by Peter A. Arthur-Smith, Leadership Solutions, Inc.®

“The most practical kind of politics is the politics of decency.” Theodore Roosevelt

Let’s start by defining some negative political activities as follows:  How often do you bump up against a naysayer within your organization? How much do negative politics impact your work environment? Does your organization tolerate negative-minded executives? Even more so, does your organization’s overall leader display a positive or negative outlook on life? These are among several key questions that might be burning within your company, not-for-profit, sporting, academic or government venture.

» snipe at one’s own leaders

» pursue personal glory at the expense of others

» block commonsense proposals

» deride well-intentioned efforts

» see the pot as only half full

» undermine colleagues

» disparage own organization

» focus on “what’s going wrong”

Any one or an amalgam of these can have a debilitating impact on the culture of your organization. They can sap your people’s spirits, encourage a status quo attitude, and be workplace commitment killers.

To the contrary, we are likely to view positive political activities as including – being supportive of your leaders, promoting teamwork, and inducing regular encouraging communication. They also include presenting constructive proposals, helping colleagues wherever possible, and focusing on team rather than individual efforts. Beyond that, they also commend talking-up your organization and focusing on “what’s going right” – without being Pollyannaish. Such attitudes will clearly build your team and venture’s spirit, as well as confidence “to go the extra mile” and tackle key breakthroughs.

The question is: “What can we do to minimize negative politics within our organizations?” Life’s realities will always find some element of these. They are fostered in our early childhood experiences through parental biases. Our journals, news and social media seem to work so hard at keeping them alive. Our politicians see them as a form of blood sport.

First and foremost, leaders of all stripes should set both a clear and positive tone, in conjunction with setting a positive example. Secondly, your teams need to openly discuss the issue and be prepared – in a constructive and positive way – to call-out their colleagues who overly engage in them. Thirdly, they have to be disowned in any venture’s culture and by value statements for all to see.

Beyond that, organizations should be mindful of positive-politics when they’re recruiting new team members. “Would this person bring a positive or negative mindset to our organization; despite being highly knowledgeable or willing to sign on?” ought to be a question in every hiring executive’s mind. Leaders within your venture should also be willing to constructively mentor those who are inclined to promote negative-politics. Where there’s an inclination for a particular individual to persist with negative-thinking; then a “three-strikes-and-you’re-out” approach should be pursued. You may miss some of their expertise, although you and your colleagues won’t miss them that much once they’re gone. Such an approach takes objectivity and resolve by key leaders, so their team or venture can move on.

Ultimately, you and your leadership team will have to decide, in a transparent and meaningful way, what type of politics you prefer within your venture. Then you will have to “walk-the-talk.” Any attitude change won’t happen overnight, although outsiders will become duly impressed with the culture that it fosters. Your organization will then become that much better equipped to handle the worst and best of times.