navigating the political landscape of my organization
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Navigating the Political Landscape of My Organization. My personal story Erin Kotowski. Power – The ability or capacity to control or influence. The power puff girls are a set of people who share a common belief in PLCs and education. I am bubbles. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Navigating the Political Landscape of My Organization
My personal story Erin Kotowski
Power – The ability or capacity to control or
influence
The power puff girls are a set of people who share a common belief in PLCs and education. I am bubbles.
Mojo-jo-jo is a person who has a want for power within the group. He is looking for ways to create a different power dynamic and structure in the group
Why is MoJo-jo-jo having problems exercising power?
• Different people have different needs or beliefs. – Mo-Jo jojo has different philosophical beliefs from
others in the school and department. He believes that power can only be authoritative and has a very different philosophy on how class schedules should be created. I should be the leader!!
I should be teaching ALL of the Honors classes.
• MoJo-jo-jo has a high need for power, but he has not laid the groundwork for followers, but he is trying!!
Doesn’t it bother you that we don’t have more say in the decisions?
I think that we should run the department
and teach all of the honors classes.
Hmm. Maybe you are right.
I am tired of teaching
CP kids and tired of
people blaming me for not
Cleaning up.
Partisans
Organizational Factors that create political activity
• Our school requires that all teachers work together and share resources due to a lack of such. The resources include classrooms, materials, and lab space, so everyone in the department is very dependent on one another.
Middle Managers
Nine Sources of Power that keep Mojo jojo in check
Sources of Power Position – Title
Bubbles: PLC LEADER /Lead TeacherBlossom & Buttercup: Deans, Department
Heads
Source of Power
Control of Rewards
Why is she the leader? Well she is my observer, so I need to be nice to
her.
Power
Coercive Power – power to constrain, block, or punish.
If I go against her, she could give me low scores on my
evaluations
POWER
Information and expertise – having info or know how to do something.
She has been teaching longer than I have.
She does have a little bit more knowledge
on how things are done.
POWER
Reputation
She has been here awhile.People know who she is.
She is a good teacher.
Power
Personal Power (referrent)
She is pretty charismatic. People like her.
POWER
Alliances and Networks
She is in pretty tight with the administration and the
department head. I need to create some alliances in the
departmentFor me!!
Power
Access and Control of Agendas
She and others have control of all that we doin biology.
I want CONTROL!!I want to be looked at as the authority
on biology so I can teach all of theHonors Biology Classes!!
POWER
Framing: Control of meaning
How can I frame what we are doing in PLCs as not working in
order to gain control?
CONFLICT
•Maybe we can come up with new ideas and solutions to old problems. (challenge Status Quo)•We can work to create a new power dynamic where leadership is more shared. (New approach to problem)
Conflict is OKAY. I am going to work with
MOJO to resolve his issues!
• Before working with MoJo, I need to map the political terrain and then network to form a coalition.
I just wanted to talkTo you about some of the
Problems in our departmentand PLC and they stem from
One person.
We are all aware of
Mojo’s MO.If you need
help dealing With him, let
me know.
Hey guys, I just wanted toknow what you
Think about MoJo’sIdeas.
I feel like he is the first tocomplain, but never works to
Fix anything.
I feel like we have the same conversations all
of the time and he doesn’t listen
Okay, now I need to engage in a confrontation to stop all of this ridiculousness.
Mojo, Do you have a problem
With the way we are doing
Things as a PLC and a department?
No, I mean I just think
that other peopleneed to make sure
that they are helping.
Really?? All that talking behind everyone’s back, and that’s what you say
when I confront you?????Okay, how would you like to
fix that? Do you want a specific job? We can give one
to everyone else as well.
Well, I have beenwriting up all of the
common labs, so that could be my
Job.
Isn’t your senior portfol iostudent doing most of that?
Why don’t you work on Also then typing up instructions
for how the labs need to beSet up and taken down?
OKAY.
What did I learn from this situation? How do you navigate a political situation?
• Most of the time, when confronted, people back down and lie to cover their tracks,
especially if they feel that you have any type of power over them. Be sure to do your
homework and cover your bases before the confrontation. Be sure to not AVOID the conflict, if you do that, nothing will get
resolved.