No matter what organization you work for, you will have what I like to call the “Usual Suspects of Office Politics.” Generally speaking, these folks like to engage in various forms of destructive politics that I mentioned in my article related to developing a neutral political strategy.
Since our political strategy is focused on remaining neutral in the organization, you need to know how to manage your interactions with these folks. If you don’t, you may unwittingly end up an accomplice to their cause. When that happens, you jeopardize your ability to effectively navigate the politics of healthcare.
So, let’s take a look at this cast of characters, so you know what to look out for and how to manage them.
The Gossiper
Starting with the most obvious, we have The Gossiper. This person seems to know everything about everyone and takes great pleasure in telling you about it. The Gossiper lacks discretion or a filter. Since their conduct can be destructive in an organization, it is best to identify The Gossiper, be mindful of their motives, and not enable their behavior.
The best way to manage your interactions with The Gossiper is to keep your conversations limited to business, thereby cutting off a potential food source for this individual.
The Toady
Call it what you will (“fawning,” “brown-nosing,” “bootlicking”), The Toady likes to flatter people with compliments, especially those with a superior position in the organization. The problem with The Toady is that the comments aren’t genuine. They’re purely for personal gain. When it comes to The Toady, the good news is that the disingenuous behavior is easy to detect and obvious to everyone. Everyone except The Toady, of course.
The best way to manage your interactions with The Toady is to be aware of their ulterior motive and identify the why behind the flattery. What advantage is this person trying to gain? Be cautious about how much credibility to give them. For the most part, let The Toady do their toady thing. Most healthcare leaders know when someone is being fake.
The Saboteur
Next, we have The Saboteur. Arguably on the other end of the spectrum from The Toady, this person’s objective is not to compliment for personal gain, but rather disrupt for personal gain. This individual thrives off being critical of others, especially in public settings, like a meeting or conference call. The Saboteur can also have passive-aggressive tendencies such as forwarding your email onto others without your knowledge, or replying to your email, along with a laundry list of others, including your supervisor. If throwing people under the bus were an Olympic sport, this person would be a gold medalist—every time.
The best way to manage The Saboteur is to be cautious when communicating with this individual. And think at least two steps ahead. For example, if you send The Saboteur an email, expect that it will get forwarded to others. Thinking ahead will ensure your communication is professional and defendable. Also, keep your focus on the matter being addressed, and not the individual. If you allow The Saboteur to see your frustration, he or she will seize the moment to use it against you.
The Debater
The Debater loves nothing more in life than playing devil’s advocate. They typically are argumentative and quick on their feet. They’re also not afraid to twist facts to fit their agenda. The Debater is also one you need to be cautious with in your communications. Dialogue in a meeting that is productive to the group’s objective is healthy and should be encouraged. Where you can get into trouble is when debate becomes about the other person and not the group’s objective. The Debater loves to provoke others, so be cautious not to take the bait. Make sure the points you are making are about the group’s objective, not The Debater.
The best way to manage The Debater is to give them space; allow them to be heard. That said, to avoid a conversation spiraling into a never-ending argument, acknowledge and validate their point. Then maintain your focus on accomplishing the goal of the discussion.
The Credit Poacher
One of my personal favorites is The Credit Poacher. Another disingenuous type, this individual will do whatever it takes to get ahead in the organization, even if it means stealing some ideas and the work of others and passing it off as his or her own.
The best way to manage The Credit Poacher is to be aware of their presence and share your ideas and work product publicly whenever possible. You can also frequently update your supervisor so he or she knows who should be getting credit for the work. If you feel there is a legitimate need to call out The Credit Poacher, the best way to do so is to discuss the matter confidentially with the appropriate leader instead of in a public setting.
The Delegator
Next up is The Delegator. To be clear, the person I’m referring to here is not your supervisor, who of course is empowered to delegate tasks to you. Instead, this particular individual delegates tasks they are not in a position to delegate. Sometimes you’ll see this surface when you volunteer a thought or idea, but rather than your supervisor or a project leader delegating a task to you, someone else on the team does. The Delegator tends to believe the act of delegation is a demonstration of power. The only problem is The Delegator doesn’t actually have the power.
The best way to manage The Delegator is to make sure the task being delegated is within the scope of your role in the organization. If it is, then the request is legitimate and you need to be a business partner by following up on the task. If it is not, then you need to communicate what tasks fall within your role. Regardless of circumstance, if you have a concern about others inappropriately delegating, it is best to confidentially communicate those concerns to the appropriate leader to address with the employee.
The Advisor
Saving the best for last, we come to The Advisor. Now, unlike all the other characters mentioned above, The Advisor tends be engaged in productive politics. This particular individual is one to whom other healthcare leaders in your organization turn for assistance. They tend to maintain a lot of influence in the organization and have an awareness of what is going on. For that reason, The Advisor can be an asset to you and not a liability.
The best way to manage your interactions with The Advisor is to align with this individual. These folks tend to hold informal power in the organization, which can help you in advancing the compliance program’s agenda when you need leverage or support.
Pulling it All Together
Whether you are involved in a conference call, a meeting, a hallway discussion—or my personal favorite, the meeting after the meeting—pay attention to your surroundings. Pay attention to what’s being said, how it is being said, and who is saying it. These are continual opportunities to observe a wealth of information orienting you to the political landscape around you.
Now that we’ve talked about the various elements of the political landscape around you, next week we will begin talking through another strategy for navigating the politics of healthcare—thinking like a healthcare leader.