Main points

• Succeeding in a bureaucratic environment is as much about understanding the politics as the policies. Avoid the temptation to see the pathway to achieving one’s objectives as simply having the stronger arguments. They may make sense to you in your situation; they probably don’t for someone else sitting in a different one. ‘Where you stand depends on where you sit’.
• No single approach fits all. Often a combination of stratagems will be needed. Knowing which means taking time to know the terrain you are operating in.
• Building personal relationships will, in the long run, be the most valuable tactic – but it is often the one most quickly dropped because of daily time pressures. Resist the temptation to let this go.
• ‘Challenge not confrontation’. There are big advantages in the indirect approach. Probing inconsistencies in other departments’ positions is more likely to win gains than stressing the logicality of your own.