What are good ways of dealing with internal politics. In particular I mean the sort where people are being manipulative to get their own way.

two axis x) Integrityy) Psychological Game playingPlot the characters on these, define them, and take it from there.....

There are some good training courses to help with this.Bottom line is that everyone wants their own way. So the trick is identify the influencers, listen well to understand what they want, and help them achieve it.

Join in. Don't you want your own way too?

I would join in, but they're all much better at being manipulative than I am. I need tips/advice about how to go about this the right way

Move to a company which keeps evil manipulative b@stards at bay. I could never work with people I don’t get on with.

Try reading "Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Rlationships" by Eric Berne - a classic which should help with 'game players'

Relenting on the comedy a little, politics can be a serious issue so my prescription is: move every 2 - 4 years, depending on seniority. Politics favours the new entrant to the company as your own particular brand of politics are unknown, so you will be courted by the various players, you have the benefit of expectations being lower than your second year, and you can evaluate just who is making moves in the organisation with no position of your own to defend or compromise. By end of year 2 at mid management level you should really be looking for your exit options for year 3. Take redundancy if offered - it will keep you ahead of the market. The best way to play politics is to never show your hand - be everyones friend but ask them what they can do for you in return for your support. And get to know the really important people - not the partners, the PAs, the secretaries, credit control, finance, HR etc, these are the ones in the know, and power in an organisation ultimately rest with them as they keep a lot of secrets and can make the difference between your next project being a great one from under the radar or that public sector talent bin that keeps doing the rounds.

In consulting, scumbags who stick around seem to get to the top.In industry, they've more chance of getting kicked out.Why is this?

I would disagree that people who stick around get to the top; often the ones who stay run out of momentum at mid management, find themselves behind the market in salary, and too embedded in their comfort zone to be taken seriously by potential new employers. High flyers move every 2 - 4 years in most cases.

2-4 years? That's what job hopers do, surely?Think about it: average career of 35-40 years... that means the 'successful' ones would have had anywhere between 9 to 20 different employers... Hmm, that's a lot of moving around.If I see someone with 10 years experience and 5 different employers, I for one instantly label them as a job hopper. Why waste money recruiting and training someone who probably won't be around in 2 years time? And why did they feel the need to change jobs so frequently anyway... getting out before their c0ck-ups catch up with them??Just an alternative perspective.Though I have to agree that if you stay with an employer they do tend to seriously undervalue you. I guess it's because most people are understandably nervous when it comes to giving up a sure thing for a new job, with all the uncertainty that entails (particularly in this day and age of 10x mortgages).