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Chapter 7
Capitalizing on Your
Political Savvy
What Is Political Savvy and Why Do You Need It?
Anyone who has spent more than a few years in a corporate job
knows that in any organization there are always going to be com-
peting interests. And oftentimes, key people don’t particularly want
to admit that this is going on. In fact, given the collaborative team
dynamics organizations are supposed to value today, executives and
managers are less likely than ever to admit that politics happen.
But politics are always a factor and are an important element in
most organizations—in ways both good and bad. Situations come
up every day where you need to have critical information if you are
going to be effective and achieve the results you want within your
organization. The only way you’re going to get what you need all the
time is to be both politically and socially savvy. Or, to put it another
way, you have to have the right radar so you can know what’s com-
ing and prepare for it.
Remember the chapter on self-awareness? In it, I talked about
emotional intelligence, that cultivated internal awareness of the impact
you have on others that helps you to manage your relationships.
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