Political Frame

Prompt #1: What did you learn about organizations, and/or the behavior of individuals
within an organization? How do the ideas presented in Part Four (the Political Frame)
of the B&D textbook enrich your understanding of the ways in which organizations and
the people working in them function?
Reading about the political frame was surprisingly interesting to me. I had preconceived
notions that this frame was geared toward the power hungry and I would not have much
interest. I learned that the political frame is extremely useful and powerful for all leaders
when used appropriately. Bolman and Deal point out that you need friends and allies
to get things done (Bolman, 2013, pg.214). It is very difficult to achieve great success
within any platform without the support of others. Building coalitions create power and
leverage which are needed to accomplish difficult agendas. Pfeffer defines power as
the potential ability to influence behavior, to change the course of events, to overcome
resistance, and to get people to do things they would not otherwise do (Bolman, 2013,
pg.190). This idea of power is instrumental in the process of change and innovation and
any manager that masters this concept has the potential to make great things happen.
Another topic I found very intriguing was that of the various sources of power. Some of
the sources, such as Information and Expertise and Reputation, I found very endearing.
I personally would want to achieve power in a noble way based upon the principals I live
my life by and the skills and knowledge that I have. Other sources such as Coercive
Power and Control of Rewards, I personally find appalling. I understand these types of
power are very affective, but I believe they are very damaging and destructive in the
long run.

Prompt #2: How can you apply the concepts that you have learned about in the
readings to your personal or organizational life? Be specific.
I can apply these concepts in many aspects of my life. I typically rely very much on the
structural frame and though this is an efficient way of achieving results, it does not do
much for creating innovation. Through use of the political frame, I can encourage
diversity and the conflicts that will spawn as a result. It is out of these conflicts that great
ideas are born and barriers are broken down.
I will also use the concept of coalitions to further my cause and achieve the goals that
are valuable to me. In finding others who share similar goals with different overall
objectives, we can form a diverse coalition whose power will attain an outcome
satisfying to all members of the coalition.

Prompt #3: Compare how structural theorist, human resource, and political frame
theorists view power.
Theorists from the structural, human resource and political frame view power very
differently. According to Bolman and Deal, Structural theorists view power as authority
or the right to make, implement, and analyze important decisions. Human Resource
theorists are not fans of authority and believe that participation, openness, and
collaboration are the true source of power. The political theorists appreciate authority
as well as collaboration. Where they see power is in bringing groups of different views
or agendas together in order create a diverse group seemingly working towards a
common goal (Bolman, 2013, pg.195).

Prompt #4: What are the four strategies of principled bargaining? Come up with an
example of a bargaining situation in which you were involved (or that you are familiar
with). Connect the use (or failure to use) each of the strategies within the context of
your example.
Bolman and Deal report that four strategies of principled bargaining are:
1) Separate people from the problem.
2) Focus on interests, not positions.
3) Invent options for mutual gain instead of locking in on the first alternative that
comes to mind.
4) Insist on objective criteriastandards of fairness for both substance and
procedure (Bolman, 2013, pg.216).
My wife and I recently decided to purchase a used vehicle from an out of state
dealership. This was a hard to find vehicle and we were lucky enough to find one with
very low miles. There was a lot of back and forth with the dealer over price and the
logistics involved with purchasing a vehicle from out of state. Though we were doing
everything in our power to make the deal happen, certain individuals at the dealership
were dragging their feet. The manager at one point told me they were going to cancel
the deal because it was too complicated for them. I eventually spoke with the customer
relations manger and was able to work everything out rather easily.
As hard as it was for me to separate people from the problem due to the frustration
involved, this proved to be very beneficial. It was because I didnt allow the situation to
become personal that I was able to keep the deal moving forward. I could have easily
focused on the position of right versus wrong, in the end it would not have gotten me
very far. Focusing on the objective which was procuring the vehicle was critical to the
deal ultimately working out. I attempted to communicate mutual gain to the used car
manager, but I have a sneaky suspicion that he had personal gain as his motivation. I
cant imagine a car salesman passing up a sure sale unless they had something else
better on the hook. All in all it was my insistence on objective criteria and the facts of the

deal that enabled everything to work out. The customer relations manger was like
minded and understood the objective criteria as well and we worked together very well.
Prompt #5: Throughout your progression in the Organizational Leadership program,
you have had a number of courses that include content complementary to the political
frame. Please highlight what you would consider to be two of the most important things
(ideas, concepts, theories, models, processes, skills, etc.) that you have learned in
previous coursework that you can relate to the Political frame. Briefly discuss each key
learning, the course where you learned it, and its connection with the Political Frame.
In OGL 350: Diversity and Organizations, I learned about the concept of Diversity
Management. This concept focuses on the various conflicts that can arise due to teams
made up of diverse team members. When this diversity is managed correctly, a much
stronger and innovative team will emerge. This concept relates to the political frame in
that it focuses on bringing diverse people together and managing the conflict to find an
innovative resolution.
In COM 430: Leadership Group Communication, I learned about the concepts of the
different types of power and how they can be used to attain an objective. This directly
relates to the political frame as there are various types of power that are included in
both courses. These include coercive power, rewards based power, referent power, and
legitimate power. Understanding the various types of powers and knowing how to apply
them is in and of itself very powerful.

Frame or Reframe an Organization from a Political Perspective

Prompt #6: How does politics work in an organization, group, or team with which you
are affiliated?
The organization I have been employed with for the last 11 years is made up of a tight
nit group of people. Though there are the occasional misunderstandings, everyone gets
along very well. The owner of the company hired an individual several years back whom
caused disruption between most everyone in the company with the exception of the
owner. This individual would do and say everything needed in order to get in good with
the owner, but was a completely different person with the rest of the staff. I knew that in
order to convince the owner what was really happening, I would need to have a group of
people stand with me; who better than two of the other partners. I spoke to both of them
privately about the matter and realized we were more or less on the same page. The
three of us formed a coalition and spoke to the owner in a very unthreatening but matter
of fact manner about the issue. When he saw the three of us aligned in our opinions

about the matter he couldnt help but take it seriously. Not long after, the trouble making
individual was terminated and the a cohesive work environment was restored.

Prompt #7: How does politics affect outcomes in your place of employment (or other
organization) for, say, customers, employees, colleagues, stockholders, surrounding
community and/or any other stake-holders? How has your organization or team
demonstrated being a political arena and/or political agent? Describe enough of a
situation concretely to provide context and use concepts from the readings in your
response.
Politics are part of just about every organization and my current place of employment is
no exception. There are relationships that are built between, employees, managers,
ownership, and clients which have an impact on many different outcomes of our day to
day operations. I personally have built strong relationships with the employees of our
organization, upper management, and the clients we work for. The relationships provide
different sources of power for me, even though I was not seeking power when the
relationships were built. I believe these relationships have put me in a great position
within our company as I am able to work with both sides in order to find solutions to
everyones needs. I am able to work with our clients to negotiate contracts and
deadlines are in line with the requirements of all parties involved.