Information decides outcomes before anyone speaks. The easiest way to collect it is to look harmless and close.
Ask small questions. Listen more than you speak. React warmly so people keep talking. Notice patterns: what they avoid, what they repeat, which names trigger emotion, which topics bring defensiveness. That is where their leverage and fear live.
Do not pry like an interrogator. Direct probing hardens defenses. Instead, gather fragments over time, then assemble them when decisions matter.
Share harmless details, keep leverage private. The point is not gossip. The point is situational awareness. When you know motives and alliances, you can move early, before the room understands what is happening. Friendship is a mask that opens doors.