Office Politics Survival: Consultant
There is no doubt about it. The games, deceit and stress can turn a good job into a miserable one, and the fact is you will never get away from politics. Anytime people are set in competition and there is money or power at stake, you will have to deal with it.
For those of you that really hate office politics, don’t kid yourself into thinking that if you don’t play the game then you won’t get run over. It doesn’t work that way. You could be pulled in whether you want to be or not, if you are not paying attention. It takes active management to stay out of many political situations. Consultants have the best chance of minimizing involvement, but you are still at risk of getting hurt.
These are dangerous waters, and as a consultant you are vulnerable. The outcome for a mistake usually results in you getting fired, which sucks, especially when you had no business being involved in the conflict to begin with.
The situation that seems to blindside the most consultants is the “Power Struggle.” Your direct manager is engaged in a battle with a competing manager. Whose turf, Whose project, Whose fault, whatever… you end up involved and it is sometimes hard to see coming.
You are in the game simply because of who you report to.
You need to get out of the way of this battle, and do it quickly. You want to be viewed as loyal to the project and to the company, but clearly not interested in the power structure. Even if you were to “pick a side” and your side wins, you will still lose in the long run.
These power struggles leave marks that last a long time; well into future projects, jobs and contracts.
Your objective is to stay as neutral as possible and just do a great job. I find a way to talk to each of the people involved privately, acknowledge that there appears to be some conflict, and I clearly state that my goal is to not be involved and to help the company by adding as much value as I can. “I have no horse in this race.”
I do not recommend trying to negotiate the peace or the solution. You will not be able to fix a battle of wills.
If you get aligned with one side or the other it will bite you in the long run. If you can stay productive and well respected as a high performer, simply focused on the work in the middle of the power struggle, you will be seen as a peacemaker and your reputation as a professional will improve. You will in fact be a consultant that can work in a very political environment without making enemies and still get the job done. This is a good objective.
How have you handled these situations?
Mark
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By Raf, July 16, 2010 @ 2:22 pm
Hi Mark,
Very delicate topic, since it ignites emotions and duality (good vs bad).
It “should all be” about our objective and deliverables, after all this is the reason they brought as there. When we personalize and make it about “our personal interest” and opinions, we need to check how this attitude helps the project.
A consultant is a guest at a client, we should behave as such. By being objective and keeping the right attitude, we might already be leading by example.
Take care,
Raf
By Marc Accetta, July 19, 2010 @ 3:16 am
I gained a lot in your article. Although it’s a sensitive case to work on, it’s the job of everyone to adjust in anyway they can to give way on the client.