Office Politics: Women balk, but they need to know how to play the game to land leadership roles

Many women may cringe at the mere thought of office politics, but experts say businesswomen who aspire to executive posts avoid workplace dynamics at their own career peril.

Ignoring office politics “can be one of the biggest career killers,” said Jo Miller, CEO of Women’s Leadership Coaching Inc. of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She conducts workshops and other programs for women aspiring to career leadership positions. In a survey of 100 emerging female professionals in the high-tech industry, she found that only 2 percent strongly felt they knew how to handle office politics in a positive and effective way. Miller, speaking with SHRM Online, also cited a 2013 LinkedIn and Citi survey (Today’s Professional Woman Report) of 954 professional women, which found office.

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