Office Politics Aren't Going Anywhere—So Learn to Win at the Game

The bloke in the cubicle next to mine just got promoted. Again. Third time in eighteen months, and honestly, the guy couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery if his life depended on it. But he sure knows how to play the game.

Here's what no one wants to admit: office politics aren't some toxic byproduct of corporate culture that we need to eliminate. They're the natural result of humans being humans in competitive environments. And if you're sitting there thinking you're "above" office politics, mate, you're already losing.

I spent the first decade of my career believing that good work speaks for itself. What a load of rubbish. Good work gets you noticed by your immediate supervisor. Maybe. If they're paying attention. If they're not dealing with their own political battles. If they remember come review time.

Handling Office Politics became one of the most requested training topics we deliver, and not because people are inherently scheming. It's because they're tired of watching less competent colleagues advance while they're stuck wondering what they're doing wrong.

The Three Types of Political Players

After fifteen years of watching workplace dynamics across Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth offices, I've identified three distinct types of political players:

The Natural Politicians: These are the people who seem to effortlessly navigate complex organisational structures. They remember everyone's birthdays, know exactly which meetings to attend (and which to skip), and somehow always end up on the right side of major decisions. They're not necessarily Machiavellian—they just understand that relationships drive business outcomes.

The Reluctant Players: Most of us fall into this category. We recognise that politics exist but hope we can minimise our involvement. We do just enough to avoid being completely sidelined but never really commit to mastering the game. This approach works until it doesn't.

The Politics Deniers: These poor souls insist that merit should be the only consideration for advancement. They actively avoid "playing politics" and then express genuine surprise when they're passed over for promotions. Noble in theory, career-limiting in practice.

I used to be firmly in the third camp. Thought I was taking the moral high ground. Really, I was just being naive.

Why Australian Workplaces Are Particularly Political

There's something about Australian business culture that makes office politics especially complex. We pride ourselves on being egalitarian, but scratch beneath the surface and you'll find hierarchies as rigid as anywhere else in the world. We say we value straight talk, but actually, we're masters of subtle communication and unspoken rules.

Take the classic Australian tendency to "tall poppy syndrome"—cutting down anyone who gets too big for their boots. This creates an environment where you need to be politically astute enough to advance your career without appearing too ambitious. It's a delicate balance that trips up many otherwise talented professionals.

The coffee culture doesn't help either. Some of the most important decisions in Australian offices happen during those "quick coffee catches" that aren't so quick and definitely aren't casual. Miss these informal networks, and you'll find yourself out of the loop before you even know there was a loop to be out of.

Companies like Atlassian have built their entire culture around trying to minimise traditional office politics, but even they acknowledge that influence networks naturally form wherever humans work together. The difference is whether these networks operate transparently or in the shadows.

The Skills They Don't Teach in Business School

Here's what I wish someone had told me twenty years ago: managing difficult conversations is just the tip of the iceberg. Real political skill involves reading unspoken agendas, building strategic alliances, and timing your moves perfectly.

Information Currency: In every organisation, information is power. Know who has it, who wants it, and how it flows. Be strategic about what you share and when. This isn't about being secretive—it's about understanding that timing matters.

Alliance Building: You can't succeed alone, but choose your allies carefully. Look for people who are going places, not just people you like. Sometimes these are the same thing, sometimes they're not.

Strategic Visibility: There's a difference between showing off and ensuring your contributions are recognised by the right people. Learn to communicate your wins without looking like you're boasting.

Reading the Room: Every organisation has unwritten rules about everything from meeting etiquette to communication styles. Master these, and you'll find doors opening that you didn't even know existed.

The biggest mistake I see people make is treating politics like a dirty word. It's not about manipulation or backstabbing—those are the tactics of amateurs. Real political skill is about building genuine relationships, understanding organisational dynamics, and positioning yourself strategically within those dynamics.

When Politics Go Wrong

Of course, there's a dark side to all this. I've seen talented people destroy their careers by playing politics poorly. There was this one project manager at a previous company who thought office politics meant taking credit for others' work and throwing teammates under the bus during client meetings. Brilliant engineer, terrible politician. Last I heard, he was struggling to find work because word gets around.

The difference between effective political behaviour and toxic behaviour is intent and method. Effective politics involve building win-win relationships and creating value for the organisation while advancing your own interests. Toxic politics involve zero-sum thinking and treating colleagues as obstacles rather than potential allies.

Reading List

Other Resources You Might Find Useful:

• Team Development Training
• Problem Solving Decision Making Training

The Bottom Line

Office politics aren't going anywhere. You can spend your career complaining about them, or you can learn to navigate them effectively. The choice is yours, but don't pretend there isn't a choice.

According to recent research, approximately 67% of senior executives report that political skills were more important to their career advancement than technical competence. That might make you uncomfortable, but it doesn't make it less true.

The most successful professionals I know aren't necessarily the smartest or the hardest working—they're the ones who understand that business is fundamentally about relationships. And relationships, whether we like it or not, involve politics.

Stop fighting the game. Learn to play it well.

Because at the end of the day, the person who gets promoted isn't always the best at their job—it's the person who's best at positioning themselves for the promotion. The sooner you accept that reality, the sooner you can start doing something about it.