Episode 153 - You Can’t Build Influence From Your Cubicle

Most engineers know technical skill matters. Fewer understand that relationships are what create trust, visibility, and opportunity. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down why relationships are not “office politics” in the shallow sense. They are career infrastructure. Not theory, practical, tactical advice on how to build trust, communicate expectations, avoid unnecessary friction, and become the engineer people want to work with and advocate for.Key Topics Covered• Why technical skill alone does not create influence• How poor communication destroys momentum across teams• The difference between holding high standards and acting like a wrecking ball• Why “why” questions often create defensiveness• How “what” and “how” questions invite ownership and collaboration• Why tone, timing, facial expression, and word choice matter more than engineers want to admit• How perception impacts career mobility, opportunity, and trust• Why relationships create behind-the-scenes advocacy• How strong relationships help you move faster when opportunity appears• Why giving more than you take builds long-term career capitalActionable Steps• Stop treating relationships as optional soft skills• Enter meetings with the goal of alignment, not dominance• Replace blame-based questions with problem-solving questions• Ask “How can we get there?” instead of “Why didn’t this happen?”• Communicate expectations clearly without attacking the person• Acknowledge effort before pushing for the next level• Pay attention to how your tone lands with different audiences• Adapt your communication without abandoning your values• Build trust before you need someone to go to bat for you• Invest in people consistently, not only when you need somethingWho This Episode Is For• Early-career engineers who want to build influence fast• Individual contributors who feel overlooked despite doing good work• Engineers who struggle with cross-functional friction• High performers who want more opportunity, visibility, and trust• Future leaders who need to understand the human side of executionWhy It MattersYour work matters, but your work does not speak loudly enough on its own. Opportunity often moves through people. Projects get assigned through trust. Reputations are shaped in rooms you are not in. If you want more responsibility, more impact, and more influence, you cannot stay isolated and expect the organization to notice. Build relationships before you need them.Where to ListenSpotifyApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsOr wherever you get your podcastsIf this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.