As part of my research for writing The Politics of Promotion: How High Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead, I surveyed hundreds of women, not only about their challenges with office politics, but also their feelings about it.
The emotions about this topic were strong, mostly negative. Many women felt that office politics was ‘evil’ and for the most part, didn’t want anything to do with it.
But as I highlighted in the book, you ignore office politics at your peril. If you’re not tuned into the culture and the power structure (who really has power beyond the organizational chart), you are setting yourself up to be blindsided. And take it from me, I had my head down, worked hard, and paid little attention to the dynamics around me. That didn’t end well. I was passed over for a promotion that I rightly deserved.
Lesson learned. It’s critical for anyone interested in doing their best work and being rewarded for that work to understand that you need both political will and political skill. You need to understand the importance of engaging and how to play the game with political savvy.
Now fast forward to the age of AI. While I continue to emphasize the skills and strategies I offer in the book, I was curious how one could use AI to enhance those skills.
So I asked ChatGPT what AI tools and prompts are helpful for reading a room, building influence and trust, connecting with key stakeholders, communicating your value, and navigating difficult relationships and conversations.
The advice given is very specific to the tools and prompts for each situation.
It’s important to understand that NONE of this advice means you should forgo your judgement, natural ability to connect or listen to your gut. These tools simply offer a sounding board, a way to enhance your skills, and should never be relied on 100% for political savvy.
Check out the full article on Substack.com for practical advice.
AI isn’t a magic wand, but used thoughtfully it’s a superpower: it helps you listen better, prepare smarter, tailor your message, and practice the conversation so you show up calm, confident, and credible.
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