Office Politics Course
How to Navigate the Unspoken Rules of Work
A Practical Half-Day Virtual Programme to Build Influence, Protect Your Reputation and Get Work Done Well
0.5-Day Virtual Open Course – Offered as an Evening Programme
Also available for company group bookings
Upcoming Course Dates
Course Details
Facilitator
Ciara
Duration
0.5 Day Virtual Open Course
Delivery
Virtual
1 x 0.5 Day
DATES
Course Details
About This Course
The way work gets done is not always written down.
Have you ever felt there are how things get done in the office and then there are how things get done?
You may have heard the term “Soft Power” but aren’t sure what it means.
At WorkJuggle we understand that the office can be a maze and difficult to navigate.
WorkJuggle’s The Unspoken Rules of Work: Understanding and Navigating Office Politics is a practical, interactive half-day virtual programme that helps professionals understand the dynamics around them, build positive influence, and navigate tricky situations with integrity.
You’ll learn how to read the room, strengthen relationships, communicate strategically, and handle competing agendas – without compromising your values.
Who This Course Is For
This programme is ideal if you are:
- A professional who wants to increase influence and impact
- A new manager or team leader navigating stakeholders and expectations
- Moving into a larger, more complex organisation or matrix structure
- Working cross-functionally where priorities conflict and alignment is harder
- Experiencing tension, ambiguity, or the ‘unspoken rules’ at work
This is a skills programme for anyone who wants to work effectively with people and power dynamics.
What You’ll Learn and Be Able to Do
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
- Recognise what office politics really is (and why it’s not always negative)
- Identify the formal and informal power structures affecting decisions
- Map stakeholders: influence, interests, priorities and constraints
- Build credibility and trust to strengthen your professional reputation
- Increase influence without authority using practical communication approaches
- Navigate conflict, competing agendas and sensitive relationships more confidently
- Handle gossip and ‘triangulation’ professionally
- Set boundaries and protect your energy, time and reputation
- Create a personal action plan for a real workplace situation
How the Course Works
This is a focused half-day virtual programme with practical tools and real-work application.
You can expect:
- Facilitated discussion and short teaching inputs
- Breakouts and scenario practice (supportive and structured)
- Tools you can use immediately: stakeholder maps, influence planning and conversation prompts
- Time to apply learning to a live situation you’re dealing with
As an Individual
You will leave with:
- Better understanding of the influence dynamics around you
- Increased confidence handling sensitive or ambiguous situations
- Clearer communication and stronger relationships with key stakeholders
- Practical strategies to protect reputation and reduce stress
- A personalised next-step plan for a real scenario
For Organisations
Organisations see:
- Smoother cross-functional working and faster alignment
- Better escalation decisions and fewer ‘hidden’ conflicts
- Stronger collaboration and healthier culture norms
- Increased capability in influence without authority
Course Options
Open Course – For Individual Professionals
Join our scheduled live virtual programme and learn alongside professionals from other organisations.
Format: 0.5-day live virtual session
Best for: Individuals and small teams who want practical tools quickly.
Group Booking – For Organisations
Bring this programme in-house for your people. We can tailor scenarios and language to match your culture, structure and ways of working.
Best for:
- New managers and emerging leaders
- Cross-functional teams working in matrix environments
- High-potential cohorts building influence and stakeholder skill
- Teams going through change, restructures or shifting priorities
Optional add-ons include a pre-session pulse survey, tailored scenarios, or a follow-up 60-minute clinic to troubleshoot real situations.
Why WorkJuggle
WorkJuggle programmes are practical, human and designed for real work – not theory. We focus on confidence, clarity and tools people can use immediately.
Office politics will exist in every organisation. The skill is learning to navigate it ethically – so you can protect your reputation, support others, and get the right work over the line.
Course Facilitator
Ciara Garvan is an experienced facilitator and founder of WorkJuggle, known for creating practical, human-centred learning that translates directly into real workplace impact. She works with professionals and organisations to build confidence, clarity and capability in the conversations and decisions that matter most. Ciara’s style is supportive, structured and grounded in real-world experience, helping participants leave with tools they can use immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this about manipulation or playing games?
No. It’s about understanding how influence and decisions work in organisations and navigating that reality ethically and effectively.
I’m not senior - will this still help?
Yes. You’ll learn practical approaches for influence without authority, stakeholder mapping and confident communication at any level.
Can you tailor this for our organisation?
Yes. For group bookings we can tailor scenarios, terminology and activities to your culture, policies and typical situations.
Will participants receive materials?
Yes. Participants receive practical tools, templates and a personal action plan to support immediate application.
Ready to take the next step?
You don’t need to play politics. You need to understand people, priorities and power – and act with integrity.
Ready to navigate office politics with confidence?