Laughing Matters: Business and Politics: Not-So-Strange Behavior

Few things in life are certain, but this is one of them: If you ever hear a co-worker say, "I never get involved in office politics," he or she will be gone from your organization within the year. The only possible exception is when the person who makes that statement is the company parking-lot attendant.

You can no more choose to avoid office politics than you can choose not to breathe office air. That's because business is politics. Look at it this way: Getting hired is a function of interviewers voting for you. Receiving a raise is like being re-elected. When you're promoted to higher office, you rely more on your constituents -- your colleagues -- for support. Lobbyists are always trying to influence you, except that in business you call them "vendors."

Just like the political parties do, you form alliances with people who share your values and priorities. You help them gain support for the projects they need to implement so that they'll remain popular with their constituents, and they, in turn, arrange for you to take free golf trips to Hawaii.

What works in politics works in business. Research at Columbia University has shown that raises and promotions are more likely to be based on your charisma than your intelligence or professional qualifications. This is why the guy you elected to city council wasn't on the Nobel Prize shortlist and why your CEO's most notable quality is the ability to smile uninterruptedly for up to four hours.