What does the phrase watch for politics mean at work

[Woodward23]

Im starting a new job and someone has said to me watch out for politics not really sure what he meant by this can anyone enlighten me please

My idea of hell.

it means some or all of:

• people not telling everyone who needs to know everything they need to know;
• people refusing to listen to ideas from one group of people/person but taking the same idea from another person;
• departments refusing to help each other out even when a very small help would make a huge difference;
• people blaming someone in another department when someone in their team makes a mistake;
• credit for good work being wrongly attributed;
• a group of insiders who ‘sort’ everything and give no opportunity to anyone else;
• cliques (be that sporting, going for lunch whatever);
• need to look/talk/think the same way as the more senior people;
• some people getting help before others (think improved IT kit or the larger office or…)

Sometimes simply ignoring it can work, that may depend on your role.

One place I worked the two heads of department were so busy gunning for each other that we formed a lunch meeting under them and cooperated across the two teams without them.

Back stabbing and brown nosing ime

Yep as @DelurkingAJ points out there is some type of civil war going on.
Could be stupid stuff that only involves some people or a totally disfunctional work place.

Best option is to hide behind being new and offer no opinion on anybody or work related thing. This is because the people you think have power may have none and the ones who should have none may have the ability to make decisions.

Good luck in the new job!!

(remember you got picked for this job and can get a similar one if this one is not what you want)

Bitching, back stabbing and infighting.

Someone once described my workplace as the twighlight zone. They were not wrong. Everyone is weird (does that mean I am?!). There is a lot of bitching, back stabbing and infighting.

Keep your head down, ears open and your mouth shut and you'll be fine. That is my strategy.

Gossiping. Always always stay out of the gossiping! If someone tries to draw you in flip it around by turning their insult into a compliment.

In my experience: cliques, alliances, old grudges, cronyism, gaslighting.

Good luck OP in your new job.

Personally I have not very much office politics as it is something I dislike.

It's cliquey , gossipy and backstabby. Don't get caught up in it

Office politics means that things like:
Person A if challenged will get person B to back them whatever
Person C and D will always book their holiday before everyone else because D is in charge of it and C is their friend.
Person E will go off with "stress" any time anything looks remotely difficult/near Christmas
etc.

It depends on how pervasive it is as to whether it is workable with or not.