Workplace politics has gotten a bad rap. It's often seen as the province of slick, self-promoting operators seeking a fast track to the top. Yet when competent people vie for a promotion, usually the one with political savvy wins. When conflict arises, the politically astute among us are able to reconcile differences. They know how to go around stated rules to get things done. They also know what to say, when and to whom. This may appear to be finesse to some and outright manipulation to others, but without such interpersonal skill high level competence often goes unnoticed.

Ellen was near tears when she called for help. She described that she had recently landed her “dream job” at a large marketing firm. From day one, however, the friction between herself and her co-worker, Mike, was sapping all the joy out of her new position. Although they were supposed to collaborate on projects, Ellen told us that this was nearly impossible because Mike was dismissive of her ideas and claimed credit for campaigns that were developed collaboratively. The breaking point came when Mike openly shot down Ellen’s ideas on a big project and continually undermined her during team meetings.