h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ever since I started work I was fascinated in a funny sort of way by the overuse of the term "politics" within the workplace and how it seemed to permeate (and often poison) all sorts of work environments. What did it mean? For a time I felt it had something to do with playing games, and indeed it does, but it was only during a semi-drunken conversation in a pub in Cannes last week that I realised what it was all about.

Politics concerns two activities within organisations. The first time of politics, "offensive", is aimed at gaining power, and the second type, "defensive", is aimed at holding onto power once it has been achieved. Both these activities occur in most organisations, and often individuals in power will practice both forms of the art.

Offensive politics concerns activities that position people for future power. This is the realm of the political maneuverer, the schemer within organisations that hangs around the executive offices and seeks all opportunities to show just how good he or she is. Offensive politicians thrive on information, and will use any opportunity to make themselves look good, while making the faults of peers or superiors seem magnified, if these people appear to be getting in the way.

Defensive politics is more common, and concerns maintaining one's position once this has been achieved. The defensive politician will always look with suspicion on peers, superiors and underlings and can often react disproportionately when any apparent attack, no matter how innocent, is made to affect one's position. Typically the more insecure a person is in a particular management role, the more they are likely to practice defensive politics.

Both types of politics are practiced at all levels in the organisation. I have seen temps and receptionists practice politics in order to advance or maintain their position.

There is really very little difference between the politics of organisations and the feudal societies of the Middle Ages. Knights, just like todays managers, have to be prepared to attack and defend, to lay siege and to spread dissention in the enemy's troops. No wonder the ancient Chinese book of Sun Tzu, The Art of War, is still so widely read among business executives!

CR