Corporate politics is a game every PM must play…. Or is it?

This throwback episode of the PM Debate Podcast goes straight at a question most project managers quietly wrestle with, but rarely say out loud:

Should project managers play corporate politics… or stay out of it entirely?

In this debate, Mary Elizabeth and I take opposing sides.

One argument says politics are unavoidable.If you influence without authority, you’re already in the game.You might as well learn how to play it well for the benefit of the project.

The other argument says politics are pure risk.They serve egos, not outcomes.The moment a project manager gets pulled in, the project starts paying the price.

What makes this episode timeless is that both positions are uncomfortable and both are real.

Projects don’t exist in org charts, they exist in human systems that are messy.

This isn’t a “how-to” episode, it’s a think-it-through episode.

Reflection question:Have you seen a project succeed because someone navigated politics well or despite it

Drop your take in the comments. I’m genuinely curious.

Thanks for reading Project Management Matters! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Get full access to Project Management Matters at philipdiab.substack.com/subscribe