Stop Dodging Office Politics

Five everyday habits that let you influence with integrity and get good work into the world

“I hate office politics.”

If that line has ever slipped out of your mouth, you’re in good company. I hear it from coaching clients almost every week, and I used to say it myself! The catch? Stepping away doesn’t scrub the game clean; it simply benches you while someone else’s agenda runs the field. Harvard Business Review makes the case bluntly in “You Can’t Sit Out Office Politics.” (hbr.org)

A healthier lens

Politics isn’t manipulation. It’s influence with integrity. It’s using relationships and clear communication to move important work forward for a purpose bigger than you. The HBR On Leadership podcast episode “How to Master Office Politics Without Compromising Your Values” underscores exactly that. (hbr.org)

My wake-up call at Google: detecting wildfires

During my time in Google, I was passionate about helping people and communities to combat and to adapt to climate change. I wanted wildfire-detection tech in users’ and firefighters’ hands, despite many in the company believing this was impossible. That purpose powered the coffee chats, hallway debates and “Does this fit our roadmap?” meetings that finally got this technology developed and the product shipped. Communities got a new safety tool and, yes, my visibility rose, but that was a side benefit, not the goal.

Five practical habits that keep workplace politics clean

1️⃣ Transparent communication: share early, share often

Silence during crunch time breeds rumor and blame. When deadlines slip or a task-force spins up, err on the side of over-communication:

• Noon status mail: what happened, why, mitigation, next checkpoint.
  
• Daily five-minute stand-ups in high-volatility weeks—“no change” is still a trust deposit.
  
• Retro notes and risk logs in a shared doc so no one wonders what they missed.

Forbes calls transparency “the antidote to toxic politics.” (forbes.com)

2️⃣ Empathy: step into their constraints first

Asking thoughtful questions, trying to understand people, relationships and what drives decisions can help you develop empathy, gain trust and become a positive force in the organizational culture.

Ask the other side: “What pressures are you under that I might not see?”

Looking to genuinely understand the other side reframes the skeptic as a partner guarding real risks, and forms a partnership by helping  both sides hunt for true win-wins rather than lose-win..

3️⃣ Curious listening: dig below the surface without judgement

Questions that remove blame create psychological safety and expose root causes:

• Swap “Why didn’t this ship?” for “Walk me through what got in the way.”
  
• Keep them talking with “Tell me more …” or “What would great look like from your seat?”
  

Deeper data → better decisions.

4️⃣ Narrate your impact: lead with outcomes, not tasks

Busy executives fund results. 

Instead of “Optimised database queries,” say: “Cut page-load time 35 %, saving customers two seconds per click and halving cloud spend.”

End every sprint note with one line: “Impact: reduced false positives from 5 % to 1 %.” 

Past wins earn you credit for the next idea.

5️⃣ Micro-coalitions: pre-wire decisions with a skeptic and a champion

When you want to push forward your ideas, don’t wait for the big meeting to go your way. Run this through people in a 1-on-1 setting, get their honest feedback and improve upon it.

Book two fifteen-minute previews:

1. “I’d love your eyes on this deck, what worries you?”
   
2. “Here’s how I’ve addressed your feedback, will you back it?”
   

Walk into the big meeting able to say, “Legal and Ops reviewed; here’s our joint plan.” 

Decisions take minutes, not hours, and meeting culture shifts toward clarity and speed.

Put it to work this week

1. Name one thorny problem your team faces this quarter.
   
2. Ask, “How can I help?”
   
3. Apply the five habits above, especially a quick micro-coalition, and watch momentum build.
   

Reflection prompt: Which habit feels least comfortable? That’s usually the one worth practising first.

(If you’d like support becoming politically savvy without losing your soul, let’s talk.)

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Further reading

• “You Can’t Sit Out Office Politics,” Harvard Business Review, July 14 2021. (hbr.org)
  
• “How to Master Office Politics Without Compromising Your Values,” HBR On Leadership podcast, December 18 2024. (hbr.org)
  
• “Office Politics Are Poison—Transparent Communication Is the Antidote,” Forbes, September 19 2024. (forbes.com)
  
• “Why Are Office Politics So Frustrating? The Trick to Avoiding the Game,” Forbes, November 5 2024. (forbes.com)
  

Happy reading—and happy influencing.