31 Chapter Three Who is savvy? Man is by nature a political animal. Aristotle, Politics R esearch findings have always been clear-cut: the most successful people tend to be politically adept. They under- stand that all organizations are political systems. Perhaps more importantly, they know how to work them: if you want to get funding, influence others, win people over in conflict situations, get recognition for what you've done and ultimately get on, you need to be politically savvy. And this has never been the case more than it is now. Since most people acknowledge that the politics are everywhere ­ and they also (some grudgingly) recognize the need to be politically savvy ­ it's surprising that the term office politics continues to have negative connotations. More often than not, it's still a label reserved for behaviours which are underhand, manipulative or damaging to others. But it's clear that there are people who play the politics constructively. What's the difference? Well, it's a question of not just what you're doing, but also why you're doing it: your motives and your methods. To distinguish between negative, destructive politicking and positive, constructive politicking, you need to explore both dimensions.