How to Navigate Org Drama

Work getting political isn't new, but surviving it without derailing your career has never been more challenging. As organizations flatten and restructures accelerate, the instincts that used to work — push back, demand clarity, make noise — often backfire. In this episode, we answer five questions from people caught in reorgs, managing-up dynamics, and situations where the "obvious" move turns out to be the wrong one.

Key topics

• What to do when leadership goes dark, and you can't tell if a reorg is coming

• The stay-vs-go framework: when brand matters, when comp overrides it, and why short tenures are more common than most people think

• The one question that puts your manager in an impossible position

• How to navigate an underperforming direct manager

• Why acting before a restructure is announced gives you a head start

• How to build the relationships you'll need on a rainy day before you actually need them

• What happens when VP sponsorship and calibration approval still aren't enough to get promoted

• How to start fresh on a new team when you're leaving a dysfunctional one behind

• The five-point playbook for navigating office politics without getting swept into them

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