I had a conversation with a close family member who was looking for my perspective on office politics / career. Through our conversation and for the first time, I realized I have an anti-institutionalism perspective on career. This perception of career / work / organization has served me well and with WSO as my sounding board, I'd love to share some of the beliefs that I've hardened over time. If you have beliefs that may seem esoteric but you believe to ring true when navigating the world of W2, I'd love to hear them.
First, a quick definition: "...Institutional theory is a theory on the deeper and more resilient aspects of social structure. It considers the processes by which structures, including schemes, rules, norms, and routines, become established as authoritative guidelines for social behavior"
1. Your end-of-year performance evaluation are not indicative of true performance
At the end of my first year in my first major firm, I was a top-performer in arguably the most valuable group in our incoming class. When year end evaluations came out, I received an "average" rating. I was irate but chilled out after a few months of digesting my managers explanation:
"... I can only give out so many 'excellents', you just joined the company and it wouldn't be fair to those who have been here for years".
I absolutely smoked the following two years, but would never exceed a rating better than "great". During my third year's read-out, my manager asked if I would like to contest the rating received and I just smiled and said, "No, that seems about right :)".
These ratings are organizational breaking mechanisms. They hold an arbitrary value within an organization whose worth is determined by you. For years, I strived for that rating because I wanted to be "Excellent", but why? For an unattainable 10 - 15% EOY bonus? I got 7% anyways. For bragging rights at the water cooler? Lol. In order to transfer internally? Likeability + Work Product + Reputation of getting shit done trumps any "bureaucratic red tape", always.
Detach yourself worth from your employers EOY performance evaluation and focus on what actually matters.
2. A manager's dream is to keep high-performing talent working in the same position for as long as possible
Believe this. Understand that this is his / her modus operandi. The only time that it is in their interest to help you move horizontally or vertically, is if you have the strength to leave the organization on your own merits. An organization is equipped with so many different tools to keep you running in place, but you have to discern what's actually real and what actually matters. Chasing leadership approval, "professional development" and raises are fruitless as a young professional.
Take care of yourself because nobody else will.
3. Internal awards and achievements don't mean anything to anyone but you
You just won an award or hit an achievement after months / years of hard work. You're recognized in front of a large gathering of your peers. A manufactured applause echoes from the auditorium. The recognition lasts for 15 seconds, and you return to your cubicle. Managers laud you via email and you even receive a little congratulations bonus in a check.
Congratulations, but where are you after the dust settles? All that remains is a little LinkedIn blurb about said award or achievement that holds no weight in the outside world. Talk about awards and achievements in an interview and you'll come off as braggadocios / out of touch. What does hold weight in the outside world?
Promotions. Leading a team. P&L Responsibility. Find the quickest way to making these happen.
4. Benchmark to INDUSTRY standard, not ORGANIZATION standard
I know too many people who spent so much of their time obtaining proprietary certifications, education and projects that had little baring on the outside job market / what skills were actually required at the next level. Certification and education are necessary to move up, but make sure you calculate for application. "Micro Degrees" and "Badges" hold marginal clout within an organization. Are there better things you could be doing with your time?
Study the INDUSTRY and what they are looking for. Obtain certifications, education, projects and experiences that the INDUSTRY is expecting you to have. And although it may seem your ORGANIZATION may not recognize your credentials, you will have the external leverage to make things happen internally.
5. Leverage, but don't depend on professional relationships
I love people, but I would never hitch my professional development on relationships. They've got their own set of hierarchy and politics that they must abide by. You're almost never as important as you think you are to that person who sits above you in the food chain. It's a waste of time to develop these fickle corporate relationships. It varies by industry and line of business, but there's going to be a healthy % of individuals who choose to allocate more to politics than the quality of their work product. They will definitely be able to get by, but they will be promoted at the firms below-average rate, if ever.
Do good work and stack your chips. Have a level of self-awareness and when you believe you've got enough chips, push them to the middle of table, throw down your hand and negotiate. Negotiate with your boss. Negotiate with your boss' boss. Know your worth internally and externally. Leverage those relationships with confidence + accumulated corporate capital to get what you want. Don't get caught with a shit hand and no chips when you come to the table.
6. Max out your metrics and the laws of conformity no longer apply to you
If you're a top performer who has maxed out your metrics, you can do whatever you want (within reason). You don't have to do "butts in chair" 5-days a week because you're a producer. You don't have to attend meetings to make it look like your busy, because you actually are busy. You don't have to kiss ass because you're not afraid of where you stand. You're confident because you rest your case in the quantitative and you know your value in the market.
Work your ass off to crush your metrics to buy yourself autonomy within the corporate organization. It's the only way to survive W-2 world.
Bro.... spacing.
Fixed.
1.) The whole bonus thing and the futility of trying to attain that perfect rating really appeals. I do my work as necessary, try and add some value, but when it's time to go I am not engaging in face-time. If that's an issue for my employer I will find another one. Regardless, I fully expect to be promoted (and have) when the time comes. The extra x% added to my bonus is not worth my time.
2.) This is key, I go into a job knowing what I want out of it and usually with a time to attain that/ exit stage left. Leadership approval and plaudits are near meaningless to me. I do what's necessary to reach that goal and not too much more beyond that. Of course, this will change as I see a position as more long-term/ seek to be management. But I think I will try my hand at entrepreneurship before that happens. At the end of the day this isn't my company and they didn't provide me stock options to incentive going "above and beyond".
3.) Fuck internal awards, useless, give me cash. Agreed on promotions.
4.) Agreed, and I have been lucky enough to have this perspective as I navigate this corporate jungle.
5.) Professional relationships have rarely gotten me where I want to go, it's always been my grind. I hope this changes as I get older and need that "good ol' boys" handshake for advancement.
6.) Agreed
Sounds like we're on the same page man. My first few years out of college, it was like being in a one-sided relationship with my employer. Working my ass off because it's what management expected of me, jumping through internal bureaucratic hoops in hope of vertical mobility and placing far too much of my self-worth on things that actually have no bearing in the real world.
I had to rewire my brain from the corporate dogma that I held holiest. I hold none of this against my previous employers because this is the world that we live in. It just took me this long to figure all of this out.
AGREED
I think when you're into your first job, you are bound to fall in the traps mentioned. This is due to wanting to fit in and not really knowing how act and what is expected of you in your first job. You want to succeed but also want the approval of your colleagues. I'm definitely guilty of doing this.
Once you wake up and realize where you really stand in the corporation you will realize that stamp of approval from your superiors is bullshit. YOU ARE THERE TO LEARN. The younger you are when you realize this the better.
Do your job well, develop a meaningful skill set, and learn as much as you can.
Re #5: Relationships are everything. Just make sure all your relationships aren’t at your current firm, that’s when you get fucked. I could get a ridiculous job virtually any time I want because I have strong relationships with senior people at a number of firms who know my production level/work product.
Comp decisions often ultimately boil down to this: How much do we have to pay this person to get them to stay? If they feel you are loyal beyond question, you will definitely be underpaid compared to what they would pay you if they think you are a flight risk (100% contingent upon you being perceived as someone they can’t lose).
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