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You don’t get promoted by accident. Sometimes you don’t even get promoted because you did everything ‘right’. Office politics gets a bad rap — unfairly, I think. It’s lumped in with backstabbing and gossip as if every human interaction at work is a toxic manoeuvre. The reality is messier, more human, and frankly more useful. If you want to survive and thrive in modern organisations — whether you’re running a team in Sydney, leading a project in Melbourne, or navigating a hybrid unit in Brisbane — you need to understand the terrain. Not in a cynical, manipulative way, but strategically and ethically. What I say here isn’t theory. It’s the kind of hard-won, sometimes awkward learning you only get from years in rooms where budgets, egos and outcomes collide. We help leaders do this every day — and we’ve seen how the skilled use of influence, empathy and relationships can turn potential career-stoppers into career-makers. Why office politics isn’t a dirty phrase Let’s be blunt: politics is influence. It’s persuasion. It’s social capital converted into outcomes. People who tell you “ignore it” are either naïve or lucky. In my experience, the people who thrive aren’t always the technically best; they’re the ones who build alliances, listen, and position themselves where decisions are made. Two opinions some will bristle at: - Promotions often come down to visibility and relationships as much as competence. Harsh? Yes. True? Also yes. - You should, at times, strategically align with people you disagree with. The goal isn’t tribal loyalty; it’s getting things done. Neither of these means you must sacrifice integrity. Quite the opposite. The smartest political players I know combine clear ethics with strategic thinking — influence, not manipulation. Influence builds; manipulation destroys. Understanding the landscape — power, culture and the unspoken rules Office politics is mostly about three things: who has influence, how decisions get made, and what behaviours are rewarded. Those factors are shaped by organisational culture — the explicit values, and the implicit, unspoken rules. Look for patterns. Who gets airtime in meetings? Whose ideas get picked up and credited? Who gets assigned the high-visibility projects? Those are the signals that matter. They reveal the social hierarchies you’ll need to navigate. And remember: not all power is formal. A senior admin, a long-serving middle manager, a charismatic team lead — any of these people might be the real gatekeepers. Treat roles and relationships with equal respect. Build strategic relationships — not a popularity contest Networking at work isn’t about collecting business cards or becoming everyone’s best mate. It’s about cultivating genuine, reciprocal relationships that help you both accomplish goals. Start with active listening. People underestimate this. Ask good questions. Remember small details: a family holiday, a preferred working style, what keeps them awake at night professionally. This is not manipulation — it’s basic human respect. Practical steps: - Map your influence network. Identify three allies, two neutrals you could win over, and one person whose support would move the needle. - Offer value first. Share information, support a colleague’s pitch, connect people. Reciprocity works. - Rotate your circle. Cross-functional visibility matters; go to presentations outside your team, offer to collaborate on interdepartmental projects. A word about mentors and sponsors: they are different. Mentors advise; sponsors advocate. You want both. Seek out sponsors who will put your name forward when opportunities appear. That’s how careers accelerate. Spotting allies, adversaries and the undecided Human dynamics are resource allocation in disguise. Allies will back you publicly and support you privately. Adversaries may undermine you subtly or overtly. Neutrals are the most interesting — they can be persuaded, and sometimes their support is pivotal. Don’t rush to label people as enemies. Often, perceived adversaries are simply misaligned. Find out their drivers. A seemingly obstructive person might be protecting their team’s workload or reputation. Discovering motive changes your tactics. Communication and active listening: the soft skills that win There’s no substitute for clear communication. People who can translate technical detail into business outcomes tend to be the ones who influence decisions. Pair that with active listening and you’re ahead of 70% of your peers. Active listening means you reflect, clarify and respond. It builds trust. It also gives you better information — you’ll understand politics because you’ll hear the underlying concerns families, budgets, risk profiles and career trajectories. Network strategically, not endlessly A tip often missed: quality beats quantity. Spend time with people who influence outcomes, but also invest in colleagues whose skills complement yours. A broad, supportive network gives resilience when politics turn rocky. Practical networking habit: - Weekly: check in with one ally and one neutral. - Monthly: attend a cross-team meeting or volunteer for a project. - Quarterly: ask a leader for feedback on your visibility and impact. Handling conflict and difficult personalities — don’t personalise everything Conflict is inevitable. How you handle it separates effective leaders from the rest. First principle: understand your conflict style and adapt. Some people avoid, others confront. Both can work — but both can also backfire if used exclusively. Assess the other person’s style and match it. For someone who is highly analytical, bring data; for someone relational, emphasise outcomes for the team. If someone is aggressive, stay calm and factual. De-escalation is an underrated skill: pause, paraphrase, propose next steps. Use boundaries. Clear, professional boundaries protect you and prevent burnout. If a colleague consistently undermines you in meetings, address it privately, with examples, and ask for a mutual commitment to respect. Ethics: influence versus manipulation This is the tightrope. Influence is transparent, consensual, aligned with organisational goals. Manipulation hides motives, misuses information, and erodes trust. I hold a firm view: ethics is a competitive advantage. People notice long-term integrity. They prefer to work with someone predictable and fair — the sort of person managers bring into leadership pipelines. If you’re ever unsure whether a tactic is ethical, test it: would you be comfortable if this became public? Would you recommend it to someone you mentor? If the answer is no, don’t do it. Trust and credibility — they compound Trust is slow to build and easy to lose. Consistency matters. Do what you say. Communicate transparently. Own mistakes early — they’re less damaging when you control the narrative. Competence matters, but credibility is broader: reliability, clarity, and generosity. When you combine expertise with emotional intelligence, you become someone others seek out when things get hard. When to walk away — spotting genuinely toxic environments Not all battles are worth fighting. There are workplaces where the politics are fundamentally corrosive: systemic manipulation, lying, exploitation. These are different to the usual messy office dynamics. Signs to watch: - Regular, unchecked bullying. - Leaders who reward deceit and punish candour. - Decisions consistently made in private with no transparent rationale. If those patterns persist, consider your options. Sometimes staying is a mission you can fix. Other times leaving is the healthiest, most strategic move. Know your values, and align your career accordingly. A few tactical moves that work - Influence mapping: draw the network. Who decides? Who influences those decisions? Use this map before presenting ideas. - Meeting currency: ask for five minutes at an influential meeting and use it to solve someone’s problem, not just to push your agenda. - Small wins: get quick, visible results that demonstrate capability and build trust. - Sponsor conversations: ask a senior colleague to introduce you to someone influential — introductions cut through noise. Reality check: the cost of ignoring politics There are real consequences to ignoring office politics. Lowered visibility, stalled promotion, missed opportunities, and higher stress. Statistically, workplace dynamics matter for mental health and retention: Safe Work Australia and other workplace bodies regularly flag interpersonal conflict and bullying as drivers of poor wellbeing. Gallup’s global employee engagement research also shows that a small proportion of employees feel truly engaged — that’s often down to leadership, relationships and trust, not just job design. The long game — shaping culture If you’re in a position to influence culture, use it. Lead with clarity, reward collaborative behaviours, and build systems that reduce ambiguous power plays (clear decision rights, transparent project allocation, open feedback loops). Culture is a set of repeatable actions; change the actions and you change the politics. Small organisational moves have big effects: - Publicly credit contributors. - Rotate project leads. - Create formal sponsorship programs for underrepresented groups. Final thoughts — be strategic, be human Office politics is inevitable. You can choose to be naïve, cynical, or strategic — I recommend the last. Be strategic and human. Influence should be exercised with empathy, integrity and a clear eye on outcomes. One last opinion people will argue with: being politically literate should be part of every leadership program. It’s not soft fluff. It’s navigation skills for complexity. We teach it that way — practical, case-based, uncomfortable sometimes. Leaders who avoid it are running blind. I’ll leave this with a small, practical challenge: pick one relationship this week you’ll improve not because you need something, but because you want the team to win. Small investments compound. And if you don’t get it right the first time — you’ll learn. That’s the point. Politics is messy. So are people. So am I. So are you. We get better. The goal isn’t to play games; it’s to build workplaces where people can do their best work. Sources & Notes Safe Work Australia, “Work-related psychological health and safety: a summary of the evidence,” Safe Work Australia reports and guidance on workplace bullying and psychological hazards. (Referenced for Australian context regarding workplace interpersonal harm and its impact on wellbeing.) Gallup, “State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report,” Gallup research on global employee engagement showing levels of employee engagement and implications for productivity and retention.