Limiting the Influence of Political Behavior

To Reduce System Uncertainty

• Make clear what are the bases and processes for evaluation.
• Differentiate rewards among high and low performers.
• Make sure the rewards are as immediately and directly related to performance as possible.

To Reduce Competition

• Try to minimize resource competition among managers.
• Replace resource competition with externally oriented goals and objectives.

To Break Existing Political Fiefdoms

• Where highly cohesive political empires exist, break them apart by removing or splitting the most dysfunctional subgroups.
• If you are an executive, be keenly sensitive to managers whose mode of operation is the personalization of political patronage. First, approach these persons with a directive to "stop the political maneuvering". If it continues, remove them from the positions and preferably from the company.

To Prevent Future Fiefdoms

• Make one of the most important criteria for promotion an apolitical attitude that puts organizational ends ahead of personal power ends.

Political behavior can be reduced or minimized in organizations through four techniques: (1) reducing organization uncertainty, (2) reducing interunit competition, (3) breaking up political fiefdoms, and (4) preventing the development of future fiefdoms.