Corporate Politics - scribbles

I stumbled upon my old notes on a corporate politics seminar I attended. This talk is organized by our Alumni group. Read on. And I hope you can pick up a line or two and apply in your own company.

Speaker#1: Rule of ThumbRule #1 - the boss is always right.
Rule #2 - if the boss is wrong, refer to rule#1.

Speaker#2: 7 habits of a corporate politician
1. Fight or flight.
2. Achieve goal (WIIFM)
3. Focus on circle of influence.
4. Don't take sides (elephant analogy)
5. Don't get personal.
6. Seek to understand.
7. Think win/win.

Speaker #3: Affable Politician
1. Focus on your job orientation - are you eyeing a job or career?
2. Put CV friendly words i.e dollar value of project, make it marketable.
3. Learning from other peoples mistakes.
4. Visible and escalate up.

Speaker#4: The paranoid politician
1. Anything can be used against you.
2. You can't trust anyone.
3. Champion accomplishment.
4. Learn and boast.

AIG saga

I can only mutter the words as 'double standards". "Unacceptable yet reasonable". Duplicity in action. Two face. "While we say this, we do that." These are words that come to mind as I listen to the congressional hearing on AIG, the largest american insurer who allegedly paid staff bonus over govt bailout money.

The contention of its chairman and CEO is that 'these payments are effort to boost the earnings of staff thereby paying their taxes back to the govt". In his own words - "This is the only way to improve AIG's ability to pay taxpayers back quickly and completely and the only way to avoid a systemic shock to the economy that the U.S. government help was meant to relieve."

In fairness to its CEO, apparently he is in fact receiving 1 dollar compensation a year, no financial stocks, no monetary rewards for his accomplishment. Commendable? Perhaps. However, his actions and decisions of late spur many questions.

Is this a leadership failure? Your thoughts?

BHAG

Do you have a BHAG? Meaning do you have a "Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal". A recently coined term for anyone who has the ambition of turning things around.

I think this is a good supplement for S.M.A.R.T goal (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) goal.

Only One Life

I remember one author who wrote:

Only one life, and it will soon be past,
Only one life, and only what's done for God will last...

Recently I have have been asked to lead on a different level this year (2009). Never in my wildest dream have I imagined I would be singled out. But I did, along with my wife.

And so for the next series of my blog entries, expect differing thoughts, opinions and contents - all geared to the divine. After all, when this one life is through, all that is left of a person is what's done FOR the creator.

Enjoy...