5 Office Politics Tips for Asian American Men - Pt. 3
By Tom Kagy | 12 Nov, 2025

America's stereotyping of Asian men adds wrinkles to the usual nuisance of office politics.

Within a year of starting at ADH I came to understand from working on pro bono cases the firm allowed junior associates to handle that the freewheeling aggressiveness of plaintiffs' work interested me more than the staid conservatism of insurance-defense work.  After making contact with some older plaintiffs' attorneys delighted to turn over their problem cases to me, and scouting out some mid-Wilshire office space, I left ADH before its hyper-political culture could have an impact on my career.  

I didn't give it much thought at the time, but in retrospect I see that being the target of incessant, tabloid-level gossip could have become an impediment had I chosen to stay five more years and seek partnership.  Perhaps this is one reason such a high percentage of Asian males ultimately start their own businesses.

Even after I left ADH and became a successful and happy plaintiff's lawyer earning multiples of my former colleagues, ADH's fascination with me persisted, I learned from Doug, a gangly redheaded young partner with whom I kept in touch due in part to our shared interest in launching an Asia-related magazine.  In a tacit acknowledgement that office politics was running amok at ADH, Doug laughingly said more than once, "Don't look back, Kagy!"  

About a decade later I learned that ADH had gone out of existence.

4.  Do Your Job.

An employee who does his job is a treasure for any business, one worth protecting from the inevitable office politics triggered by jealousies, rivalries, personality clashes, etc.  Even at ADH with its uncontrolled office politics, my job had been safe because the partners I worked with knew I did my job well regardless of whatever narrative was swirling around me.

Now, as an employer of several decades, first with my law office, then my media businesses, I know even better the importance of employees who do their jobs well.  Yes, there have been a few employees who weren't popular or even likable but I valued them and shielded them from politics. 

So remember that every employee has a superpower that immunizes them from office politics: doing the job. 

5.  Cut Politicians Quickly.

Over the years I've been fortunate in having hiring mostly good workers instead of politicians.  Owing to my luck in that respect, it took me time to learn to detect and reject politicians.  

The psychology of office politicians is straightforward: it's the strategy of those who prefer to ingratiate over doing their job.  Put another way, people who learn early on that they aren't good workers learn the diversionary tactics of manipulating personalities and perceptions to distract from productivity.

My worst-ever hiring decision was a so-called writer named Eddie R.  I was still a relatively inexperienced publisher in my mid-thirties.  Eddie was a gray-haired man in his mid-forties who showed me a number of quality writing samples.  He was amiable and gave me the impression that he enjoyed nothing better than writing a good article.  He knew exactly what to say to a prospective employer.  

Within a few months it became clear that Eddie was missing many of his assignments, but always with a plausible excuse.  When I finally lost patience and ran down his excuses, he confessed that he had a drinking problem and that many weekends and even weekdays were devoted to binge-drinking, making himself unable to work many days of each month.  The confession earned him a few more weeks of forbearance in the hope Eddie was getting himself together.

Of course that didn't happen and I let Eddie go.  Not long after Eddie showed his appreciation for my long patience with a series of hostile social media posts, followed by a malicious letter to the LA Times in response to an article about my publishing venture.  Despite its obvious lack of substance and malicious intent the LA Times — then coping with the rise of a large number of Asian media in the LA area (and ironically now itself owned by Chinese American biotech tycoon Patrick Soon-Shiong) — published his letter and refused to publish my rebuttal. 

Coincidentally, the LA Times also published a letter from another of my few bad hires.  Jerry was a competent write and editor but made himself a thorn in my side by perpetually trying to substitute his own judgment for the specific guidelines and directions I provided as publisher and chief editor.  His constant resistance wasted energy for both of us.  Just as I was running out of patience, Jerry quit.  Ironically he too saw the LA Times piece and took the opportunity to seek revenge.  But at least with respect to his letter the LA Times published my response setting the facts straight.  

These bad experiences have become a constant reminder to avoid politicians as there is no way to turn them into good workers.  Failing that, it's best to cut them as quickly as possible.  This particular tip is especially important for Asian American bosses who, like me, tend to focus on the job at hand instead of the atmospherics.  A politician left in place can quickly create an office in which gossip and office politics runs amok, ultimately ending in a business disaster.