We have all heard the saying that "It's not what you know but who you know" thrown around in our academic years. (A somewhat sad saying for all of us who are trying to expand the "know" part of this sentence with countless years and dollars spent on tuition.) I disagree with this statement and propose new words to live by: It’s not what you know but who knows you. This is part of the political game; getting the right person to know you. This is where I feel, for the advancement of my career, is of upmost importance. Playing this political game in order to get recognized by the people for my efforts, gaining others trust in order to manage a mutually beneficial relationship, and using tact to steer my peers in a positive direction that is sure to be noticed and respected are some of the challenges that I will face ahead of me. All of us will face these or similar challenges because, as we know, there are no organizations free from the game of politics, and therefore this class, Corporate and Organizational Politics, should be a required class in the I/O Psychology and Consulting Psychology curriculum.

The more I learn about politics and the more aware I am of their workings, unspoken and in the shadows, the more I realize just how prevalent they are. Politics are the reason behind so much of what we do in an organization. It is why we are taught to dress for the job we want rather than the job we have. Why we are taught manners and business etiquette. And why we address our boss (and for gosh sakes our bosses boss!) with more respect than our peers. Politics can be represented in all the little things that we tend to label “seniority” such as who gets the best shifts and lunch hours. It can be as open and obvious as who gets an office, an office with a window, and the infamous corner office (oh so wonderful for its generally larger size and, dare I say it, two windows!!!). Politics are everywhere. It is so important to know this because people tend to generally only notice them once they have become grossly abused and the negative consequences are leaking into all corners of an organization. It is vital to remember that, much like super powers, politics can used for good as well as evil. Using political skill to manipulate, for lack of a better word, your team to be creative and productive and do their very best so that you as team leader can showcase your abilities is neither vicious nor wrong. People need to educate themselves about organizational politics in order to gain political skills to get them ahead of the game and allow them the capability to reach their fullest potential. It is also vital to learn about organizational politics in order to recognize when you are on the receiving end of the game and to know how to protect yourself from falling into the victim role. Politics are all around us and if we deny them or ignore them, we will get played.