Because of their social structures, organizations are political in nature. Because politics has traditionally been associated with Machiavellian maneuvers by managers or is viewed as somehow unethical, the political skills needed by a manager for success have been largely ignored in the professional literature. As Young (100) notes, "Organizational political skills have been generally neglected in management literature. Managers who lack the requisite political skills inevitably run into difficulties on the job that reasoning and experience alone won't solve." This analysis will discuss the growing importance of political skills in today's business environment and their impact on management.
Politics and political skills in leaders are becoming recognized as critical to the success of contemporary organizations. As Gautrey (11) writes, "Effective use of political skill will become increasingly important to a manager's career." In a survey of 600 global managers, "navigating organizational politics" was a key issue with 65% of managers who labeled it as "difficult" or "very difficult" (Gautrey 11). Whether it's haggling over budgets, convincing managers of the benefits of a new strategy, or telling someone a proposal is rejected, today's CEOs need the ability to act as a savvy politician.
In Political Skill at Work, Gerald Ferris (1) argues that political savvy in managers often goes unnoticed when it is effective, "Behaviors that are genuine, authentic, straightforward and effective as associated with political savvy. Leaders who are not politically skilled come off as manipulative or self-serving." Political skill is a morally neutral quality like leadership; a tool that can be used for good or nefarious reasons. Changing a culture or changing people's attitudes often required political savvy in managers or leaders. As McGee (1) explains, "Playing politics is an integral part of the job." In...