Everyone knows the loud examples: the colleague who claims the presentation, the boss with favourites, the person who has somehow been “leading” a project they've barely touched. The quieter examples are more difficult. One person gets a useful heads-up. Another gets the decision in a Friday afternoon email.
Below are fifteen fictional, composite workplace scenes. They are not accounts of real people. Some involve healthy influence. Others call for a direct reply, a private conversation or formal support. For the wider picture, read our explanation of office politics.
When your work stops being visible
1. Someone presents your idea as their own
You suggest a change on Monday. On Thursday, another person introduces it to the director as their recommendation. You can correct the record without claiming you own every thought.
“That's the approach I raised on Monday. I've put the numbers together if it would help to walk through them.”
2. Your manager leaves you out of the client meeting
You do the groundwork. Your manager presents it. Clients are entitled to deal with senior people, but you still need the context to deliver what was promised.
Try: “Could I join the next discussion? I'm responsible for delivering the analysis and I'd like to hear the questions first-hand.” Keep the request tied to the work.
3. Your name disappears from the final deck
Credit slides aren't always necessary, but repeated omission can affect performance reviews and promotion evidence. Rather than sending a wounded email to six people, ask your project lead how individual contributions will be reflected in the handover or assessment.
4. You do the rescue work, someone else gets the praise
Friday evening, the numbers don't reconcile. You fix them. On Monday the team celebrates a successful launch, with no mention of the fix. Send a factual summary: what was wrong, what changed and what was delivered. Don't wait until your next appraisal to reconstruct it.
When access becomes power
5. Important decisions happen in a private chat
Three people settle the approach before the wider group meets. That might be perfectly sensible preparation. It becomes a problem when the people expected to implement the decision don't get a voice.
“Can we bring the delivery team into the conversation before we lock the scope? We'll be responsible for the timetable.”
6. Your colleague always gets the interesting assignments
The visible projects go to the same person. Before deciding that the manager has a favourite, ask what makes someone eligible and how you could be considered next time. Specific criteria are more useful than another round of resentment.
7. You are removed from an email chain without explanation
One missed CC is usually just a missed CC. A repeated pattern affecting your ability to work is worth raising. “Could I stay copied on the decisions affecting the deliverables I own?” is clearer than “Why are you excluding me?”
8. The remote worker hears the news last
The office-based team agrees a change after a meeting. By the next morning, everyone else is catching up. Ask for a short written decision log and for important decisions to be made in agreed channels. This helps the entire team, not just you.
When relationships get complicated
9. A colleague tests your loyalty through gossip
“Between us, nobody trusts the new manager.” Your reaction suddenly feels like a vote. You can listen without agreeing: “I haven't worked closely enough with her to judge. What's the particular issue?”
10. Someone compliments you, then undermines you
“She's brilliant with detail, but perhaps not ready to lead.” It sounds supportive until the second half lands. Ask for the specific gap: “What would you need to see from me to be comfortable with me leading?” Vague doubts are hard to answer. Evidence is easier.
11. An ally tells you a difficult truth
Not all politics is ugly. A colleague warns you that your proposal ignores a team's workload and suggests you fix it before the meeting. That's informal influence working properly. Thank them, check the point and improve the work. An ally isn't necessarily someone who agrees with you.
12. A senior person sponsors your idea
Someone who trusts your judgement introduces your proposal to the right audience. Also legitimate. Credit the sponsor's help, show the substance of your work and avoid giving the impression that access replaces evidence.
When pressure becomes a tactic
13. A “small favour” quietly becomes your job
You agree to review two pages. Two weeks later you're accountable for an entire workstream. State the change in scope: “I can own the review, or I can take on the full piece if we move another deadline. Which matters most?”
14. Your boss moves the goalposts during your review
At the start of the quarter, the target is delivery. At the end, you're told you lacked “executive presence”. Request examples, the criteria that were used and what would count as improvement. A written record helps both sides work with the same expectations.
15. Somebody copies senior management into a minor disagreement
A small issue becomes a thread with eight people on it. Resist replying defensively to the entire audience. Put the relevant facts on record and suggest the smallest workable next step.
“For clarity, the figures were updated yesterday and the remaining question is the sign-off date. I suggest we confirm that directly and then circulate the decision.”
How to tell whether it's politics or simply a messy workplace
Look for patterns before drawing conclusions. Who gets information? Who gets credited? Are the criteria consistent? Can people raise disagreements without being punished for it? One forgotten invitation doesn't establish a campaign against you. Six similar incidents with a clear impact deserve attention.
Try writing three columns: What happened, What it affected and What I need next. Leave your guesses about motives in a fourth column that doesn't go into the email.
If the same kind of situation keeps happening, our guide to handling office politics gives you a broader set of strategies. If the issue is a colleague claiming your work, see specific lines for taking back credit.
When to use a formal route: Sustained humiliation, harassment, bullying or discriminatory behaviour should not be treated as a simple communications exercise. Keep relevant records and consider your employer's policy, a union representative or Acas guidance.
The small response that changes the dynamic
You don't need a devastating comeback. Often you need a clear sentence, delivered before the moment passes, that puts the right information back into the room. That's much less exciting than an office showdown. It also tends to be more useful.
For more everyday examples and practical responses, see how to deal with difficult coworkers.