Could you expand a little further on what you mean by "project politics". To me, they are almost the same thing. Serving the project politics also serves ones own interest.
James
Member for
22 years 5 months
Member for22 years5 months
Submitted by Christian Adri… on Thu, 2006-11-02 13:42
Yes James, I agree.. it goes back to Ethics and Interest. In a highly political project or environment the former always gets dropped out.. Fudging a report, creating a versions of truth, making gentlemans agreement, hiring your relatives, be a pet to your boss.. correct me if Im wrong but the way Ive seen it this are just some of the ingredients in project politics all for the sake of interests :-)
How about the other... whats your ingredients for project politics?
Member for
19 years 5 months
Member for19 years5 months
Submitted by James Griffiths on Thu, 2006-11-02 05:19
Im sure that we all could write a thesis on Project Politics, so: Once upon a time....
Seriously, though: The most frequently encountered political elements are that of reporting progress. Without putting too-fine-a-point, LIES. They might only be little white lies and could perhaps be explained by errors in programme and activity codings, or extreme stretching of the truth by taking a slightly different viewpoint. There is always the need to put a positive spin on the situation, and this includes our clients client.
Personally, I try and stay away from any politics, mainly because my job is to deal in facts, quantification and interpretational analyses. I have no shame in saying that, several years ago, I was removed from a project because "..we had to do something..". Yes, I was made the political scapegoat. However, two years later, my analyses were proven to be correct. This is why I let the data speak for itself. As long as I have confidence in that data, all I can do is present it, make the recommendations and then just leave them to do what they wish.
Ultimately, Im sure that we have all had the opportunity to do something purely for reasons of political expediency. The question is: Can you live with yourself? It all comes back to Ethics and Interest (see this topic in PP).
In general, if I know that the situation is politically precarious, and Im being asked to lie, Ill take them through the spiel of reputation, honesty, integrity, and that it is far easier to manage the truth than to manage the lie. It works surprisingly well and also gets me out of the hole without having to directly tell them that Im unwilling to deliberately tell lies. Sometimes, though, the lies are so minimal that, relative to the hassle that youd get if you told the whole truth, it might just be worth it. However, I try to put in writing that Im being asked to lie, just so that there is some form of reference should the poo hit the fan. Is that being politcal or what?
Member for
19 years 5 monthsRE: Project Politics!
Could you expand a little further on what you mean by "project politics". To me, they are almost the same thing. Serving the project politics also serves ones own interest.
James
Member for
22 years 5 monthsRE: Project Politics!
Yes James, I agree.. it goes back to Ethics and Interest. In a highly political project or environment the former always gets dropped out.. Fudging a report, creating a versions of truth, making gentlemans agreement, hiring your relatives, be a pet to your boss.. correct me if Im wrong but the way Ive seen it this are just some of the ingredients in project politics all for the sake of interests :-)
How about the other... whats your ingredients for project politics?
Member for
19 years 5 monthsRE: Project Politics!
Hi Christian,
Im sure that we all could write a thesis on Project Politics, so: Once upon a time....
Seriously, though: The most frequently encountered political elements are that of reporting progress. Without putting too-fine-a-point, LIES. They might only be little white lies and could perhaps be explained by errors in programme and activity codings, or extreme stretching of the truth by taking a slightly different viewpoint. There is always the need to put a positive spin on the situation, and this includes our clients client.
Personally, I try and stay away from any politics, mainly because my job is to deal in facts, quantification and interpretational analyses. I have no shame in saying that, several years ago, I was removed from a project because "..we had to do something..". Yes, I was made the political scapegoat. However, two years later, my analyses were proven to be correct. This is why I let the data speak for itself. As long as I have confidence in that data, all I can do is present it, make the recommendations and then just leave them to do what they wish.
Ultimately, Im sure that we have all had the opportunity to do something purely for reasons of political expediency. The question is: Can you live with yourself? It all comes back to Ethics and Interest (see this topic in PP).
In general, if I know that the situation is politically precarious, and Im being asked to lie, Ill take them through the spiel of reputation, honesty, integrity, and that it is far easier to manage the truth than to manage the lie. It works surprisingly well and also gets me out of the hole without having to directly tell them that Im unwilling to deliberately tell lies. Sometimes, though, the lies are so minimal that, relative to the hassle that youd get if you told the whole truth, it might just be worth it. However, I try to put in writing that Im being asked to lie, just so that there is some form of reference should the poo hit the fan. Is that being politcal or what?
James.