Scott Magdalein wrote a great post the other day titled, “Don’t be stupid, bosses are not a liability.” He talks about the disdain many have for upper management and executives. The point of the post is that bosses have value, manifested in various forms. You just have to take a step back and look at how he or she can help.
In a previous post I wrote about how the ScrumMaster is a firewall, standing between everyone and the Team. The ScrumMaster is also a politician and a diplomat. Diplomacy is very important when removing impediments for a Team. Need some software or hardware that hasn’t been pre-budgeted for? Do you need Sally from accounting to work on the acceptance criteria for the user story in an upcoming sprint? Do you need IT to put that new server on the top of their list?
“But Rob,” you say, “politics has such a dirty connotation.” Politics is defined by Merriam-Webster as, “the art or science of government; the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy; the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government.” Please draw your attention to the portion in bold. Playing politics refers to guiding or influencing the decisions of others in the larger context. And who are you typically dealing with when you really need to get things done? Upper management and executives – the place where politics is alive and well, whether or not people really want to admit it.
So really, playing politics isn’t dirty, per say. Rather, you are trying to help out your Team by guiding and influencing the decisions of others, whether it be to get some new software or hardware, or get a server up sooner. Just be sure you’re playing with the right cards – truth, honesty, transparency.
And You?
What do you think of playing politics to help out your Team?
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