Latest / The Internal Move Podcast with Fexingo: Lateral Roles, Internal Transfers, and Staying at Your Company / How an Internal Transfer Can Teach You to Navigate Office Politics
Transcript
- Lucas: So, Luna, I keep thinking about a conversation I had last week with a finance director at a big consumer goods company. She told me the single smartest career move she ever made wasn't a promotion, it wasn't a jump to a competitor — it was an internal transfer that looked, on paper, like a lateral step into a messier job. Luna: A lateral step into a messier job. That's a provocative way to put it. What made it so smart? Lucas: Well, she was in a central finance role, working on budgeting for a huge division. She was good at it, but she was invisible. The people who decided who got promoted were in sales, operations, marketing — and they had no idea who she was. So she applied for a regional sales operations manager position, a job that was frankly a bit below her skill level. But she said it was the best 'demotion' she ever took. Luna: A demotion? That's brave. Most people would see that as a red flag on their resume, not a strategic move. Lucas: Right, and that's exactly the kind of conventional wisdom we should challenge. She spent eighteen months in that role, and she didn't just learn sales operations — she learned who actually held power in the company. She built relationships with regional VPs, she sat in on leadership meetings she never would have been invited to before, and she got a front-row seat to how decisions really got made. When she moved back to finance, she was a different person. She could speak the language of sales, she had allies in every region, and her next promotion came in under two years. Luna: So she used the transfer to build political capital, not just skills. That's a whole different lens than we usually talk about on this show. We've done episodes on networking, on visibility, on avoiding layoffs — but this is almost like a covert operation. Lucas: Exactly. And it's a lens that most career advice ignores, because 'office politics' has such a negative connotation. But the research is pretty clear that political skill — your ability to understand and influence your work environment — is one of the strongest predictors of career success. There's a meta-analysis from a few years back that found it predicted job performance and promotability even after controlling for IQ and conscientiousness. Luna: That's a big claim. So you're saying that if you're smart and hardworking but you ignore the political dimension, you're leaving a ton of career upside on the table. Lucas: That's exactly what I'm saying. And the beautiful thing about an internal transfer is that it gives you a structured way to build that political skill, almost like a rotation program for your career. You get a fresh slate, you get access to a new network, and you get to observe the power dynamics from a different vantage point. It's like changing the camera angle in a movie — you suddenly see the whole plot differently. Luna: Okay, so let's drill into the 'how.' If someone is listening right now and thinking, 'I want to build political capital through a transfer,' what's the first move they should make? Lucas: I think you need to start with what I call the 'three-door' framework. Before you even start looking at roles, you map out the three types of doors in your company. The first is the 'skill door' — a role that will teach you a hard skill you're missing. The second is the 'visibility door' — a role that puts you in front of senior leaders on a regular basis. And the third is the 'network door' — a role that plugs you into a dense web of people who don't normally interact with your current team. Most people only consider the skill door, but for building political capital, the visibility and network doors are usually more valuable. Luna: That's a useful way to categorize. So in her case, the sales ops role was really a visibility and network door, not a skill door. She already had the analytical muscle. Lucas: Precisely. And that's the key insight: you don't have to transfer for the sake of learning a new skill. You can transfer deliberately to change your political position in the company. I've seen people do this in all kinds of ways. One guy moved from a software engineering team to a product management role, not because he wanted to be a PM, but because he needed to understand how product decisions were made and who influenced them. He went back to engineering two years later and got promoted to a lead role because he could bridge both worlds. Luna: So it's almost like a spy mission — you go in, gather intelligence, build relationships, and then you come back and leverage that knowledge. But there's a risk too, right? What if you get stuck in that new role and you can't get back? Or what if people see you as 'not serious' about the new function? Lucas: That's the anxiety everyone has. And it's a legitimate one. But I think the data and the anecdotes suggest that, if you're intentional about it, the risk is lower than you'd think. First, most companies actually value internal mobility — it's a sign that you're adaptable and that you understand the business beyond your silo. Second, you can frame the move in your narrative as a strategic development opportunity, and if you do it well, you come back with more credibility, not less. And third, you can always keep a toe in your old team — stay in touch with your former manager, maybe even do some part-time projects for them. That keeps the door open. Luna: Yeah, I've seen that work too. I remember an old colleague of mine, she was a marketing manager, and she transferred to a customer support role for a year. Everyone thought she was crazy — support was seen as a dead end. But she came back with a deep understanding of customer pain points, and she became the go-to person for product messaging. She got promoted to a senior marketing manager role within a year of coming back. Lucas: That's a perfect example. And it's worth noting that she didn't just gain knowledge — she gained allies. The support team loved her, and they became her advocates in meetings. When she proposed a new messaging strategy, she had a whole department backing her up. That's political capital in action. Luna: So what about the psychological side? I imagine starting in a new role where you're the newbie again can be humbling. How do you handle that without losing confidence? Lucas: It's a real adjustment. You go from being the expert to being the one who doesn't know the systems, the acronyms, the inside jokes. But I think the trick is to reframe it as an 'intelligence gathering' mission. You're not there to prove you're the smartest person in the room — you're there to learn how the room works. That shift in mindset makes it a lot easier to ask 'dumb' questions and to be a good listener, which, ironically, makes people like you more. Luna: That's a good reframe. And it's a lot easier to do if you know you're not staying forever. It's like going on a diplomatic assignment — you're an ambassador from your old department, and you're building bridges. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the framing I want to leave our listeners with. If you're feeling stuck in your current role, and you've been thinking about leaving the company altogether, ask yourself: is there a way to get what you're looking for internally? A transfer might give you the new challenge, the new relationships, and the new perspective you're craving — without the risk of starting over at a new company where you have zero political capital. Luna: That's a powerful point. And I'm sure a lot of our listeners have considered a transfer but dismissed it because they didn't see the career upside. I hope this episode gives them a new way to think about it. Lucas: Yeah, and to be honest, this is the kind of conversation that we get to have because we don't have to chase ad revenue or please sponsors. A handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what keeps this show going. If you've gotten value from these episodes, and you want to see us keep digging into topics like this, that's the way to support us. No pressure, just a low-key mention. Luna: Yeah, it's a small group that keeps this thing ad-free, and we're grateful. And now, back to the politics — I want to ask you about the 'dark side' of this strategy. Can building political capital ever backfire? Like, if you're too transparent about your intentions, could people see you as manipulative? Lucas: That's a great question. The line between building political capital and being seen as Machiavellian is all about your intent and your approach. If you're genuinely curious about other people's work, if you're helpful, if you're not stepping on anyone to get ahead, then you're building trust. If you're just collecting favors and dropping names, people will see through it quickly. The key is to be authentic in your curiosity and to add value in your new role, not just to schmooze. Luna: So it's not about being fake; it's about being a good colleague in a strategic way. That's a nuance worth emphasizing. Lucas: Right. And here's a practical tip: when you're in that new role, focus on being the person who helps others succeed. Share credit, be generous with your expertise, and don't be territorial. That's how you build a reputation that precedes you. And that reputation is the most durable form of political capital you can have. Luna: So, to wrap up, if someone is listening and thinking about an internal transfer, what's the one concrete thing you'd advise them to do this week? Lucas: I'd say: make a list of the ten most influential people in your company — the ones who make decisions about promotions, budgets, and strategy. Then look at your current role and ask yourself: 'How many of these ten people do I interact with on a regular basis?' If the answer is one or zero, then an internal transfer might be the fastest way to change that. Find a role that puts you in their orbit, even if it's a lateral move. Luna: That's a concrete, actionable step. And it's a different way to evaluate a job than just 'is this a step up?' It's about strategic positioning. Lucas: Exactly. Sometimes the best way to move up is to move sideways first. And that's the takeaway I want people to remember: the internal move that looks like a step back can be the one that sets you up for the biggest leap forward. Luna: Well said. Thanks for drilling into this with me, Lucas. I know I'm going to think about that three-door framework next time someone tells me they're thinking about a transfer. Lucas: And hopefully our listeners will too. Until next time, keep asking yourself what you're really trying to achieve — and whether a move inside could get you there faster than a move out.