26. Navigating Enterprise Politics with Dr. Jawn Lam

You’ve heard it a thousand times: “I hate all of the politics at work.” You may have even said it a few times or at least carried the sentiment. And since it’s such a ubiquitous topic of conversation, more than a few of us have likely commiserated with colleagues about office politics over drinks at a happy hour or a plate of food in the company cafeteria (just for clarification, that’s a place where people gathered to eat when we went to the office), but odds are you didn’t leave that gathering with a plan for navigating those political tides.

Today’s guest, Dr. Jawn Lam, has done scholarly research on how people gain, hold, and exercise power in organizations, and has built a business based on helping people win that political game at work. And if we think of organizational politics as a game that can be won or lost, we want you to gain some insights that will help you win.

 

Guest Bio

Dr. Jawn Lam, is a scholar-practitioner who is obsessed with how people gain and wield power in the workplace. He is the founder of Durable Leadership, an organizational consulting firm that helps executives win at enterprise politics. Jawn is a graduate of Pepperdine University at the undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral levels.

 

On this episode, you’ll learn:

• The common myths about office politics
• How power and politics play out in the corporate setting?
• The moral/ethical implications of power and politics
• Why everyone in the organization should be aware of political dynamics whether or not they decide to engage
• How office politics possibly be beneficial to the organization
• How you can win at enterprise politics

Links for This Episode:

• durableleadership.com
• linkedin.com/in/jawnlam
• Contact Dr. Lam
• Phone: 714-300-9552
• email: JawnLam@durableleadership.com

 

Connect with Dr. Mike: 

• Website: https://www.drmikepatterson.com/
• Book: https://www.missionfirstpeoplealwaysbook.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichaellpatterson/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealdrmikepatterson/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/drmikepatterson
• Buy The Book!: Mission First People Always

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:01 What to expect from today’s episode
• 1:26 Get to know Dr. Jawn Lam
• 5:55 How to be more authentic and productive 
• 9:01 Why do you need more power? 
• 10:55 How Dr. Lam handles working with a narcissist
• 14:10 How Dr. Lam has helped his clients get more power 
• 18:50 What success looks like to Dr. Lam
• 25:57 How Dr. Lam protects the repatriation and interest of his clients 
• 33:14 The truth about power dynamics and relationships 
• 37:17 How to connect with Dr. Lam and closing thoughts