As much as you might miss your school days sometimes, few people probably miss all the gossip and drama. You would hope such immature behavior ends at graduation, but you will find it is a part of human nature everywhere.

But the Harvard Business Review explains how you can hold your own in workplace politics without getting dragged into the mud.

You might think that you will simply refuse to play along because you are above such childish behavior. But if you have seen Game of Thrones, you will remember how that worked out for Ned Stark when he tried to just opt out of all the posturing and conniving.

While office politics fortunately are not quite that life and death, they can still certainly cost you your job if you have a powerful enemy and nobody to watch your back.

You don’t have to scheme and double cross to be a savvy politician, but you do have to weigh the currency of social connections. For instance, maybe you have a manager who likes to take credit for the work of the people they oversee. You and others on your level will never get the credit for your accomplishments you are due with that system.

But you can develop an arrangement where if one of you hears the manager doing this in front of the higher ups, that person can casually find time to put in a good word for whoever’s work was overlooked. That way you are all watching each other’s back.

It also helps to reframe your mindset. If you are trying to make an ally out of your boss, don’t think of it as sucking up to them any more than the preparations you made when preparing for your initial interview were.

You are focusing on making the best impression so you can be afforded the opportunity to demonstrate your value. Going the extra mile to get your boss’ attention with something positive is just smart business.

Politics are inevitable, so not playing is not an option unless you want to fend for yourself against a shrewd alliance. But you don’t have to sacrifice your integrity to play things in a way that can get you ahead.

Still left feeling like managing work politics is like trying to learn how to play chess for the first time? Get some more tips on how to better maneuver yourself in the Harvard Business Review article.

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Leadership YouTuber Mike Ashie shares his ideas for playing and winning office politics.

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