Emotional Intelligence vs. Durable Systems

Office politics doesn't happen because people are scheming. It happens because no one wrote anything down. In the absence of clear ways of working, the preferences of the most powerful people fill the vacuum and suddenly half your attention is spent learning whose attachment format to use rather than doing the actual work.

In this episode, Rodney and Sam dig into one of the most universal and underdiagnosed org patterns: the political operating system. They explore why politics can feel more fun than good process, why "influence without authority" is just pandering with better branding, and how to start replacing implicit norms with something more durable than whoever's in the room at that moment.

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Mentioned references:

• The Ready’s OS Canvas: https://www.theready.com/os-canvas
• Essential Intent: BNW Ep. 90 with Greg McKeown
• Even/Overs: BNW Ep. 44
• Dual Transformation: AWWTR Ep. 43
• Andrea Robb
• Action Meeting Episode: BNW Ep. 80 with Sam Spurlin
• Directly Responsible Individual (DRI)
• User Manual to Me: BNW Ep. 159

00:00 Intro + Check-In: What’s a skill you rarely get to show off?

03:08 The Pattern: We cater to those in power when there’s no org clarity

05:17 Leveraging relationships to do work feels good in the moment

09:12 Discerning what’s best for a leader vs. best for the work

13:11 Experience navigating CEO preference

17:06 Politics is more fun than building a good OS

20:12 Leaders come and go, and take their preferences with them

22:08 Politicking wastes organizational attention

27:00 Short term politics at odds with long term value

31:32 Andrea Robb’s organizing principles

34:23 Leadership politics keeps you from the truth

37:10 Example navigating a leader during an offsite

41:33 Change #1: Don’t depend on only one person

43:55 Change #2: Get a new set of eyes to challenge assumptions

46:34 Change #3: Write. It. Down.

48:44 Wrap up: Leave us a review!

Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.