Political Dilemmas at Work: How to Maintain Your Integrity and Further Your Career

The Other Agenda

In any meeting, there are many agendas. The formal one is usually neatly printed and distributed for the team to work on explicitly. The other agendas are the personal motivations of each person at the meeting. Often these are not made explicit. Many of these alternative agendas are benign—indeed some may even help the process. But there are other agendas that focus on point scoring, one-upmanship, and manipulation. Personal agendas that conflict with team goals and support self-interest rather than the common good can always be found. This undertow of politicking can be damaging, not only to morale, but also to effectiveness. Team members often notice this type of political maneuvering, and usually, they either accept it or are paralyzed by it. Those who can raise hidden agendas in a nonthreatening way and then work productively to draw out the positive intent behind the politicking are more likely to succeed.

• Ask directly for wants and needs at the beginning of the meeting.

• Raise the “other agenda” concept with your team.

• Use questions to uncover hidden agendas where you suspect them.

Our charter needs to accept the reality of other agendas and to know that it will sometimes mean hidden agendas and politicking. We need to make a commitment to work with both agendas if we are to help the team.