I would be careful grouping everything related to human communication with office politics. Things like effectively communicating ideas, getting people aligned

I would be careful grouping everything related to human communication with office politics. Things like effectively communicating ideas, getting people aligned on a project, improving team morale etc. are very important soft skills that deserve to be rewarded. Wasteful politics like sucking up to the right people, claiming credit for others work by giving the higher ups an inaccurate view of your contributions, putting others down etc. are what gets people promoted more often from what I've noticed, and should not be confused with good communication skills.