiator

The coworker who maneuvers behind the scenes

Librarians and staff are struggling to work around unpopular hours and shift assignments during evenings and weekends. Subtle hints made to the director by employees have fallen by the wayside, either owing to a perceived lack of urgency or poor communication skills on either side. During an informal outing after work, solutions get hashed out and fine-tuned to meet staffers' desires, all the while maintaining full library services during operating hours. The fresh ideas are then presented to the director, and changes are immediately implemented.

Sometimes, the work that takes place behind the scenes can be the most productive. By the time an issue is brought to an official committee, thrashed out, and the policy written, the cicadas have died and come back again. On the downside, while the negotiator gets the job done without involving a lot of people in a formal setting, such strategies can be perceived as sneaky and underhanded, and some good ideas can be left out owing to a lack of formal process.

PRO Ideas and solutions are expedited

CON Not always above board

The loyalist

One focused on working with friends first

When a new job is posted in a library, and there is an in-house candidate, there is always the question of whether it would be better to hire from within or select a person from the pool of outsiders who apply. Typically staff can be divided on issues such as these, particularly when two candidates are equally qualified, or the out-of-house candidate has a fresh idea that excites the hiring committee. Whom do you hire?

You have heard the expression, “It's not what you know, it's who you know.” Office politics often revolve around cliques formed on social or other affinities. Examples include groups that often go out to lunch together, or troupes tending to work on projects jointly based on shared working styles or personalities. Regularly engaging with the same people makes it easy to understand how they function and subsequently develop trusting relationships. Alternatively, consistently meeting with the same group will isolate you from new ideas based upon the alternative perspectives of other colleagues.

PRO Bonding in trust

CON Exclusionary 

On an ongoing basis, the library offers an opportunity for people to submit comments and ideas in the suggestion box. When a few patrons state they want the library to purchase more movies to expand the collection, the director complies and buys a significant number of DVDs. This decision is met with hesitation from some of the librarians involved with collection development, and staff begin to comment that they feel like they work in a video rental store instead of a library.

During an election year, politicians are interested in the results of political opinion surveys and may tailor their strategies based on feedback from polls. Corporations and libraries also use this strategy. Surveys can help identify patrons' needs and response to future changes. However, you do not want to give conflicting signals to the public and staff by not adhering to the mission of the library. Keep in mind you may be getting a knee-jerk reaction, or limited feedback.

Gaining these skills takes both time and practice, but it can help build morale and harmony in the library. Classic management books such as Stephen R. Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Dale Carnegie's How To Win Friends and Influence People elaborate on personality and behavior traits that are needed to be successful. Along with Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence, these works should be reread occasionally to revitalize your interpersonal skills.

The following list of ways to behave can be used either as a review or as a gateway for the further development of those skills.

Even though you will weather this particular political season, office politics will linger in your work environment. Prepped by the knowledge and skills we've identified and with your political antenna raised, you will be ready to navigate any turbulent political waters. If it seems you are not successfully negotiating them, take heart from one consummate politician. It was Sir Winston Churchill who stated, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”