I hear many complaints daily about the "unfairness" of politics in corporate America. Employees say that their managers "lie" or issue "personal attacks" against them. Indeed, based on the pure ideals that we are taught as a child, this might appear to be the case. However, the corporate culture is not the "real world" in which we live out our personal lives. Each corporate culture is its own world with its own rules and reality. To understand this, one must understand the directions and desires of this world and learn how to best adapt to achieve the vision and mission of the corporation.

--- Integrity and Politics ---

I have to say that the words "integrity" and "politics" do not belong in the same sentence. This is in no way an insult to corporate politicians, but politics is not a reflection of the integrity of the individual.

The primary purpose of politics is to obtain a result. In some cases, management may not tell the whole truth and might apply "plausible deniability" to escape judgment. However, when an untruth is used, it is primarily to accomplish a task. In this way, managers may not "tell" you directly what needs to be accomplished, but instead they create a gap or an imbalance, which forces the necessity for change and action. The end-result is a desired outcome.

Realize that, of the many reasons for this approach, one of the primary aims is to delegate responsibility to subordinates. If a manager has to constantly tell you what to do and how to perform, then they could very well perform the task themselves. This contradicts the entire purpose of your position as well as the manager's and interferes with the desired result. However, if they create an imbalance in front of you, then you must creatively solve the situation, define a path, and obtain a viable result to attain a rebalance.

--- The Thin Line ---

While I say that the present-day ideals of integrity do not apply to corporate politics, indeed, there are some cases where individuals do abuse their political power. As such, ethics and morals do begin to apply. Not only must you, as an employee, understand the reasons and applications of politics, but those who wield the political sword must understand how to apply their power properly without stepping over the line.

The one problem that appears in this situation is in the ability to tell the difference between "a lie" and a "political detour". Indeed, it is a difficult task if you look at it in simplistic terms. However, until a person has gained some experience with corporate cultures, my standard response is, "when you're in the corporate setting, it becomes a political detour". One must not take things personally in the corporate environment, as it is not about the individual; it is about results --- plain and simple.

However, the political world can step over the line by the power-hungry or untrained corporate politician. The one way to judge such an action is based on your own personal lines. If indeed a situation seems to purposefully step over into your personal life, then you must make a judgment call. Such situations can occur when your associates are able to create conflict in your personal life.