How to Navigate Office Politics: Your Guide to Getting Ahead

See the guide to find out how to:

  • Navigate office politics without damaging your reputation, professional financial relationships or accounting career
  • Identify and work with political people in your office and remain attuned to workplace dynamics
  • Manage and mitigate political problems without getting drawn into power struggles or playing petty games
  • Advance your career fairly and with integrity

How to navigate office polities

Why office politics matter

Are office politics helping or harming your career? How you handle sensitive workplace situations can make or break your professional image. Whether you work for a major accounting firm or lead a small business, there’s likely some degree of office politics within your company. Most organizations are not immune to political issues, especially small businesses with few employees, where office politics can have a big impact.

Understanding your company’s political landscape can be an important step in your accounting and finance career. At times, your job or office culture may feel like one big political game — office gossip and rumors can spread like wildfire. But navigating office politics is not complex if you understand the common types of "political players" in the workplace, how to navigate office politics without compromising your career and how managers can "lobby" for a winning workplace.