Up to what point is your work environment political?
By Angela Civitella
Edited July 25, 2026
Everyone has an agenda in the workplace. Whether people are aiming for a promotion, attempting to win a big project, trying to impress their boss, or looking to move departments, their actions often have an underlying purpose.
These motivations can lead to healthy, professional networking and communication, but they may also cause power struggles, competition and alliance‑making that upset everyone within a team.
In war you can only be killed once, but in politics many times.
Winston Churchill
In this article, we’ll look at how to recognize office politics in today’s work environment – including remote and hybrid contexts – and explore ways to avoid its negative influence.
What are office politics?
Office politics is the use of informal or underhand methods to gain an advantage in the workplace. People do this to achieve their goals, gain prestige, or seek greater influence, so that they can persuade others, access assistance or resources, or get ahead in their careers.
We all need to build good relationships at work. The more connections you can build with stakeholders and senior leaders, the more likely you are to succeed. Engaging with leaders rather than staying on the sidelines increases your visibility and your ability to accomplish your goals.
‘Office politics can be defined as the use of underhand methods to gain advantage in the workplace.’
However, this crosses into office politics when people participate in destructive behaviours to influence others. Instead of relying on positive relationship‑building techniques such as persuasion and networking, individuals resort to damaging and unethical actions like manipulation, corruption, backbiting, or infighting. This can cause people to become frustrated by perceived inequities, damage team morale, and lead to stress and burnout.
What Is a “highly political” organization?
Professor Kathleen Kelley Reardon identified four types of political organizations in the January 2015 issue of the Harvard Business Review. These categories still offer a useful framework today:
Minimally political
Leaders ensure that rules, expectations and promotion standards are clear and followed. Office camaraderie is strong, and people do not engage in underhand acts.
Moderately political
Organizations are generally rules‑driven, and any political activity is low‑key. People engage as a team, and conflicts are limited.
Highly political
Powerful individuals manipulate rules to their advantage. Who you know becomes more important than what you know. Cliques are common, and there is a clear division between people in the “inner circle” and those outside it.
Pathologically political
The environment is marked by distrust. People achieve goals by circumventing normal channels and procedures, relying on personal connections. People focus less on work and more on protecting themselves and seeking advantage.
‘Cliques are common, and there’s usually a clear division between people who are part of the “inner circle” and those who are not.’
Highly and pathologically politicized organizations and teams are likely to demonstrate:
Friction: relationships between team members and departments are contentious, curt or nonexistent.
Deceit: people discredit others to make themselves look better.
Gossip: conversations frequently revolve around people who aren’t present, rather than legitimate business issues.
Silos: individuals or departments withhold information or resources to get ahead.
Rivalry: people are jealous of colleagues and focus on personal wins rather than organizational success.
Power plays: people use their connections to get ahead, regardless of their skills or experience.
Blame culture: people are reluctant to take responsibility and shift blame to others.
Manipulation: people achieve goals by indirect means, often at the expense of others.
Many of these characteristics reflect the absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of team accountability, and inattention to team objectives. They resemble unhealthy stages in which people assign blame instead of fixing problems, focus on survival over work, and spread gossip. Although many organizations linger here, this stage can precede “corporate death”.
‘Many of these characteristics reflect the absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of team accountability, and inattention to team objectives.’
Politics in remote and hybrid work
Today, office politics no longer happens only in physical offices. Remote and hybrid work have created new channels for political behaviour: private chat groups, selective invitations to virtual meetings, and strategic use of email and messaging.
Exclusion from key online discussions, “side conversations” on messaging platforms, late‑night emails designed to impress, and unequal access to information can all be forms of political manoeuvring. Staying alert to how decisions are really made – and who is regularly in the virtual room – is now part of understanding your organization’s political landscape.
Being visible in remote or hybrid settings means contributing thoughtfully in meetings, documenting decisions, and maintaining professional boundaries in digital communication, not just spending more time online.
How to survive in a political organization
So, how can you defend yourself in a political workplace and ensure that you and your team members survive office politics? Here are seven strategies.
1. Set a good example
“Walk the talk” and demonstrate positive behaviour. Communicate consistently and transparently, encourage good teamwork, reward constructive behaviour, give feedback on poor behaviour, listen, build trust, act with emotional intelligence, and seek “win‑win” results in your interactions.
2. Avoid gossip
Spreading rumours or sharing intimate details about colleagues’ personal lives will rebound on you. When people discover that you’ve disclosed information about them, you damage your reputation, lose credibility, and destroy their trust – which can be hard to recover. Deal with gossip quickly. Talk to the people involved to clarify what is true, and lead by example by refusing to engage in gossip, whether in person, by email or in chat.
3. Combat bullying
Bullying is unacceptable in any situation, yet it remains common in workplaces, including online. If you’re a victim, or suspect that a team member is suffering, read and apply your organization’s anti‑bullying and harassment policies. Record the specifics of incidents – including messages, emails and meeting notes – and consider taking formal action where appropriate.
4. Focus on your goals
Avoid taking sides when conflict arises. Concentrate on your objectives rather than on opposing viewpoints. Everyone should agree on the ultimate goal: ensuring that the team or organization succeeds.
5. Identify stakeholders
Who truly holds power and influence in your organization? Identifying and strengthening your ties with stakeholders gives you insight and helps you navigate complicated relationships. Remember, job titles don’t necessarily reflect power; it is often based on a person’s ability to influence others.
6. Develop alliances
Finding allies who can support you, offer advice, and provide friendship is important. Avoid focusing exclusively on your own tasks and ignoring opportunities to build relationships. Network with others at various levels, and consider finding a mentor who can help you avoid potential problems and improve your connections.
7. Keep written records
If a conflict arises that requires intervention from human resources or your supervisor, make sure that you have documentation to support your position. Keep track of your ideas, suggestions and accomplishments with dated notes or emails, and, if you’re having trouble with people, keep careful records of specific incidents and communications.
Team spirit, team recognition, mutual support and mentoring weaker elements all strengthen your work environment, stimulate growth, and forge deeper relationships that serve both you and the greater good you work in. In navigating politics, always look for the “win‑win”.
Image: Gladstone Xavier
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Angela Civitella, a certified management business coach with more than 20 years of proven experience as a negotiator, strategist, and problem-solver, creates strong synergies with those seeking to improve their leadership and team-building skills. linkedin.com/in/angelacivitella/ • intinde.com • @intinde