We Are All Playing Politics at Work

Workplace politics is unavoidable — it's the gap between how things should work and how they actually do. Through personal stories like being pushed out after reporting a policy violation and navigating impossible deadlines, the author argues that refusing to engage with workplace politics doesn't make you principled, it just leaves you powerless. The key insight: political savvy isn't manipulation, it's using influence to protect your team and achieve goals while keeping relationships intact. Practical examples include reframing deadline conversations and navigating technical disagreements between teams without making enemies.