Do You Have What It Takes to Be Political?

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE POLITICAL?

Are you an individual who likes to play politics? Is it something that you have the ability to do? Even if you prefer not to, can you "play" to protect yourself? Undoubtedly, politics exists in every organization. Therefore, one of the first steps is understanding your political temperament. Listed below are several statements. Check True or False based on how you feel about the statement most of the time.

TrueFalse

1. I stay late just to impress my boss.

2. I do not tell others how I do things, so they don’t

know what I do.

3. I do not use gossip to my advantage.

4. I rarely express my opinion about my organization if

my opinions are negative.

5. I go out of my way to make friends with powerful

people.

6. I would not raise concerns about someone’s ability

to do a job, even if we were competing for a

promotion.

7. I won’t take credit for the work of someone else.

8. I’d tell my boss if a coworker was actively looking

for a new job.

9. I would want my name on a group project, even

though my effort was minimal.

10. I see nothing wrong in tooting my own horn.

11. I like having decorations all around my work area.

12. I take action only after I am sure it’s ethical to do so.

13. I’d be foolish to publicly correct a mistake my boss

made.

14. I’d purchase stock in my company even if it’s a

financial risk.

15. I would not play the role of “hatchetman,”even if it

meant a promotion for me.

16. I want others to fear me more than like me.

17. I would not join in with coworkers making fun of

the boss.

18. Getting ahead means promoting my selfinterest.

19. I would not want to help a coworker who makes

my performance look bad.

20. I think it’s important to be friendly with everyone at

work—especially those I don’t like.

SCORING

Give yourself one point for each response that matches those given below.

1. True 6. False11. False16. True

2. True 7. False12. False1Z True

3. False8. True13. True18. True

4. True9. True14. True19. True

5. True10. True15. False20. True

MAKING SENSE OF THE ASSESSMENT

Your political score on this assessment indicates how likely you are to use politics to gain an advantage in a situation. Scores greater than 14 indicate you have an above average willingness to use politics to get what you want. Scores from 10 to 13 indicate you use politics mainly to protect yourself especially from your boss and those you perceive as having power. Scores from 6 to 9 indicate you have a true belief in others—that they are fair, honest, and not likely to mistreat you. Although noteworthy, this score may indicate you don’t understand organizational politics, and you may be somewhat naive in assessing the effect politics may have on you. Finally, scores less than 5 indicate an absence of ability to play politics in an organization. Remember, politics isn’t always destructive—there’s a constructive component that you must use to your advantage.