The attitude of the politician.  Trying to make it to the next level with doing the least amount of work.  Schmoozing.  Brown nosing.  Sucking up.

I was never the best at this.  I am cordial, friendly, and try to be a team player.  I just never could get to the level of the ones who have mastered this art.  Of course, those with the mastery of it usually did not do much in the way of work.

Many companies have an overabundance of these types in the higher rankings.  You can usually tell, because they are the companies treading water.  Not getting ahead, and by the grace of the hard workers in the lower ranks, able to stay afloat for just a little while longer.

I happened to be at a company with roughly 150 employees.  We had the going joke in our area that the quickest way to get ahead in the company was being the secretary/receptionist.  It was an amazing thing to witness.  They got hired, and in a few months of working for the upper management, they get “trained” in an area of the company and out meeting with the clients.  They got lots of leeway as we in the technical area feverishly tried to ensure they did not do the client harm and answered the client’s questions when they called in asking about something they were told.

Another example is I actually left a company when I got placed under one boss.  Before coming to work for the company, he was actually fired for being dishonest by one of the Illinois governors who got jailed for having crooked practices when he was the secretary of state.  Got fired for being dishonest, hired by the owner due to one of his card playing buddies, came to work and make my boss, adios to me.  I got out of there.  End of the story, he got fired within a year after I left for blatantly lying to his bosses.

We all have to play politics to a point, but when it is all you can do, it is hard to contribute to the good of the company.  We all want to make money for the company, because a rising tide lifts all boats.  Unfortunately, too much politics and politicians can be detrimental.