The Unwritten Rules Are the Ones That Matter Most

No matter how many org charts you study or slide decks you prepare, one truth will catch you off guard:

👉 Every corporate has its own unwritten rules — and they’re rarely documented, but always enforced.

I learned this when our proposal got blocked after weeks of good conversations.

Not because it wasn’t a fit.

Not because of price.

But because we hadn’t involved an “informal gatekeeper” — someone with no official role in the process, but with major internal influence.

When I was on the inside of a large pharma company, I saw this play out all the time. New ideas didn’t live or die by formal processes. They moved forward because someone knew who to ask, how to ask, and when to ask quietly first.

💡 Here’s how to read the unwritten rules:

✅ Ask your Champion early: “Who else needs to be in the loop informally?”

✅ Watch how people behave, not just what they say — who do they always cc, consult, defer to?

✅ Understand internal turf — is this someone’s domain? Could they feel bypassed?

✅ Map influence, not just job titles — the ones with real sway often don’t advertise it

Corporate politics can feel opaque. But it’s not about playing games.It’s about respecting how big systems work — and giving your allies the tools to navigate them for you.

👉 In the end, if things stall, it’s often not because you missed a step — it’s because you missed a person.