> Optimise for political capital not what’s right.
Yes and no. Often what’s politically valuable is short term and misaligned with what the company’s values are.
Pushing back diplomatically might be the smarter thing in the mid to long term. be mindful of where the request comes from and from whom.
Companies with > 1000 employees will operate completely like this. Where there will always be 3 “priorities” for every manager: what they were told by the C-level, what they know to be important to their manager and what _they_ want to get out of their position.
The amount of times I have been caught totally off guard because I couldn’t fathom why a certain team or individual would be actively doing something to the detriment of the business… only to later understand it was to the benefit of their unit/selves.
Figure out who the internal competitors are.
Learn what gets rewarded in an organisation. This often has little correlation to actual value.
Optimise for political capital, not whats right.
Don't make a scene. Don't cause drama. Don't be stupid enough to lead anti-company movements, e.g. discussing pay inequality, or unionisation.
Be cordial and respectful to everyone, even if they don't deserve it.