How to avoid turf battles and keep programs moving

But here’s the good news: Current and former federal officials we spoke with agree that turf battles are less acrimonious, easier to overcome most of the time, and, perhaps most important, less about managers wanting to mark their territory and more about the best way to meet agency mission.

Still, turf battles span the gamut from squabbles over petty matters to clashes over issues of major significance.

Offering an example of the latter, one federal official recently described on ongoing rift at his agency between the CIO and chief financial officer over several high-profile issues, including Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 and IT security.

“For many agencies, physical security is under the CFO and IT security is under the CIO, so where does the [HSPD-12] card fall?” the official said. “No one wants to deal with it, and there is no teamwork.”

How can you survive or avoid turf battles? Experts offered the following tips:

Meet and greet. Fostering good relationships from the start is key. Don’t just send an e-mail; go see your counterparts. Getting to know them personally will go a long way toward ensuring a solid business foundation.

“If you start out with the concept of engendering teamwork, and they understand your perspectives and you understand theirs, it will make things easier in the future,” said a former federal official.

Speak the same language. Many times turf battles occur when each side says similar things but interpret them differently. That’s when conflicts start to peak. “Ninety percent of the time, it’s not that we don’t agree, but that we haven’t taken the time to express what we need in terms [others] can understand,” said one federal official. “You must go into the situation with your eyes open, because if you go in [with] guns blazing, everything will be tough.”

The language barrier is especially common between CFOs and CIOs, experts said. CIOs talk in terms of technology, CFOs talk in terms of money. If they take the time to understand each other, the issue usually moves toward resolution.

It’s business, not personal. It’s too easy to get personal during these confrontations, officials said. When this happens, it’s often from a lack of respect for your colleague. But experts said respect is earned through a process of learning about each other.

“You have to listen to the obstacles they have in getting their work done, and you have to take the time to explain the broader picture,” a former fed said.

No leavening agent needed. No matter how bad it gets, don’t raise the issue to the level of the deputy secretary or head of the agency. This will cause more harm than good, experts said. “You will lose your influence and credibility,” a former federal official said. “Next time, it becomes much harder to recover or get your point across.”

Political vs. Career. Undoubtedly, this is where many turf battles break out—between political appointees trying to advance an administration’s agenda and career executives concerned about their agencies in the long-term. Experts said managers need to weigh their options especially carefully, because a situation could easily backfire.

“I had a couple of situations where I was at odds with a political person, and since I knew I had a better relationship with the secretary, I knew if I played things right I would win. Other times, I just folded my cards. It’s always easier to build trust than engage in a turf war.”