People occasionally come to me and ask about situations with their jobs or within their companies. The primary question I hear is "What do I do if...?" Usually, they got caught up in a turf war or game and have no idea what to do next. Most of my answers come out sounding like a military battle plan. However,
type of information I provide is a mutated form of an MBA course taught in many closed-door, corporate management classes.This series of articles, called "Corporate Games for a Rainy Day," is an idea that's been shoved in corner of my brain for quite a while. The information consists of knowledge from corporate classes as well as practical experience in a couple of corporations for which I worked. I'm not going to pass ALL of my games on to you in these articles; however, I am assembling an e-book that will provide you with a complete list of games and how to deal with each. I'm sure that you'll either enjoy reading or send nasty notes because I'm giving away secrets to your employees. Whichever you choose, at least I know that you've read it!
--- My Corporate America ---
I've worked in several HUGE corporations and start-ups as gopher, grunt, engineer, and manager. The one thing I've found during this journey is that---all companies are same. You laugh? It's true!
* Corporate Organization Simplified
The company itself has one primary objective---to make money. It doesn't matter how they go about making money, whether it be a product or a service, result is same. Make a profit!
Within a company, departments are formed to support direction of overall organization. Within each department, you have individuals who lead, others who follow, and a few who simply get in way. Each type of individual is attracted to a group with which they feel comfortable or that they can use to get ahead. This is where problem begins!
Of course, it is good that people want to get ahead. They want to prove their worth, move into next higher group, and appear to be contributing to bottom line of company. But, for one person to get ahead, someone else has to fall behind. It is in attempt to get ahead that politics rears its ugly head and games and turf wars begin.
* Politics Defined
In reality, politics is self-governing of free. It is a way that people choose their own destiny and govern themselves to an ultimate point or destination in their life. When applied to corporations, politics represents an illicit method of getting things done; however, it is an important element of corporate behavior that can affect your career.
To properly navigate through morass of political tangles within a corporation, you must have political know-how to open doors to elite groups of company. The problem is that road to attaining such know-how is kept vague by many of those who have successfully traveled through those doors.
Whether company is large, medium, or small, there are same people with same ideas and same approaches to same situations. The advantage is that, once you learn how general games and turf battles work, you can feel at home regardless of company!
--- Have any good ideas lately? ---
One of more frustrating and least noticeable games is "Steal Idea and Wait Six Months" game. It is a game in which you present an idea that is turned down by your boss. In about six months, your idea comes back to live in body of another individual.
* The Setup
You have developed an idea that can provide support for or creates a solution for some element of your company. You've thought about it, researched it, and decided that you should be proactive and approach your boss with an idea.
You put together a presentation and setup a meeting with your boss. He tells you, however, that it will be a private meeting. You go all out and tell him everything.
Once you're finished with your end of presentation, he sits quietly for a moment. You continue chattering to fill in blanks. Once he's had time to consider idea, he essentially smashes it to pieces. You leave his office, dejected, and let idea go.
* The Assault
Six months later, you're sitting in a meeting held by your boss. He carries on for a while and then presents this mutated version of your original idea. At least it sounds like your idea, only it's less mature than when you presented it. It's like he changed it and left out some key elements that you had already presented. Suddenly, your boss hands project to one of your peers and tells her to make it work.
Over weeks or months that follow, idea takes shape, with input and assistance from your boss. He provides intricate details to your peer that he had originally left out of "his" presentation. Eventually, your peer presents your idea in a meeting in same way you presented it to your boss in first place.
--- Solutions ---
Of course, this is frustrating, yet it happens time and time again to many people in corporations. The best way to handle such a situation is to accept it---the first time. But, when second time comes around, you should be prepared to handle yourself professionally.
