Office politics exist in every organization, of every size, and in every industry.
The thought of gamesmanship and deceit may run through your mind along with images of Frank Underwood or Richard Nixon – shrewd people taking advantage of others to get what they want.
Manipulation. Greed. Power.
But the truth is less made-for-television than that.
Office politics are games of influence played to figure out how to use limited resources.
Some play fair, and others play dirty, but that doesn’t make the game evil, any more than baseball in 2001 when Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs (where it is widely believed he did so while using steroids).
Politics solve the question of how to use those resources, like:
- Time
- Team capacity
- Promotions & raises
- Professional opportunities
- Skills
- Budgets
The best players know how to read the room and play their hand. They understand leverage and use influence to guide outcomes in their favor.
The worst players don’t realize they’re playing, even if they don’t want to. Decisions are constantly being made, and “people” are an essential resource.
How you play the game is up to you, but it’s the only game in town. If you want to fight for what is right and good, learn how to navigate office politics better than anyone with bad intentions.
If you decide not to play the game, you will be played instead.