It came as a surprise to discover in this research that those skills which relate to developing greater understanding were deemed to be less critical than the actual act of influencing. Our construct of political skill defined seven dimensions, three … [Continue reading]
Men vs. Women
A strong divergence of view was identified between men and women in our survey. Overall, women scored a mean of 4.90 compared to 4.50 for men (max. 5.0). This was not entirely unexpected, given the common notion that women tend to be more socially … [Continue reading]
The Value of Experience
Generally it was found that more senior individuals place far more emphasis on political skill. This is perhaps no surprise, but does provide focus for developing more junior staff, particularly those with talent and potential. In addition to these … [Continue reading]
Social Niceties
It was established in the literature review that researchers consider that political skill needs to be exercised in a social environment. This is consistent with experience in that in most cases, there is a strong need to influence individuals which, … [Continue reading]
The Criticality of Political Skill — Conclusion
To bring this article to a conclusion, we decided to comment on the implications of this work for those responsible for senior management development. These remarks may also be useful to individuals who are interested in developing their political … [Continue reading]
Secrets to Influence Series
These secrets of influence were originally published in 2008 and have proved popular ever since. On a flight from NYC to London, Colin Gautrey wrote these based on his experience of coaching and training thousands on the subject of influence. These … [Continue reading]
Bullying and the Politics of Power and Influence
This guest article by Keryl Egan first appeared in Training Australia Magazine,. Bullying behaviours include not only observable and explicit humiliating abuse but also hidden, insidious attacks upon a person and their capacity to do their job, … [Continue reading]
21 Dirty Tricks at Work
21 Dirty Tricks at Work is about lies. The type of underhand, pernicious and downright Machiavellian scheming that goes on in business every day. An estimated £7.8bn is lost each year in the UK alone through unnecessary and counter-productive office … [Continue reading]