290 : I Don't Do Politics

It's one of the most common things people say at work. Usually with a slight head shake, as if distancing themselves from something grubby. It makes sense, when most people hear "office politics," they picture backstabbing and corridor whispers.I've noticed across nearly four decades of work: the people who say they don't do politics are almost always doing politics. They've just convinced themselves they aren't.Not doing politics doesn't mean you're above it. It means someone else is defining your narrative, allocating your opportunities, and interpreting your intentions without your input. That isn't staying neutral, it's delegation.The choice was never between doing politics and not doing politics. It's between doing them consciously or letting them happen to you. There's a version of this that doesn't require you to become someone you're not.This week, I break down the three political positions everyone defaults to, whether they realise it or not, what each one costs you, and how…