Political Savvy
An Essential Skill for All Employees
Julie Robbins
Phil Griner
August 9, 2012
“Politics is the art of getting
things done”
Harry Truman
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What is Political Savvy?
 Totality of skills for successfully navigating political
dynamics of an organization to accomplish one’s
goals
 Ethically building a critical mass of support for an idea
you care about
 Awareness of the culture and relationships within an
organization
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Why is Political Savvy Important?
 Political savvy is necessary to:
 Manage office politics and get things done
 Protect oneself from other’s political tactics
 Avoid political blunders
 Position oneself for the future
Technical skill alone is no longer enough to survive
in today’s workplace
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Who Needs to Be Politically Savvy?
 Leaders
 Managers
 Employees at all levels
Political savvy has little to do with one’s place in the
hierarchy…anyone can have political savvy regardless of
position in the company ~ Joel DeLuca, Author of
Politically Savvy
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What is Your Political Style?
Action Orientation
Politics viewed as
Initiates
Negative
Neutral
Positive
Machiavellian
Responsible
Leader
 Manipulator
 Obligation
 Play Maker
 Looks out for #1
 Comes with
 Impact player
territory
Protector
Predicts
 File Builder
Speculator
Grapeviner
Advisor
Counselor
 Defensive
Cynic
Responds
 I told you so
Fatalist
Que Sera Sera
 Gossip
Spectator
 Fan
 Encourager
From “Political Savvy” by Joel DeLuca
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What are the Characteristics of a Politically Savvy
Person?
 Uses intuition
 Has focus and orientation towards goals
 Uses relationship knowledge
 Discusses controversial issues in non-offensive way
 Manages impressions
 Obtains support for one’s ideas
 Knows when to follow chain of command
 Acts friendly and social with co-workers
 Supports boss
 Avoids gossip
 Uses organizational grapevine wisely
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Exercise: What Does it Mean to be Politically
Savvy at the IRS?
 Split into three equal groups
 Review the scenario on the note card and
discuss/decide how a politically savvy person would
act and respond (each group has a different scenario)
 3 minutes to discuss and 3 minutes per group to
report out and discuss
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How do I Become Politically Savvy?
Choose to become an active, ethical player
 Put the organization first
 Understand your own political style
 Believe strongly in your change initiative
 Play above-board
 Avoid the moral and rational blocks
Work the human system
 Understand the culture
 Build momentum
 Identify the key players
 Determine appropriate involvement level
 Gauge power and influence
for each player
 Employ interpersonal diplomacy
 Anticipate and handle dissenters
 Assess relationships
 Develop a strategy
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