The Secret Handshake: How to win at office politics

The higher you go up the corporate ladder, the more people skills outweigh technical skills. But don’t assume that everyone at an elite level is above playing games or being petty. Those things still exist – they just get more subtle.

Office politics has a bad reputation. People associate it with warring factions and backstabbing, but the truth is that without politics, nothing would get done and nobody would ever get ahead.

Every organization has a different level of internal politics. Not everyone is good at it, and not everyone enjoys it, so the key is to find a place that suits your own comfort levels. If you’re pure at heart, you won’t survive in a cutthroat environment, and vice versa.

Being good at office politics means picking up on nonverbal cues. You cannot reach the top without this ability. Those who can’t read between the lines get left behind.

Study your boss’s mannerisms. Do they fidget when uncertain? Speak fast when busy? Avoid eye contact when annoyed? All of these things are messages – and you must understand them to stay on their good side.

Balance is everything. The savviest players don’t challenge those with more power than them. The trick is to take a big-picture perspective, i.e. “How is this going to meet my own needs while also serving the project in question? And how will it impact the people who matter?”

If you’re asked to give feedback on a colleague, particularly someone higher up, be honest but frame it positively. These things don’t always stay private (especially in email form), so be careful not to undermine yourself by making enemies unnecessarily.

Don’t get too cocky. Confidence is associated with power, but there is always a line. Cross it, and you’ll turn people off. On the other end of the spectrum, letting poor behavior slide weakens your position because it shows that the offending party has power over you.

Beware of people who play “fast and loose”. There’s a certain type of person who looks after number one by keeping their options open. They have no loyalty, so never be completely open with someone who fits this bill.

Bottom line:

- Every inner circle has its own code.

- The more political an office is, the better you need to be at reading signs.

- Technical competence is rarely enough to succeed.

- Power isnegotiable – but you can’t renegotiate it if you don’t speak the right language.