Episode
48. Office Politics: The Fun and Frustration of Palace Intrigue
- Podcast
- At Work with The Ready
- Published
- May 4, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3019
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://hubs.la/Q03RbTLw0
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Summary
Office politics doesn't happen because people are scheming. It happens because no one wrote anything down. In the absence of clear ways of working, the preferences of the most powerful people fill the vacuum and suddenly half your attention is spent learning whose attachment format to use rather than doing the actual work. In this episode, Rodney and Sam dig into one of the most universal and underdiagnosed org patterns: the political operating system. They explore why politics can feel more fun than good process, why "influence without authority" is just pandering with better branding, and how to start replacing implicit norms with something more durable than whoever's in the room at that moment. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk. Get our newsletter: Sign up here. Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram -------------------------------- Mentioned references: The Ready’s OS Canvas: https://www.theready.com/os-canvas Essential Intent: BNW Ep. 90 with Greg McKeown Even/Overs: BNW Ep. 44 Dual Transformation: AWWTR Ep. 43 Andrea Robb Action Meeting Episode: BNW Ep. 80 with Sam Spurlin Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) User Manual to Me: BNW Ep. 159 00:00 Intro + Check-In: What’s a skill you rarely get to show off? 03:08 The Pattern: We cater to those in power when there’s no org clarity 05:17 Leveraging relationships to do work feels good in the moment 09:12 Discerning what’s best for a leader vs. best for the work 13:11 Experience navigating CEO preference 17:06 Politics is more fun than building a good OS 20:12 Leaders come and go, and take their preferences with the…