Washington Politics and the Office – Beware the Similarities

I recently had lunch with a Congressman from the US House of Representatives and a friend; it was just the three of us.  And while the Congressman was careful in what he said, the relaxed atmosphere allowed us to explore a wide range of political and personal topics.  He lamented how the current climate in Washington DC is so toxic there is little chance to pass legislation even when members of both parties can agree.  The similarities to office politics are striking.

The party affiliation of the Congressman is irrelevant.  His comments remind me of situations found in companies with polarized positions where people dismiss good ideas coming from someone they dislike or disagree with.  While many of us are disgusted with a broken political system, we should look closer to home – where we work.  How often have you seen seemingly good ideas tossed aside because one group dislikes another or because of personality conflicts between individuals?  Unfortunately, I believe it happens all too often.

Groups within companies can become as polarized as politicians.  When this happens, people loose touch with their common purpose and discard opportunity because they dislike the idea’s originator.  While political issues play out in the open press, entrenched positions in companies often take a more passive-aggressive path.  New ideas are undermined in hallways and offices behind people’s backs.  The focus becomes the individual instead of the idea; people attack the person and question their motivation or reputation.  Who loses when this happens?

Instead of embracing the positive elements in an idea, people focus on why it won’t work.  Rather than being builders, they resort to demolition.  Innovations and new ideas die before being evaluated when people or groups become entrenched in personal politics.  I’ve been in meetings where someone is ignored entirely as if they were invisible simply because they aren’t liked.  You can watch it happen in real time as people roll their eyes, start speaking to someone else, or begin fiddling with their phone.  In the end, everyone loses as the potential is lost and relationships are further damaged.  This negative cycle can persist indefinitely and doom an organization to mediocrity – or worse.

To break the cycle, move beyond personal feelings and character attacks.  When someone suggests a new idea, separate the person from the idea, especially if you dislike the individual.  Evaluate the idea on face value and work to uncover its strengths.  One way to do this is to imagine the idea came from another source.  Resist the temptation to dismiss an idea just because you dislike who offered it.  Acknowledge the potential benefits, and then move to collaborate toward common understanding.  Remember you are all on the same team.  Remind yourself and others why you’re there: to build a better organization where new opportunity lifts everyone.  Be a builder, not the wrecking crew. 

For leaders, don’t allow your team to fall into a destructive cycle.  Stop the cycle before it gets started.  It’s your responsibility to guide your team toward solutions and to pull yourself and others above the fray.  Focus people on the idea regardless of who offered it.  In addition, be humble and encourage people to find ways to improve upon the idea.  In the end, you’ll build bridges and move your organization forward. 

If you dislike Washington politics as much as I do, remember the same thing can happen in your organization.

Duane Grove is founder of Connect2Action, a strategy execution specialist at the intersection of employee engagement and executive leadership, igniting innovation as a lever to accelerate your growth.  Follow Duane on Twitter @connect2action and connect with him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+.  Learn more by visiting www.connect2action.com.