Office politics are just the adult version of the playground. – Unknown
If you’ve ever played the classic party game Mafia, you know how addictive, manipulative, and strangely illuminating it can be. When I first played it years ago on the bus during a college expedition, I remember being intrigued by how quickly the lines between truth and fiction blurred, how easily suspicion spread, and how important perception became.
Years later, as I settled into my first corporate role, I realised something startling: office politics operates almost exactly like a game of Mafia.
Let me explain.
For those unfamiliar, the game Mafia involves a group of players who are secretly assigned roles: Mafia (the bad guys), a Doctor (who can save a life), a Spy (who can investigate others), and regular Citizens. At times, there can be additional roles like Hunters too.
In this game, the Mafia’s goal is to eliminate the others, while the Citizens aim to identify and eliminate the Mafia before they lose.
Having spent more than a decade in the corporate world, I’ve come to recognise that this game structure mimics what happens in many workplaces. In corporate life, you rarely know everyone’s true intentions. There are allies and adversaries. There are people who wield influence subtly, people who try to protect others, and those who simply want to do their jobs without being dragged into office politics.
The Mafia: Hidden Power Brokers
The “Mafia” in the office isn’t always made up of overt villains. These are the people who operate behind the scenes, pulling strings, influencing decisions without others realising it. They might smile in meetings but whisper to managers behind closed doors. They might seem supportive of peers but quietly sabotage projects that threaten their own advancement. Sometimes, they even spread rumours without being noticed.
What’s dangerous is their invisibility. Like in the game, no one knows who they are at first, and by the time you figure it out, you might already be “out” — passed over for a promotion, iced out of meetings, or seen as difficult by leadership without knowing why.
The Spy: Observers and Whistleblowers
Then there are the “Spies” — people who sense something is off and quietly investigate. These individuals are often the organisational conscience. They observe, ask questions, and bring clarity to what’s really going on.
In the office, this role might be filled by an HR business partner who gently probes into a department’s dysfunction, or a mid-level manager who notices a colleague being unfairly blamed and investigates quietly before stepping in.
However, being the Spy can be lonely. You can’t reveal too much too soon, and when you do, you risk retaliation from those in power. After all, the Mafia doesn’t like being exposed.
The Doctor: Quiet Protectors
In Mafia, the Doctor saves people. In the office, they protect others from career damage, emotional burnout, or political warfare. These are the mentors who give you a heads-up about landmines, the colleagues who advise you to document everything, the team leads who stand up for your work when you’re not in the room.
They aren’t always in formal leadership roles, but they’re invaluable. Their protection is often the difference between surviving a toxic environment and being crushed by it.
I’ll never forget two senior colleagues of mine. After noticing that I was being set up to fail and blamed for a poorly scoped project, they sat me down, coached me on stakeholder management, and even subtly intervened in meetings to steer the conversation. That period was difficult — imagine being thrown under the bus — but to this day, I remain thankful that they stood by me and guided me through it.
The Citizens: The Unassuming Majority
Most employees fall into the Citizen category. They just want to do their jobs well, get recognition, and go home with peace of mind. But just like in the game, Citizens often get caught in the crossfire.
They can be influenced by Mafia (unknowingly supporting toxic agendas), misled into voting out the wrong person (believing rumours or biased feedback), or left in the dark as games play out around them.
I’ve seen many talented, well-meaning people leave organisations because they couldn’t navigate the unspoken rules — the political undercurrents that aren’t covered in onboarding or performance reviews.
Lessons from the Game
From the exposure I had to this game during my heydays, playing Mafia taught me one critical lesson that applies to office life: What you see is not always what’s true. In the game, you have to read between the lines, watch behaviour patterns, and listen carefully. In the workplace, the same skills apply, perhaps even more, though we often neglect or deprioritise them.
Some lessons I’ve learned along the way:
- Be smart – don’t fall into the trap of simply listening to and believing what others say; evaluate things for yourself.
- Don’t ignore subtle red flags – people’s reputations are usually built on patterns.
- Documentation and diplomacy are your best defence.
Finally, what I want to address here is that office politics, like the Mafia game, isn’t inherently bad. It’s a function of people navigating limited resources, ambition, and influence.
However, understanding the roles at play — knowing who’s playing to win, who’s playing fair, and who’s just trying to stay in the game — can make all the difference.
Whether you choose to play as a Doctor, Spy, or Citizen in the company, the key is to stay observant and intentional. Because just like in Mafia, survival isn’t about brute force — it’s about understanding the game you’re in.
Have you ever played a “Mafia” role in your office? Or found yourself caught in the middle of the game without realising it? Let’s connect and share stories.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at Shirley.suat@gmail.com.
