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Office politics - lunch or proof

It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?" (Winnie the Pooh)

Office politics - lunch or proof

While working on a Medicaid HMO I ran into Bev. She was a 900 pound gorilla in that office. If you had her on your side, management would back you. If she opposed you, you might as well give up.

Ken was in charge of what we were doing for Medicaid. He wanted documentation on everything. At one meeting he pulled out a stack of 200 memos and said, "These prove that I am not at fault." Bev turned to the guy in charge of the meeting. She had prepared him in advance. He said, "I'm not interested in memos, I'm interested in getting the job done." Bev won.

Here is how people like Bev win:

1. They establish a reputation for efficiency.
2. They get to know the final decision makers at lunch and after work.
3. They fight important battles and don't worry about the small stuff.

Here is how I won:

1. I worked hard to keep both Bev and Ken on my side. Ken got his memos, reports and statistics. Bev got instant help whenever she wanted it.
2. I ate lunch with both of them. I found out what made each tick.
3. I kept the peace between them, but sided with Bev when push came to shove.

Some people must have seen me as a roadblock or gatekeeper too. The ones who did were smart. I could stop a project. The ones who were really smart saw past me to the people who were really my source of power. They treated Bev and Ken exactly the way I did.

Something to do today

Is someone getting in your way? Ask around. Who do they rely on for power?

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Later: Office politics - train your eyes

Your red herring

Their red herring

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