The Office Politics Podcast with Fexingo: Workplace Dynamics, Influence, and Getting Things Done

In Episode 54 of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna dive into a counterintuitive workplace skill: setting and protecting boundaries without damaging your reputation or relationships. Using the real-world example of Sarah, a mid-level product manager at a fast-growing fintech, they explore why 'strategic unavailability' can actually increase your influence. They break down the difference b...

In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna dive into a specific strategy for turning workplace influence into a promotion. They break down the concept of 'sponsorship' versus 'mentorship,' using the real-world example of how a mid-level marketing manager at Unilever secured a senior director role by cultivating an executive sponsor. Lucas explains the three-step framework: iden...

Lucas and Luna explore a counterintuitive workplace tactic: how sharing minor annoyances can actually deepen trust with colleagues. They break down the psychology of benign vulnerability, why over-sharing backfires, and how to strategically reveal a pet peeve to signal approachability without losing authority. Using a concrete example from a mid-level manager at a Fortune 500 tech firm, they show...

Lucas and Luna explore the fine line between being seen and being effective in a remote or hybrid workplace. Using the case of a mid-level marketing manager at a Fortune 500 company who went from overlooked to promoted in six months, they break down three concrete tactics: calibrated Slack presence, asynchronous meeting contributions, and the power of the 'weekly wrap-up' email. Learn how to be vi...

In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the strategic art of becoming the go-to person in your organization without burning out. They break down the specific tactics used by a senior engineer at a mid-sized SaaS company who successfully positioned herself as the cross-functional expert on data migration during a major platform overhaul. The hosts discuss the 80/20 ru...

When two companies merge, the office politics can get brutal. Lucas and Luna break down a real 2025 case: the merger between a legacy bank and a fintech, where cultural clashes and power struggles sank morale before the deal even closed. They share concrete tactics for protecting your position, reading the new power structure, and knowing when to stay quiet versus when to make a move. Specific adv...

Episode 48 of The Office Politics Podcast dives into the subtle art of the informational interview as a career lever. Lucas and Luna break down why this underused tool can shift workplace power dynamics — if done right. They discuss how timing, framing, and follow-up separate a productive conversation from a time-waster. Using a real example from a mid-level marketing manager who landed a mentorsh...

Lucas and Luna explore a counterintuitive workplace tactic: using small annoyances to strengthen team bonds. They draw on a 2025 study from the Journal of Organizational Behavior showing that colleagues who share minor gripes report 23% higher trust scores. Lucas explains the psychological mechanism—the 'benign violation' theory—and Luna offers a caution from a friend whose complaining backfired....

In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the counterintuitive power of 'failing upward' — using a visible, well-timed failure to gain influence, trust, and long-term career momentum. They break down a real case from a Fortune 500 company where a mid-level manager turned a botched product launch into a promotion by reframing the failure as a learning opportunity for th...

Lucas and Luna explore the art of upward networking—building relationships with senior leaders without seeming transactional or desperate. They dissect the specific case of a mid-level marketing manager who used a cross-functional project to earn face time with a VP of Strategy at a Fortune 500 consumer goods company. The episode breaks down three concrete techniques: the 'informational update' em...

When your company reorganizes, the official org chart tells only half the story. In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna unpack what happens to informal influence networks after a restructuring, drawing on a 2025 McKinsey study that found 72 percent of post-restructure productivity loss stems from broken trust lines, not workflow design. They walk through a concrete case: a...

Lucas and Luna explore the fine line between destructive office rivalry and productive competitive tension. Using the case of Uber and Lyft's early driver-poaching wars, Lucas argues that rivalry can sharpen performance when channeled correctly. Luna pushes back with data from a Stanford study showing that head-to-head competition inside teams often backfires. They land on four specific rules for...

Episode 42 of The Office Politics Podcast. Lucas and Luna explore the underrated skill of pre-reading team dynamics before walking into a meeting or workspace. They break down why most people miss the cues in plain sight, and how one five-second observation technique — scanning for 'energy clusters' — can help you avoid landmines and build influence faster. Using a real case from a mid-sized tech...

In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore a surprisingly underexplored power move in workplace dynamics: strategic note-taking. Most people treat meeting notes as either a chore or a personal memory aid. Lucas argues that how you take notes, who you share them with, and what you choose to write down can shape perceptions, build alliances, and even shift decision-making...

In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the counterintuitive power of strategic invisibility — knowing when to stay off the radar to build leverage and avoid unnecessary battles. Using the case of a mid-level product manager at a large tech company who quietly deferred credit on a high-visibility project, only to become the go-to person for the next promotion, they b...

In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the underappreciated power of a well-timed apology in the workplace. Using the 2020 case of Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson's apology to two Black men in a Philadelphia store, they break down why most apologies at work fail and how to craft one that rebuilds trust and influence. They discuss the anatomy of a strategic apology: timi...

Episode 38 of The Office Politics Podcast explores the power of deliberate silence in meetings when you're fighting for budget or a promotion. Lucas and Luna break down a real scenario: a mid-level manager at a Fortune 500 company who secured a $500,000 project budget by staying quiet after making her ask. They discuss the psychology behind silence—how it creates discomfort the other party fills w...

Lucas and Luna explore the strategic art of transforming workplace rivals into allies, using the real-world case of a tense product team standoff at a mid-sized tech firm. They break down why direct confrontation often backfires, how small acts of targeted generosity can disarm conflict, and the specific 3-step method one manager used to turn a chronic detractor into a project champion. Listeners...

Episode 36 of The Office Politics Podcast tackles one of the trickiest moves in workplace dynamics: converting a competitive rival into a genuine ally. Lucas and Luna break down the psychological shift from zero-sum to positive-sum thinking, using a detailed case study of two senior product managers at Spotify who went from sabotaging each other's projects to co-leading the company's most successf...

Lucas and Luna explore how your calendar is more than a scheduling tool—it's a strategic asset for influence, boundaries, and visibility. They break down specific tactics like time-blocking for deep work, color-coding for perceived importance, and the art of the 'prep block' before key meetings. Using real examples from a product manager who turned her calendar into a promotion lever, they show ho...

In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how your calendar is more than a scheduling tool—it's a strategic asset for visibility, boundary-setting, and influence. They break down the 'calendar audit' technique used by many senior leaders, using public examples like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's time-blocking approach and a famous Harvard Business Review study on execut...

This episode of The Office Politics Podcast dives into the controversial and often misunderstood tactic of strategic incompetence—when employees deliberately underperform or feign inability to avoid certain tasks. Lucas and Luna explore a 2024 study from the Journal of Organizational Behavior that found nearly 15% of workers admit to occasionally using this tactic. They break down the fine line be...

Episode 32 explores a counterintuitive skill: strategic forgetfulness. Lucas and Luna discuss how deliberately letting go of minor slights, outdated grudges, and low-stakes mistakes can actually boost your influence and effectiveness at work. They anchor the conversation in the case of a product manager who lost credibility by over-documenting every team misstep, and contrast it with a senior lead...

Lucas and Luna dive into the unspoken rules of office gossip — how to listen without participating, how to protect your reputation when you're the subject, and when a whispered comment can actually be a strategic tool. Using the real-world example of a product manager at a mid-size tech firm who turned gossip into influence, they break down the difference between harmless chatter and career-damagi...

In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle a delicate workplace scenario: when a colleague repeatedly takes credit for your contributions. Using a real case from a mid-sized marketing agency, they break down a three-step response framework that avoids public confrontation but protects your reputation. Lucas explains the 'reputation ledger' concept—how your history of vis...