At Work with The Ready 48. Office Politics: The Fun and Frustration of Palace Intrigue
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May 4, 2026 They dig into how lack of documented ways of working lets powerful people’s preferences become default norms. They explore why relationship-based politicking can feel more rewarding than building durable processes. They discuss tactics to replace implicit rules with written artifacts, multi-threaded sponsorship, and outside arbiters to reduce attention wasted on palace intrigue.
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Power Preferences Fill Organizational Vacuums
- In the absence of clear ways of working, people default to the preferences of the most powerful.
- Rodney explains this pattern from his camp-counselor days and says it creates a political operating system that consumes attention.
CEO Interrupts Mural Process And Forces A Pivot
- A CEO disrupted a facilitator's mural process because it didn't match his cognitive style and the team switched to his preference.
- Rodney recounts that changing mid-flight cost clarity; they later set a rule to try things first and reflect afterwards.
Politics Feels Fun But Undermines Durable Process
- Politics can feel more fun than building durable operating systems because palace intrigue is entertaining.
- Sam warns that gossip and coalition-building are appealing short-term distractions from boring but lasting process work.