Episodes

  • How to Use the Ben Franklin Effect in Office Politics

    How to Use the Ben Franklin Effect in Office Politics
    Jun 29 2026
    In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the Ben Franklin Effect — the psychological phenomenon where asking someone for a favor actually makes them like you more. They break down the classic story of Ben Franklin and a political rival, then show how to apply the principle at work: from asking a skeptical stakeholder to review a draft to borrowing a book from a distant senior leader. They contrast this with the dangers of excessive self-sufficiency and explain why vulnerability, strategically deployed, builds influence. Lucas shares a specific three-step framework (identify the person, ask for a small genuine favor, express gratitude without overdoing it) and warns against common traps like asking for too much or faking the favor. The episode includes a candid moment about listener support funding the show ad-free. A practical guide to turning reluctant colleagues into allies through the simple, counterintuitive act of asking for help. #BenFranklinEffect #OfficePolitics #InfluenceWithoutAuthority #WorkplacePsychology #AskingForHelp #VulnerabilityAtWork #CareerStrategy #InfluenceTactics #CognitiveBias #LikingBias #PersuasionSkills #WorkplaceDynamics #GettingThingsDone #Careers #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #WorkplaceWisdom #ProfessionalGrowth Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • How to Use the Anchoring Bias in Office Negotiations

    How to Use the Anchoring Bias in Office Negotiations
    Jun 28 2026
    In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna dive into the anchoring bias—a cognitive shortcut that can make or break your workplace negotiations. They break down a real-world example: a salary negotiation where the first number put on the table—whether it's $75,000 or $95,000—shifts the entire conversation by up to 20 percent. Lucas explains why the bias works (our brains latch onto the first piece of information) and shares a counter-anchoring tactic used by a procurement manager at a mid-sized logistics firm. Luna offers a trick for low-power negotiators: pre-loading your own anchor with market data. They also discuss ethical guardrails—anchoring is not lying. By the end, you'll know how to set the anchor in your next meeting without feeling manipulative. #AnchoringBias #OfficePolitics #Negotiation #SalaryTalk #WorkplaceDynamics #Influence #Careers #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #TheOfficePoliticsPodcast #CognitiveBias #Hiring #CounterAnchor #MarketData #Procurement #Walmart #BehavioralEconomics #GetThingsDone Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
  • How to Use the Law of Scarcity in Office Politics

    How to Use the Law of Scarcity in Office Politics
    Jun 28 2026
    Episode 78 of The Office Politics Podcast explores how the Law of Scarcity — the principle that people value what's rare or limited — can be a powerful tool in workplace influence. Lucas and Luna break down a real scenario from a mid-size tech company where a product manager named Sarah successfully used scarcity to get her stalled project prioritized. They discuss why over-availability weakens your political capital, how to create genuine scarcity without manufacturing fake deadlines, and the difference between strategic scarcity and being a bottleneck. The episode also touches on the risks: if you cry wolf too often, you lose credibility. Specific, actionable advice for anyone who feels their work is being taken for granted or needs to shift how their contributions are perceived in a crowded office environment. #OfficePolitics #LawOfScarcity #WorkplaceInfluence #Careers #ScarcityPrinciple #ProductManagement #Prioritization #PoliticalCapital #StrategicScarcity #Availability #Credibility #Bottleneck #PerceivedValue #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #LucasAndLuna #WorkplaceDynamics #Influence Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
  • How to Use the Contrast Principle in Office Politics

    How to Use the Contrast Principle in Office Politics
    Jun 27 2026
    Lucas and Luna explore the contrast principle—a cognitive bias where we judge options relative to each other rather than on absolute terms—and how it can be strategically deployed in workplace negotiations, budget proposals, and performance reviews. They anchor the discussion in a real 2025 study from Harvard Business School showing that job candidates who presented a deliberately weaker option first were 34% more likely to have their target offer accepted. Lucas breaks down three practical applications: anchoring salary negotiations with a high reference point, framing a project budget by showing an inflated alternative, and sequencing performance feedback to make constructive criticism land softer. Luna pushes back on ethical boundaries and when the tactic backfires. They also revisit a classic example from the 2008 financial crisis: how investment banks used contrasting collateral requirements to make aggressive lending terms seem reasonable. The episode closes with a quick, low-key listener support mention—buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo—and a final reflection on the difference between strategy and manipulation. #ContrastPrinciple #OfficePolitics #Negotiation #CognitiveBias #WorkplaceStrategy #CareerAdvice #Influence #Persuasion #BehavioralEconomics #SalaryNegotiation #PerformanceReviews #BudgetProposals #HarvardBusinessSchool #DecisionMaking #EthicalInfluence #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Careers Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • The Hidden Cost of Saying Yes Too Fast at Work

    The Hidden Cost of Saying Yes Too Fast at Work
    Jun 27 2026
    Lucas and Luna explore why agreeing to every request at work can backfire, using the case of a mid-level marketing manager named Priya who took on a cross-functional project that derailed her promotion. They unpack the psychological trap of 'yes-default' behavior, the difference between strategic and reactive availability, and three practical filters to decide when to say no without damaging relationships. Drawing on research from Adam Grant about the 'giver burnout' curve and a real example from a Fortune 500 tech company's internal survey, this episode gives you a framework to protect your focus and political capital. If you've ever felt stretched thin by colleagues who always ask for 'just five minutes,' this is your permission slip to push back — carefully. #SayingNoAtWork #OfficePolitics #WorkplaceBoundaries #CareerStrategy #GiverBurnout #AdamGrant #Productivity #TimeManagement #WorkplaceDynamics #Influence #NoDefault #CrossFunctionalProjects #PromotionStrategy #PoliticalCapital #SelfAdvocacy #Careers #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • The Hindsight Bias Trap in Office Politics

    The Hindsight Bias Trap in Office Politics
    Jun 26 2026
    Episode 75 of The Office Politics Podcast dives into a cognitive blind spot that affects nearly every workplace decision: hindsight bias. Lucas and Luna explore how our brains rewrite the past to make outcomes seem predictable, skewing performance reviews, project postmortems, and hiring calls. They anchor the discussion in a real case from a Fortune 500 retailer that blamed a failed product launch on a mid-level manager, only to discover months later that a data error in the pricing algorithm was the culprit. The hosts break down why 'I knew it all along' is so seductive, how it undermines accountability and learning, and three practical strategies to fight it: keeping decision journals, running premortems before big initiatives, and conducting 'no-fault' retrospectives. They also share a simple technique called the 'base rate check' to ground your gut feelings in actual data. If you've ever been unfairly blamed for a bad outcome or watched a colleague get credit for something that was partly luck, this episode will change how you see office politics. #OfficePolitics #HindsightBias #CognitiveBiases #WorkplacePsychology #DecisionMaking #PerformanceReviews #ProjectPostmortems #Fortune500 #RetailCaseStudy #ProductLaunch #DataError #Accountability #DecisionJournal #Premortem #NoFaultRetrospective #BaseRateCheck #Leadership #FexingoBusiness #CareersPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
  • How to Use Strategic Incompetence at Work

    How to Use Strategic Incompetence at Work
    Jun 26 2026
    In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the delicate art of strategic incompetence: when and how to deliberately underperform or decline tasks to protect your time and focus. Using the case of a mid-level product manager who curbed scope creep by 'getting bad' at low-value spreadsheets, the hosts break down the difference between smart workload triage and reputation-damaging slacking. They cover the research on task allocation in high-trust teams, the risks of the strategy backfiring, and how to deploy it without getting fired. If you've ever felt buried in busywork that isn't your job, this episode offers a tactical framework for saying no without saying no. #StrategicIncompetence #OfficePolitics #WorkplaceDynamics #CareerStrategy #TimeManagement #TaskTriage #ProductManagement #BoundariesAtWork #SayingNo #WorkloadManagement #ProfessionalReputation #HighTrustTeams #ScopeCreep #LucasAndLuna #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Careers #InfluenceWithoutAuthority Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 mins
  • How to Use the Curiosity Gap in Office Politics

    How to Use the Curiosity Gap in Office Politics
    Jun 25 2026
    Episode 73 of The Office Politics Podcast explores the curiosity gap as a tool for workplace influence. Lucas and Luna break down why leaving strategic gaps in information can make you more persuasive, using the real-world example of a product manager who landed a major initiative by deliberately not revealing her full plan upfront. They discuss how to apply this technique without being manipulative, when it backfires, and why it works better than oversharing. If you've ever struggled to get buy-in or felt ignored in meetings, this episode offers a counterintuitive tactic borrowed from journalism and marketing. The hosts also touch on a listener's question about handling a skeptical boss. No hot takes, just a concrete strategy you can try this week. #OfficePolitics #WorkplaceDynamics #Influence #GettingThingsDone #Careers #CuriosityGap #Persuasion #CommunicationSkills #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #WorkplaceStrategy #ProductManagement #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #SoftSkills #StrategicCommunication #MeetingTactics #CareerAdvice Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins