Politics of Close Proximity: Where Political Power Grants Influence Based on Physical Presence rather than Achievements
In today's dynamic workplaces and political landscapes, the issue of proximity politics has come under scrutiny. When structures lack transparency and leaders isolate themselves from ground-level feedback, they unintentionally cultivate a culture of silence and fear, where flattery is rewarded and truth becomes dangerous.
This reliance on proximity politics is problematic, as it stagnates organizations, discourages innovation, and encourages risk-aversion. In workplaces, proximity bias leads to on-site employees receiving more managerial attention, access to high-profile projects, faster promotions, and favourable performance reviews that may not align with actual merit. Remote or less visible employees may be overlooked, harming morale, engagement, and overall team performance. This challenge has become more pronounced with hybrid and remote working models.
In political parties, strategic proximity to authority can translate into unequal influence, preferential access to leadership, and increased ability to shape decisions and policies. This can exacerbate existing hierarchies, reinforce symbolic power structures, and limit meaningful inclusion of diverse voices, particularly for those spatially or socially marginalized.
To mitigate these issues, intentional organizational and systemic strategies are required. Organizations should standardize and clarify policies and expectations, basing location and visibility requirements on clear business or political needs, applied consistently and transparently to avoid ad hoc favouritism. Emphasizing outcome-based metrics over physical presence helps ensure fair assessments and promotions, reducing the impact of visibility bias.
Manager and leader training is another crucial step. Training to recognize proximity bias and encouraging inclusive behaviours—such as equal meeting access, mentorship, and stretch assignments—helps level the playing field. Leveraging technology to create perceived proximity can also foster a sense of connection and common ground despite physical distance, mitigating negative effects of lack of physical proximity.
In political and institutional contexts, promoting governance models that formally legitimize broader participation and decision-making authority can reduce subordination linked to spatial and social marginalization. Creating cultures and leadership approaches that challenge symbolic hierarchies and promote equity can counterbalance the power imbalances associated with spatial proximity.
It is essential to ask ourselves if we are rewarding the right people and building spaces where truth can be spoken, performance is measured fairly, and leadership is supported by strength, not surrounded by sycophancy. Clear feedback loops, transparent evaluation systems, and participatory governance are essential tools in resisting the rise of flatterers. Structures must track and reward performance independently of personal connections.
In conclusion, organizations and political systems need to design inclusive policies, foster equitable evaluation, train leaders to address bias consciously, and use communication technologies effectively to mitigate the negative implications of strategic proximity to authority on workplace dynamics and political party functioning. By doing so, we can foster a culture of meritocracy and transparency, promoting innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable growth.
- A culture of meritocracy and transparency can be fostered in businesses by emphasizing outcome-based metrics over physical presence, standardizing policies, and training managers to recognize and combat proximity bias, hence promoting fair assessments, reducing visibility bias, and encouraging innovation.
- In political parties, promoting equitable evaluation, governance models that legitimize broader participation, and leadership approaches that challenge symbolic hierarchies can help reduce subordination linked to spatial and social marginalization, ensuring that diverse voices are meaningfully included and power imbalances associated with strategic proximity to authority are counterbalanced.