Episodes

  • How to Use Strategic Failing Upward in Your Career

    How to Use Strategic Failing Upward in Your Career
    Jun 12 2026
    In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the counterintuitive power of 'failing upward' — using a visible, well-timed failure to gain influence, trust, and long-term career momentum. They break down a real case from a Fortune 500 company where a mid-level manager turned a botched product launch into a promotion by reframing the failure as a learning opportunity for the whole team. The hosts explain the three rules of strategic failing upward: choose the right stage (a project with high organizational learning value), pre-frame the risk with stakeholders, and extract a specific insight that benefits the company. They contrast this with the dangers of failure on low-visibility or high-cost projects, and discuss how to avoid being seen as incompetent or reckless. Along the way, Lucas and Luna share how to read your workplace culture to know if failing upward is even possible, and what to do if it's not. Packed with actionable tips for ambitious professionals navigating office politics. #StrategicFailing #FailingUpward #CareerGrowth #OfficePolitics #WorkplaceInfluence #RiskTaking #FailureIsLearning #CareerStrategy #ProfessionalDevelopment #Leadership #TrustBuilding #OrganizationalBehavior #Fortune500 #ProductLaunch #MistakesAtWork #Careers #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    12 mins
  • How to Network Upward Without Being Obvious

    How to Network Upward Without Being Obvious
    Jun 11 2026
    Lucas and Luna explore the art of upward networking—building relationships with senior leaders without seeming transactional or desperate. They dissect the specific case of a mid-level marketing manager who used a cross-functional project to earn face time with a VP of Strategy at a Fortune 500 consumer goods company. The episode breaks down three concrete techniques: the 'informational update' email framing, the 'two-step ask' pattern for meeting requests, and the 'pre-read strategy' for making every interaction valuable to the senior person. They also address what happens when your boss feels threatened by your upward moves—and how to navigate that without losing your current sponsor. No platitudes, just playbook-level detail. #UpwardNetworking #CareerStrategy #OfficePolitics #WorkplaceDynamics #Sponsorship #ExecutivePresence #Networking #CareerAdvice #InfluenceWithoutAuthority #Mentorship #CorporateStrategy #VisibilityAtWork #PowerDynamics #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #Leadership #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    13 mins
  • How to Navigate Office Politics After a Restructuring

    How to Navigate Office Politics After a Restructuring
    Jun 11 2026
    When your company reorganizes, the official org chart tells only half the story. In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna unpack what happens to informal influence networks after a restructuring, drawing on a 2025 McKinsey study that found 72 percent of post-restructure productivity loss stems from broken trust lines, not workflow design. They walk through a concrete case: a mid-sized SaaS firm that merged two product teams and saw a 40 percent drop in cross-team project completion rates within the first quarter. Lucas explains how to map the new political landscape—identifying who holds decision rights, who controls information, and whose informal authority survived the shake-up. Luna shares a practical tactic for re-establishing your own influence without seeming desperate: the 'reintroduction meeting.' The episode closes with a five-question diagnostic listeners can run on their own teams right now. If you are facing a reorg, this episode gives you a framework for reading the room before you make your next move. #OfficePolitics #Restructuring #Reorg #Influence #WorkplaceDynamics #Careers #McKinsey #InformalNetworks #Trust #Productivity #SaaS #CrossTeamCollaboration #DecisionRights #ReintroductionMeeting #Diagnostic #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TheOfficePoliticsPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
  • How to Use Office Rivalry Productively

    How to Use Office Rivalry Productively
    Jun 10 2026
    Lucas and Luna explore the fine line between destructive office rivalry and productive competitive tension. Using the case of Uber and Lyft's early driver-poaching wars, Lucas argues that rivalry can sharpen performance when channeled correctly. Luna pushes back with data from a Stanford study showing that head-to-head competition inside teams often backfires. They land on four specific rules for making rivalry work for you, not against you: pick the right opponent, keep the comparison metrics objective, limit the scope of competition, and agree on a post-rivalry decompression ritual. Practical advice for anyone who's ever felt that uncomfortable push-pull between wanting to win and wanting to collaborate. #OfficeRivalry #WorkplaceDynamics #CompetitiveTension #Uber #Lyft #StanfordStudy #ProductiveRivalry #TeamDynamics #CareerAdvice #WorkplacePsychology #OfficePolitics #FriendlyCompetition #PerformanceMetrics #Collaboration #ProfessionalGrowth #Careers #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Fexingo founder and producer: Ibnul Jaif Farabi Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 mins
  • How to Read a Room Before You Enter It

    How to Read a Room Before You Enter It
    Jun 10 2026
    Episode 42 of The Office Politics Podcast. Lucas and Luna explore the underrated skill of pre-reading team dynamics before walking into a meeting or workspace. They break down why most people miss the cues in plain sight, and how one five-second observation technique — scanning for 'energy clusters' — can help you avoid landmines and build influence faster. Using a real case from a mid-sized tech firm where a junior analyst turned a tense all-hands into a career-making moment, Lucas explains the three signals to watch for before you even open your mouth. Luna pushes back on whether this sounds like overthinking; Lucas argues it's just pattern recognition. They also touch on how to apply the same framework to virtual meetings and hybrid offices. No fluff, no jargon — just practical, sharp advice for anyone who's ever walked into a room and immediately wished they hadn't. #OfficePolitics #WorkplaceDynamics #Influence #Careers #ProfessionalDevelopment #MeetingSkills #ReadingTheRoom #BodyLanguage #TeamDynamics #EmotionalIntelligence #Communication #Leadership #SoftSkills #CareerAdvice #WorkplaceStrategy #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TheOfficePoliticsPodcast Fexingo founder and producer: Ibnul Jaif Farabi Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    12 mins
  • The Strategy of Taking Notes at Work

    The Strategy of Taking Notes at Work
    Jun 9 2026
    In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore a surprisingly underexplored power move in workplace dynamics: strategic note-taking. Most people treat meeting notes as either a chore or a personal memory aid. Lucas argues that how you take notes, who you share them with, and what you choose to write down can shape perceptions, build alliances, and even shift decision-making. He cites a real case from a mid-size tech firm where an associate used a shared Google Doc to steer a contentious budget meeting. Luna pushes back on the risk of being seen as 'the note-taker' — a low-status role in many offices — and they debate how to avoid that trap. The episode covers tactical choices: whether to handwrite or type, when to share notes broadly versus one-on-one, and how to use minutes to reframe what was agreed. Listeners walk away with one practical tip: after your next big meeting, send a summary to just one key stakeholder before the full group recap goes out. #OfficePolitics #WorkplaceDynamics #StrategicNoteTaking #MeetingNotes #Influence #PowerDynamics #CareerStrategy #ProfessionalGrowth #MeetingEtiquette #Leadership #OrganizationalBehavior #CommunicationSkills #WorkplaceStrategy #LucasAndLuna #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Careers #PodcastEpisode Fexingo founder and producer: Ibnul Jaif Farabi Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • How to Use Strategic Invisibility at Work

    How to Use Strategic Invisibility at Work
    Jun 9 2026
    In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the counterintuitive power of strategic invisibility — knowing when to stay off the radar to build leverage and avoid unnecessary battles. Using the case of a mid-level product manager at a large tech company who quietly deferred credit on a high-visibility project, only to become the go-to person for the next promotion, they break down the difference between being overlooked and choosing not to be seen. They discuss how timing, selective transparency, and deliberate silence can be more effective than constant visibility. Listeners learn a practical framework for deciding when to step back, how to measure the cost of attention, and why the most influential people in an organization often aren't the loudest. Tied to today's careers conversation, the hosts briefly note that listener support at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo helps keep the show ad-free and focused on real workplace strategy. #StrategicInvisibility #OfficePolitics #WorkplaceStrategy #InfluenceWithoutAuthority #CareerHacks #ProductManagement #TechCompany #Visibility #Leverage #Timing #Silence #PowerDynamics #Credibility #PromotionStrategy #Careers #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #WorkplacePower Fexingo founder and producer: Ibnul Jaif Farabi Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
  • How to Master the Art of Strategic Apology at Work

    How to Master the Art of Strategic Apology at Work
    Jun 8 2026
    In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the underappreciated power of a well-timed apology in the workplace. Using the 2020 case of Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson's apology to two Black men in a Philadelphia store, they break down why most apologies at work fail and how to craft one that rebuilds trust and influence. They discuss the anatomy of a strategic apology: timing, ownership, specificity, and follow-through. Lucas argues that a genuine apology can be a career accelerant, while Luna challenges him on when an apology can backfire—especially for women and people of color. They also touch on how to apologize for small mistakes without losing credibility, and why 'I'm sorry you feel that way' is the worst possible move. If you've ever mishandled an apology or avoided one out of fear, this episode offers a practical framework for turning a mistake into a leadership moment. #StrategicApology #WorkplacePolitics #OfficePoliticsPodcast #Careers #Leadership #Apology #Trust #Influence #Starbucks #KevinJohnson #ConflictResolution #Communication #Mistakes #Credibility #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #CareerAdvice #ProfessionalGrowth Fexingo founder and producer: Ibnul Jaif Farabi Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 mins