Yesterday,
I quoted John Byrne.

I subscribe to that quote, except for one
point:

“We believe that the best companies are true
meritocracies, where people rise and fall through their own contributions, not
through game playing or politics.”

While I do believe in merit, I do not believe that
politics are bad.

Politics:  “The methods or tactics involved in managing a
state or government” (from the American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition).

Politics in their purest form are simply the way
things get done.

Self-serving agendas, dysfunctional relationships,
and personal insecurities can cause an organization’s politics to be unhealthy. But, I believe that politics themselves are
neither good nor bad.

Like any other corporate function, politics need
to be managed effectively.

And just like other functions, they must be
managed not only by leadership but by every individual or department they
impact.

Two books have come across my desk recently about
office politics. One, Gust:
The “Tale” Wind of Office Politics, was written by my friend Timothy Johnson.

Another, Run
with the Bulls without Getting Trampled, was written by Tim Irwin.

I’m reading them both this week.

At
least someone’s talking about how to cope!