Office politics.
We've all been there, and had the frustrations. What is really at the root of "office politic" problems? Would you believe a loss of trust. As discussed in a recent book on building trust by Solomon & Flores, the very concept of "having a good idea" is lost if politics is a deciding factor in awarding promotions, projects, praise, etc.
If any type of reward is given for a politic reason rather than merit, the goal in the office quickly shifts to "winning favor" rather than deciding what is best for the customer or the company. You need to be able to TRUST that good ideas will be used, not just ideas from someone making "friends" with the right executive. You need to TRUST your ideas will receive credit and not become your bosses great new idea.
Trust, it's a lot more important than we thought!
