Getting Along with a Political Operator

Part of Olivia’s job is to facilitate communication and cooperation between her former boss and senior management. Since Olivia transitioned from being a direct report to a liason, her former boss has been shutting her out of precisely the conversations she’s supposed to be supporting. In addition to excluding her, her former boss often demeans her and dodges her attempts to reset the relationship and connect like they used to.

Olivia’s concerned that this politicking is undermining her reputation and will jeopardize her chances of being promoted. What should she do? What should you do if you find yourself in a similar situation?

In this episode, Amy G talks with Olivia about her situation and recommends tactics for her to try. By the end, Olivia knows what she needs to do to get her former boss to see her as a partner, regain a seat at the table — and politik in a way that benefits the entire team..

Resources:

• Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) by Amy Gallo
• “Playing Office Politics Without Selling Your Soul,” by Robert Kaiser et al.
• “Office Politics Don’t Have to Be Toxic,” by Madeleine Wyatt and Elena Doldor
• “Navigating Office Politics When There Is No Office,” by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Dorie Clark

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