1. Improving your political skill
Self-assessment

2. Improving your political skill
Social awareness
Do I…
Focus primarily on my needs and myself?
Struggle with knowing how to present myself to others?
Hate small talk and find it hard to carry on conversations on topics that are not of immediate interest or relevance to me?
Try to understand motives of others’ actions?
Consistently strive to make positive impressions on others?
‘Naturally’ know the right things to say to influence others in many situations? Or

3. Improving your political skill
Interpersonal Influence
Do I…
Find it difficult to develop rapport with others?
Struggle with communicating with others?
Have difficulty getting to know others?
Put people at ease?
Interact easily and effectively with co-workers?
Have a knack for getting others to like me? Or

4. Improving your political skill
Networking
Do I…
Keep to myself and spend most of my time on job-related tasks?
Primarily spend time with a close group of co-workers with whom I feel comfortable?
Almost exclusively rely on formal processes for securing resources and getting things done?
Deliberately spend time networking with people at work?
Invest in building relationships w/ diverse & influential people at work?
Often leverage my networks and relationships to secure resources & get things done? Or

5. Improving your political skill
Sincerity
Do I…
Only show interest in others when I need something from them?
Come across as manipulative because I say and do what is needed to get what I want?
Have a tendency to be secretive & to keep people on a strict need to know basis?
Take time to regularly show genuine interest in people at work?
Act sincerely around others?
Communicate openly and transparently with others? Or

6. What next?
Is there a particular situation you would like to change at the moment? Which political skill would be most useful? Why? Which might be risky? Why?
For which political skill do you have the greatest development need?
Which do you feel most comfortable working on first?
Which political skill do you personally value the most and why?

7. Improving your political skill
Think about this, too

8. Image building
“The attempt to communicate the appearance of acceptability, success and/or potential for success.”
It’s not this:

9. But this:

10. “Speak in statements instead of apologetic questions
“Speak in statements instead of apologetic questions. No one wants to go to a doctor who says, “I’m going to be your surgeon? I’m here to talk to you about your procedure? I was first in my class at Johns Hopkins, so?” Make statements, with your actions and your voice.”

11. Image building
You
Five words you want to define your image/reputation.

12. What next?
Explore other research, resources and support for building your image. For example:
Valuable advice on increasing your self-esteem:
Building your personal brand:
And here’s a guide to hacking impostor syndrome: