"Think about the last time a terrible technical decision got pushed through at your company. Maybe it was adopting some overcomplicated architecture, or choosing a vendor that everyone knew was wrong, or killing a project that was actually working. I bet if you dig into what happened, you'll find it wasn't because the decision-makers were stupid. It's because the people with the right information weren't in the room. They "didn't do politics.""
"Meanwhile, someone who understood how influence works was in that room, making their case, building coalitions, showing they'd done their homework. And their idea won. Not because it was better, but because they showed up to play while everyone else was "too pure" for politics. Ideas don't speak. People do. And the people who understand how to navigate organizational dynamics, build relationships, and yes, play politics? Their ideas get heard."
"We've all been conditioned to believe that workplace politics is this dirty game played by manipulative ladder-climbers while the "real" engineers focus on the code. I used to think the same way. For years as an engineer, I wore my hatred of politics like a badge of honor. I was above all that nonsense. I just wanted to ship. Politics was for those other people, the ones who didn't have what it takes technically."
Politics is not inherently bad; bad politics is. Politics functions as the invisible network of relationships, influence, and informal power in every organization. Refusing to participate does not remove politics; it removes one's voice from decision-making. Poor technical outcomes often follow when knowledgeable people are absent from decision rooms. Individuals who understand influence, build coalitions, and demonstrate preparation steer outcomes regardless of idea merit. Ideas require advocates to be heard. Building cross-team relationships, understanding stakeholder motivations, and navigating organizational dynamics increases the chance that technical expertise will be included in decisions.
Read at Terrible Software
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