You may have noticed that people play political games in business. Not you, of course, many other people. However, it is essential to know how they do it and why. Little time should be devoted to the dysfunctional work of politics in business. It is costly and divisive, it burns power that can instead be put to the pursuit of the organization’s goal. It is also capable of giving rise to all kinds of distortions. The support of the introduction or obsolete powers of new ones unjustified. Less appreciated, however, are the conditions under which politics plays a functional role in organizations: the positive side of politics and what it can do to help an organization.

Henry Mintzberg is one of the leading business gurus, particularly in the world of strategy. He described a set of political games. He takes into account how most of these are about building strength in various places, and how more than one game can be going on at the same time with identical people.

The games

insurgency game
Revolution at the bottom. Much loved by the Unions as well as by all those who believe in the weight of power. It often has a transactional basis for children and parents.

counterinsurgency game
Play as the authorities as they fight against the insurgents. Very much a parent-child base. Between them they play a number of other games within this area, such as ‘Catch Me If You Can’, the Blame video games, and also the ‘Poor Me’ game.

sponsorship game
Strengthen yourself by joining all those who will help you along the way. The basic deal is the fact that the people below have the ability to call the people above, who in turn have a loyal servant who keeps their ears to the ground and so on.

alliance building game
Building strength through peer networks. Note how this is played out horizontally through the group vs. the vertical game of Sponsorship.

Empire building game.
Played especially by supervisors on their way up the business, developing the power base of their own. The internal competition below is between total fiefdoms rather than individuals. This is invaluable in case you are actively playing a war game.

budget game
Budgeting usually includes clear rules and this particular game is all about getting as much money as you can, usually asking for a lot with data that you’ll get just one component of everything you asked for. More than any other game, this one is zero sum, because when I find the money, you don’t.

gaming experience
This is played by people with expert power, where their knowledge and skills are managed by them more for their personal benefit than the company’s. For example, they will only give information or maybe help those who can help them in the future. Therefore, they are played alongside various other games.

lord it over game
This is played on the strength of one’s position, for example, where a top manager gathers his staff and also creates pronouncements, turning them over to do his bidding (which, of course, might cease to be in one’s passions). the company).

line vs staff game
This is the game between line supervisors dealing with the day-to-day work of the organization, as well as staff consultants looking, for example, to distribute best practices and frequent performance procedures. Staff generally have no direct authority, allowing for resistance or even line managers to refuse.

Rival Camp Game
When empire building becomes us vs. them, usually when there are 2 main camps, then it can turn into all out war. This usually occurs between departments, such as research and manufacturing, sales and marketing, etc. where you will find different backgrounds, interests and goals and it’s not hard to point your finger over the fence.

Strategic Candidates Game
This happens when designs are on display and organizations of people rally around these suggestions. In a way, it’s the suggestions that are fighting each other.

denunciation game
This is where an informant leaks information (perhaps to the press) or perhaps when someone names the ‘dead elephant’ in the middle of the table. When the emperor is told that he is naked, it is normal for him to defend himself, so this is a risky game and can certainly be played due to morality, naivety, or perhaps with a clear political intent, such as discrediting a rival .

Young Turks game
This is generally played as the ‘pushers’ game in which testosterone patterns and aggressiveness are the primary tool. In addition, he appears in leadership difficulties and tries to change the strategic direction.