Political Intelligence™:
An Introduction to Strategic Influencing
In today’s increasingly complex work environment ‘traditional’ skills are no longer sufficient to guarantee personal and corporate success, because people at all levels face ever greater challenges, in ever more demanding roles.
Research conducted by The Academy for Political Intelligence and several other leading academic institutions clearly indicates that successful 21st century companies need people to develop what has been described as the ‘missing competency’ of political intelligence™. This means not only an awareness of the political landscape, but more specifically, the skills to manoeuvre through political minefields using best practice behaviours, strategies and techniques that are aimed at delivering personal and organisational goals.
“If you really want an organisation to achieve success in today’s complex environment, you cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the political dimension of your business or service”
Sir David Varney – Chair of the Leading with Political Awareness Steering Board & former Director of Shell
When asked for an opinion on the subject of organisational politics, most people will typically respond by giving a negative description. This trend is unfortunately reinforced by the majority of books written on the topic, suggesting destructive or counterproductive practices.
Negative political behaviour is on the increase and has a harmful effect on individual, team and organisational performance; specifically research shows:
- There are few organisations where negative political behaviour is not seen on a daily basis
- It has a major adverse impact on people’s careers, stress levels, motivation and productivity
- It results in a reduction in customer satisfaction and stakeholder returns
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