Corporate Politics: Coaching Case Study #5 - Food Fights

There’s not a company around that doesn’t have its own, home-grown political environment. Why, some companies have sub-cultures with a brand of politics that would make some country governments look innocent by comparison.

But no matter the political complexity, you can still break down situations to their common denominator.

This is the fifth of a six part series on corporate politics where I post a coaching case study to help you navigate through sometimes murky waters.

Coaching Case Study #1 – Idea Theft

Coaching Case Study #2 – Sneak Attack

Coaching Case Study #3 – Poor Cousin

Coaching Case Study #4 – Blame Game

Coaching Case Study # 5 – Food Fights

Peter’s product team can’t seem to get along. Not unlike youngsters around a family dinner table these otherwise polished professionals manipulate team meetings to drive their personal agendas. Political webs weaved by cross-functional managers risk tarnishing the product’s potential luster and future success.

New to the product marketing organization from a long stint in manufacturing, Peter lacks the political savvy needed for leading a well-oiled, creative group of individuals. The group continuously tests his product knowledge while challenging and questioning his leadership ability.

Peter’s manager is part of the problem. Possessing little respect within the organization due to his timid decision-making and lacklustre results, Peter struggles to deal with his manager’s lack of influence while managing his own battles on the team front. Producing a go-live product by the launch deadline is looking risky at best. 

Peter identifies five key issues that will require his attention and focus in the next six weeks.

Key Challenges

• Surface and address hidden agendas and informal needs of team members
• Establish his credibility with a politically aligned, close-knit team
• Identify influencers within the product marketing organization
• Discover new ways to leverage his manufacturing know-how
• Extend web of influence beyond his manager

Dealing with Team Food Fights

• Negotiate wins for individual team members (WIIFM)
• Ask for help – hire a "shadow" team coach or facilitator
• Political "layers" must be peeled away one issue at a time
• Provide political wins for the project team and for their managers
• Extend personal web of influence without bypassing your manager

Lessons Learned

In his new role, Peter realizes that many of the skills required in a services versus manufacturing environment are different, and that he must play “fast track catch up”, if he expects to establish credibility with his team.

But the primary lesson for Peter is that his avoidance of “office politics” during the twelve years he spent in manufacturing didn’t earn him enough political capital to leverage across the organization.

Never having learned the art of managing people and cultural dynamics, he’s clearly at a disadvantage with individuals who can comfortably maneuver their way through the political arena. In six weeks things will look very different for Peter!

© 2006 DA McCrorey