Golden rule: Focus on the situation, issue, or behavior, not the person; Maintain constructive relationships.

I have worked for enough different employers to have been suspected/accused of job hopping. From that experience, I have concluded that, because of human nature, company politics is a given and is to be expected except (maybe) in the smallest of organizations. And I have also learned the hard way that there is no such thing as remaining neutral - at least in the eyes of others. If you aren't with "us," you must be with "them."

So, the question isn't IF, but WHEN we have to deal with company politics. And, if we are taking care of our career, we realize that we have to deal with this every day. And the rules of engagement are as follows:

1. There are no sidelines, boundaries (company politics always reach beyond the company), fouls, or even referees. You are a participant, the game is on, and you are currently in someone's cross-hairs. If you are not aware of any of your equals whom this might be, it is probably someone nearer the top of the corporate food chain.

2. The amount of damage about to be inflicted on you is directly proportional to the aggressor's connections and inversely proportional to yours.

3. Choose sides carefully. These are your connections (see Rule 2 above). A very good strategy is to align yourself with the company's core values and goals (assuming you agree with them - leave if you don't). You will better understand and anticipate the support offered by your connections and be in a better position to offer your own support when called upon. Besides, the stench of the battle won't cling to you nearly so badly.

4. Long-term employees are usually, though not necessarily always, an excellent indicator of what are the REAL company values and goals .

5. The best defense is not necessarily a good offense. Offensive salvos, when effectively deflected, always ricochet back on the aggressor. This is the only thing keeping anyone from forging their attack at any particular time.

6. When in doubt, stay on the high road. Overaggressive behavior, while sometimes exciting, is seldom defensible and will likely provide your target with ammunition of their own (see Rule 5 above). Besides, though you may not think much of someone, you are still being paid to "work and play well" with them.

7. While it is entirely possible to lose, there is no such thing as winning. The game is never over. On the rare occasion when all opposing sides have been vanquished (e.g. laid off, run off, sold, shut down), the members of the remaining side will subdivide into warring factions.

8. Your long term strategy should not be to "take someone out," but to merely discourage aggression against you. The elimination mindset is seldom tolerated for long (see Rule 6 above). A world at peace is a world of nations content, for the moment, with their boarders and spheres of influence.