WINNING AT THE GAME OF OFFICE POLITICS

Nina Simosko, Global Chief Operating Officer, SAP Education

Jo Miller, CEO, Women’s Leadership Coaching Inc

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 2009 Women’s Leadership
Webinar Series

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 Jo Miller, CEO
Women’s Leadership Coaching Inc

10 years providing leadership coaching and seminars

Coached hundreds of women worldwide

Seminars for women’s networks at Intel, Oracle,

Alcatel-Lucent, Nortel, Rockwell Collins, UBS, and more

Silicon Valley’s “Women of Influence”, 2008.

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 Nina Simosko, Global COO
SAP Education, SAP America

Member of the SAP Senior Executive team, responsible for
more than half a billion euros in global software and services
revenue

More than fifteen years of sales and operations management
experience with a tremendous understanding of the global high-
tech industry

Prior to SAP, was Siebel Systems’ General Manager of
Education for the Americas and Asia Pacific/Japan regions and
ran Global Support & Maintenance Sales

Led Oracle’s Global Education Sales & Marketing team.
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 Nina’s blog:

www.NinaSimosko.com

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 Why did you start the blog?

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 THE EMERGING LEADER’S
PARADOX:

You can’t get a higher level job without

leadership experience…

But you can’t get the experience

without the job.
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 What skills and/or
characteristics do
women need, to break out and
become recognized as up-and-
coming leaders?

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 OFFICE POLITICS

Do you enjoy playing

the game? Copyright 2008, Women’s Leadership Coaching Inc.

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 Why did this topic interest
you?

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 Why do you think so many
women are turned off by office
politics?

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 “…avoiding (office) politics altogether
can be deadly for your career.

Every workplace has an intricate system

of power, and you can -- and should --
work it ethically to your best advantage.”

- Erin Burt, Seven Career Killers.

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 Office Politics

Organizational Awareness

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 Office Politics

Organizational Awareness

Being a savvy observer of the

communication and relationships that
surround you in the organization
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 What are the benefits of being
a savvy observer of
relationships and
communication in your
organization?

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 The Org Chart

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 The Org Chart

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 THE ORG CHART
Doesn’t tell the full story

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 THE SHADOW ORGANIZATION

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 The Org Chart

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  Relationships

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  Relationships
 Influence

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  Relationships
 Influence
 Coalitions

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  Relationships
 Influence
 Coalitions
 Key Influencers

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  Relationships
 Influence
 Coalitions
 Key Influencers
 Verticals

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  Relationships
 Influence
 Coalitions
 Key influencers
 Verticals

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 EXERCISE:

• Map your shadow organization

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 What are some ways to gather
information, to strengthen
“organizational intelligence”?

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 Tell us about a relationship or
coalition that you actively
cultivated, that made a
difference to your career, or to
the business.

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 Every organization has unwritten,
unspoken ‘Rules of the Game’.

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 What were some of the
unwritten, unspoken “rules of
the game” you have
encountered in your career,
and how did you respond?

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 EXERCISE:

1. Identify some ‘Rules of the Game’ in

your organization.

2. What are some ways to ethically,

effectively navigate these rules?

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 Have you ever had to draw a
line between “playing the
game” and upholding your
ethics or values?

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 To conclude, what are some
key points you would like
women to take away from this
program?

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 NINA’S KEYS TO SUCCESS
• Having the right relationships
• Focusing on the desired outcomes
• Genuinely demonstrating a desire to
help others
• Working both smart and hard – and
don’t ever think that hard work alone
can result in great success. Smart work
is far more fruitful. Copyright 2008, Women’s Leadership Coaching Inc.

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 4/28 Your Sphere of Influence
•Build a robust network of relationships,
coalitions and sponsors.
•Create a strategic networking plan.
•Leverage your network to access hidden
resources, information and opportunities.
•5 key people you need to have in your
network.
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 Upgrade to the series!
$39 off when you register

•Your sphere of influence

•Create your leadership brand
•Are you the invisible employee
•Becoming a person of influence
•Resiliency redefined
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 www.WomensLeadershipCoaching.com

We help women create a roadmap into

leadership positions in business.

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 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• Begin mapping your shadow organization. What

did you observe?
• What are some ways to gather this information?
• What are some of the “Rules of the Game” in your
organization?
• What are some ways to ethically, effectively
navigate these rules?
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