How to Navigate Org Drama
The Skip Podcast
Joining a new team: what to say first
A staff engineer asks what to ask a new manager; advice: lead with facts about why you moved and immediate goals.
Work getting political isn't new, but surviving it without derailing your career has never been more challenging. As organizations flatten and restructures accelerate, the instincts that used to work — push back, demand clarity, make noise — often backfire. In this episode, we answer five questions from people caught in reorgs, managing-up dynamics, and situations where the "obvious" move turns out to be the wrong one.
Key topics
• What to do when leadership goes dark, and you can't tell if a reorg is coming
• The stay-vs-go framework: when brand matters, when comp overrides it, and why short tenures are more common than most people think
• The one question that puts your manager in an impossible position
• How to navigate an underperforming direct manager
• Why acting before a restructure is announced gives you a head start
• How to build the relationships you'll need on a rainy day before you actually need them
• What happens when VP sponsorship and calibration approval still aren't enough to get promoted
• How to start fresh on a new team when you're leaving a dysfunctional one behind
• The five-point playbook for navigating office politics without getting swept into them
References:
• Claude: https://www.claude.ai
• Floodgate: https://www.floodgate.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com
• Meta: https://www.meta.com
• OpenAI: https://www.openai.com
Brought to you by
• Framer—Build websites with enterprise needs at startup speeds: https://framer.link/dFacxBQ
• Customer.io—The customer engagement platform for human messaging: http://customer.io/skip
Where to find Nikhyl
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
03:18 Why organizational politics are so top of mind
04:59 “Everything’s changing, and no one’s telling me anything”
06:35 The two common reasons behind radio silence
12:41 Tough conversations shouldn’t be your first conversations
15:05 Why confrontation isn’t always the answer
17:35 Avoid putting your manager in a defensive position
22:12 Why role tenure is more malleable than you think
26:18 When a company reorg shifts you into a new role
29:55 How modern is your skillset?
33:57 How to identify whether burnout is worth it
40:03 Is the cost of your ambition future regret?
45:12 How to deal with an underperforming manager
55:23 Leaving a dysfunctional team for a new one
59:14 Drive impact first, talk long-term goals second
1:02:06 Why managers respond positively to specific goals
Don't forget to subscribe to The Skip to hear me coach you through timely career lessons. Access exclusive sessions from 100+ top product leaders at skip.coach. If you’re interested in joining me on a future call, send me a note on LinkedIn, Threads, or Twitter. You can also email me at nikhyl@skip.community
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theskip.substack.com
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