To deal with office politics, Kathryn Heath, writing in HBR Digital (2015), offers a scenario planning approach used by an energy industry executive. His multinational organisation houses dozens of managers lobbying and jostling. So this executive maps out potential scenarios according to personalities, motivations, and variables.
Before an annual planning meeting he maps out the personalities involved to help him anticipate how each individual might react to his agenda. He adds in their motivations and tries to work out what each person expects to accomplish.
Finally, he takes the time to identify other relevant variables so he can anticipate factors that might sway individuals in real time as the meeting plays out.
Read Kathyrn Heath HBR Digital in 2015 4 Strategies for Women Navigating Office Politics