Over at Forward Blog Ashley writes about corporate politics. There is always a certain loss of innocence when you start your first job, see a great idea that can really help the organization, only to see it killed because of internal politics. Too many times it's because a particular person did not come up with the idea or some other petty thing. Ashley writes:

But as professional communicators, you would think that the people in the business communications/marketing/PR profession could avoid it. Yet I am still hearing all of the stories of how different, yet very related, departments in a company may never even discuss the company’s goals, strategies or their implementation. The flawed division of power and inability to communicate freely with those in charge seems to resemble the same complaints we have about the “politics” we find everywhere else, whether it is the politics that govern our country or the social politics that seem impossible to avoid in day-to-day life.

The comments for her post provide some great insight to young minds not yet spoiled by corporate backstabbing.

That's one of the things I like about being an outside consultant, sometimes I can cut through all that because my job is not at stake. If I push too hard against the internal politics would I lose the contract? Perhaps, but it's better to walk away than compromise what you were hired to do. By running your own shop one of the greatest powers you have is the ability to say no.