You’ve done your best to keep to yourself and mind your Ps and Qs at work. Now you find yourself stuck between a boss and a boss, both trying to get you to come to their side and gang up on the other all due to a disagreement with the business. This is office politics at its best. My advice; don’t take sides!

Yes this can be extremely frustrating and you may even like one boss more than the other, but never forget, they are both your superiors. Taking one side over the other can cause nothing but harm for you in the future. Instead of picking a side, try to be the mediator.

Try to get the bosses to sit down with you and have a discussion about the issue. Let them go back and forth and simply act like a line judge at a tennis match and call foul when applicable. Listen to all points laid out and try to help come up with a solution that is best for everyone. Remind them that ultimately a sound business decision must be made and that personal feeling should be put aside.

Office politics can’t always be avoided, no matter how much you want too. However, by practicing the art of not taking sides, you can not only come off looking like the company hero, but you will save face with both of your bosses, which will make for a much nicer work environment for you, I guarantee it.