1. Reframing Organizations, 3rd ed.

2. The Manager as a Politician
Chapter 10
The Manager as a Politician

3. The Manager as a Politician
Skills of the Manager as a Politician
Ethics and politics

4. Skills of the Manager as a Politician
Agenda Setting (knowing what you want and how you’ll try to get it)
Vision or objective
Strategy for achieving the vision
Mapping the Political Terrain
Determine the channels of informal communication
Identify the major players
Analyze possibilities for internal and external mobilization
Anticipate the strategies that others are likely to employ

5. Drawing the political map
Frame the central issue – the key choice that people disagree about
Identity the key players (those who are most likely to influence the outcome)
Where does each player fall in terms of the key issue?
How much power is each player likely to exert
Example: Belgian bureaucracy
Key issue: are automated records a good thing?

6. Power Interests TopManagement Techies Middle Managers Front-line
Figure 10-1: The Political Map as Seen by the “Techies” – Strong Support and Weak Opposition for Change
High
TopManagement
Techies
Power
Middle
Managers
Front-line
Officials
Low
Pro-Change Opposed to Change
Interests

7. Power Interests Top Management Techies Front-line Middle Officials
Figure 10-2: The Real Political Map: a Battle Ground With Strong Players on Both Sides
High
Top Management
Techies
Middle
Managers
Front-line
Officials
Middle
Managers
Power
Low
Pro-Change Opposed to Change
Interests

8. Skills of the Manager as a Politician (II)
Networking and Building Coalitions
Identify relevant relationships
Assess who might resist
Develop relationships with potential opponents
Persuade first, use more forceful methods only if necessary

9. Skills of the Manager as a Politician (III)
Bargaining and Negotiation
Value Creating: look for joint gain, win-win solutions
Value Claiming: try to maximize your own gains

10. Value Creating: Getting to Yes (Fisher and Ury)
Separate people from problem: “ deal with people as human beings, and the problem on its merits”
Focus on interests, not positions
Invent options for mutual gain
Insist on objective criteria: standards of fairness for a good decision

11. Value Claiming: The Strategy of Conflict (Schelling)
Bargaining is a mixed-motive game (incentives to complete and collaborate)]
Process of interdependent decisions
Controlling other’s uncertainty gives power
Emphasize threats, not sanctions
Threats are only effective if credible
Calculate the optimal level of threat: too much or too little can undermine your position

12. Morality and Politics
Ethical criteria in bargaining and organizational politics
Mutuality – are all parties operating under the same understanding of the rules?
Generality – does a specific action follow a principle of moral conduct applicable to all comparable situations?
Openness – are we willing to make our decisions public?
Caring – does this action show care for the legitimate interests of others?

13. Conclusion
Politics can be sordid and destructive, but can also be the vehicle for achieving noble purposes
Managers need to develop the skills of constructive politicians:
Fashion an agenda
Map political terrain
Networking and building coalitions
Negotiating