Political sense: 5 keys to developing it

Developing your political sense is an objective that is often rarely addressed in business because it is a concept that is often unclear and poorly defined. Contrary to what some might think, being political savvy does not mean manipulating those around you to achieve your goals. Rather, being political means being able to adapt to one's environment. Discover 5 keys to develop your political sense in business.

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Hello and welcome to this new Coaching Minute around “political meaning”.

For several years now, we have been working with companies, managers and directors on the subject of political meaning.

I invite you to discover the keys to this very important concept for: stay integrated, without manipulating, while adapting to its environment

‍Give your talents the opportunity to develop their political sense through individual coaching.

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Key number 1 to develop your political sense: understand how the group works.

Every social group (family, team...) contains within itself its rules, values and norms. We then talk about political group in the ancient and Greek sense of the term: relating to the community. Refusing to develop your political sense is refusing to understand the underlies of this social group. Reconciling yourself with political meaning, in the positive sense of the term, means saying to yourself: “I am part of a group, I will make sure that I understand how it works.”

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Key n° 2 to develop your political sense: decode the culture of your organization and adapt to it.

The important thing is to fully understand the standards, values, rites and rituals of the social group in which one evolves. Not to clone yourself but to understand the codes for comply with it. I often take the example of a Japanese person going to France (or the other way around), if the latter is “politically motivated” he will try to understand the norms, the values, How people interact, whose things they tell each other. Developing your political sense is not saying to yourself that you know absolutely all the codes of a group but that you are trying to be interested in them in the manner of an anthropologist.

‍The objective: to adjust one's behavior to each of these cultural parameters.

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Key 3 to develop your political sense: Adapt to your interlocutor.

Demonstrate flexibility while maintaining strong beliefs and ideas. Adjust your point of view, no! But talking with the person in front of you as in a “dance” yes! The aim: share your views without being oppositional or submissive.

To (re) see:

6 keys to developing your assertiveness!

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Key n° 4 to develop your political sense: be attentive to the game of strategic actors in your environment

It is wise to know how to identify the people who will have an influence in the success of your projects in order to then distinguish those who will be Allies, those who will hesitate and sometimes those who will oppose it. To develop your political sense it is useful to develop a real sensitivity to the issues, objectives and different types of actors that are around you.

‍Develop your political sense thanks to individual coaching by Talentis

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Key No. 5 to develop your political sense: cultivate your network.

Keep in mind that the concept of “network” is very important. How to connect with the right people to advance my projects, but also theirs. The aim is not simply to “take” but also to “give.” This makes it possible to return a positive image, the image of someone cooperative and able to adapt to a large number of interlocutors.

‍Cultivating your “network” means showing political sense. ‍

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Some might think that developing your political sense involves manipulating or even betraying your own values. It's not true. Demonstrating political sense means being fully clear with your values, ideas, opinions while adapting to a territory, to a culture. It means being subtle. Attention, it is sometimes possible to find yourself in an organization or a group whose culture does not suit us. A person with a keen political sense will know how to say to himself: “I have fully understood how this collective works, I know how to adapt and I also want to show how I work.” Unlike someone who would say: “I am as I am, they just have to take me as I am, I will not change! ”

‍Political meaning is a concept that is often poorly explained in business. At Talentis, we spend a lot of time rehabilitating the positive virtue of political sense. Do not hesitate to contact us if you want a conference or a comprehensive seminar on political meaning.

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Develop your political sense through individual coaching