Hey Reader,

Last week, a mentee asked me: “Should I just ignore office politics and focus on my work?”

My answer surprised him: “I tried that too. But it’s the fastest way to get left behind.”

Let me explain:

After my first switch, at a new company, I led a project that increased system reliability by 60%. Never mentioned it to anyone outside my team.

When the promotion cycle came, I wasn’t even in the conversation. A peer who shipped less but networked more? Promoted.

That’s when I realized: office politics isn’t going away. When you do great work in silence, it stays invisible. Promotions don’t go to the best engineer. They go to the best engineer people know about.

Now, after 11 years of managing teams, I’ve learned you can’t avoid politics. But you can navigate it ethically without becoming the person you hate.

Here’s how:

Strategy 1: Understand the invisible rules

Every company has unwritten rules:

• Who has real influence (not just title-based power)
• How decisions actually get made
• What gets rewarded vs what gets ignored

Do this:

Map your org this week:

• Who decides promotions?
• Who influences project assignments?
• Who has informal power?

This isn’t manipulation. It’s understanding how things work.

Strategy 2: Make your work visible (without bragging)

Toxic approach: Take credit loudly, exaggerate contributions

Strategic approach: Share updates factually, credit others generously

Example:

❌ “Working on API optimization”

✅ “Reduced API latency by 40%, impacting 50K users. Collaborating with [teammate] on caching strategy.”

You’re visible for contributions AND collaborative.

Strategy 3: Build relationships before you need them

The mistake: Only reaching out when you need something

Better: Coffee chats with people outside your team. Not to ask for anything. Just to understand what they do.

Ask: “What’s challenging for you right now?”

When you later need support, referrals, or visibility - they remember you helped them first.

Strategy 4: Manage up (not suck up)

The difference:

Sucking up = Agreeing with everything, no backbone Managing up = Helping your manager succeed while advancing your goals

How:

• Ask: “What are your top 3 goals this quarter?”
• Frame your work in terms of those goals
• Send proactive updates (so they don’t chase you)
• Bring solutions, not just problems

This isn’t manipulation. It’s alignment.

Strategy 5: Protect yourself from toxic players

Some people will try to undermine you.

How to protect yourself:

Document your work - Save emails, track contributions. If someone takes credit, you have receipts.

Build multiple relationships - Don’t rely on one person’s opinion. If one tries to sabotage, others vouch for you.

Address credit-stealing directly - When a colleague presents your idea as theirs: “Glad you brought that up. When I proposed this last week, I suggested X. Happy to collaborate on implementation.” Assertive, not aggressive.

The Ethical Framework

Before any political move, ask:

1. “Am I harming someone to get ahead?” → If yes, don’t.
2. “Would I be comfortable if this became public?” → If no, reconsider.
3. “Am I building or burning relationships?” → Building = good politics.

Repeating so you remember!

Naive approach: “I’ll just focus on my work.” Result: Work goes unnoticed, promotion goes elsewhere

Strategic approach: “I’ll do great work AND ensure it’s visible.” Result: Work gets recognized, career advances

Politics exists. The choice: Navigate it ethically or get left behind.

Your action this week:

Answer these:

1. Who decides your promotion?
2. Does your work reach them?
3. Do they know what you contribute?

If no to 2-3, that’s your visibility gap. Start closing it.

-Abhishek

The Guided Growth