What are some tips for surviving office politics?

Best tip is to try to stay out of it and if you are already stuck in it then try to put as minimal participation as you can.

Praise publicly and critique privately. Criticize work not people. Avoid pointing a finger and instead offer solutions. Assume the best intentions until proven otherwise. Try and allow your colleagues to save face - everyone has bad days.

Office politics can be tricky and you should try to avoid certain actions. The most important action you should avoid is gossip. If you ever find yourself in a situation where a group of co workers are talking about another, do not get involved. A lot of the time it will come back around and you will end up in an awkward situation. The second most important action you should avoid is confrontation. If you feel uncomfortable in a certain situation, remove yourself from it. It is much safer to get yourself away than it is to get into a heated conversation which could lead into something worse. The most important action you should always do is communication. Communicating between co workers allows them to know what you are currently working on and what you are able to do for them if they need you for something. The second most important action you should always do is ongoing education. Being able to further your career and position is important and you want the ability, knowledge and experience to back it up.