If there’s one thing I never cared for, it’s the office politics that come with working in a corporate environment. Yet, here I am, on a typical Tuesday morning, trying to figure out how to handle a situation that involves more diplomacy than I thought I’d ever need.
It all started with an innocuous email from Lisa, my project manager. She’d sent out a summary of our last team meeting, but this time, it seemed, she’d conveniently “forgotten” to mention my contributions. It wasn’t the first time it had happened, but today, it annoyed me more than usual. I mean, we’d all worked late to finish that report, and I had definitely pulled my weight.
So, there I was, standing by the office coffee machine — my unofficial thinking spot — with a mug of lukewarm coffee and a dilemma. Do I let it slide again and risk becoming invisible, or do I address it directly and risk stirring the pot?
The office is one of those open-plan spaces where whispers carry, so trying to keep my thoughts to myself was futile. Sarah from marketing, who’s got a knack for reading vibes, joined me, her mug in hand. “You look like you’ve got a lot going on,” she said, raising an eyebrow.
I sighed. “It’s just this email Lisa sent. She left out some key points — namely, mine.”
Sarah nodded, as if that explained everything. “Classic Lisa. I’ve had a similar issue with her before. Honestly, bring it up. You deserve credit for your work.”
It made sense, but I still hesitated. I didn’t want to seem confrontational, and Lisa and I had a relatively cordial relationship. “I guess the question is how,” I mused.
Sarah chuckled. “Always CC the boss. That way, she knows you’re just aligning with the team’s efforts.”
It wasn’t a bad idea. With newfound resolve, I drafted a quick message: “Hi, Lisa. Thanks for the email. I noticed a couple of my points weren’t included in the summary — just wanted to ensure we had all inputs noted for alignment. Best, Me.”
I hit send before I could overthink it, including our manager in the loop, just as Sarah suggested. I immediately felt a mix of relief and a slight pang of anxiety. Office politics isn’t my favorite game, but sometimes you have to play to stay in the game.
And as if on cue, I received a reply from Lisa shortly after, acknowledging the oversight and thanking me for pointing it out. I couldn’t help but smile. Maybe I was getting the hang of this after all.
As I walked back to my desk, Sarah gave me an approving nod, like my move was a rite of passage in surviving the corporate jungle. For now, I felt a small victory — a reminder that even a small voice can make a difference if only it dares to speak.
