Every now and then Jed or I will be sitting across the table from someone who will confide in us that he really wants to be promoted into the next job. Sometimes, he may not know what that next job is, but he really wants it. “How do I get ahead?”, he may ask of us. This got me to thinking:
Boot-licking – Constant, shameless, thorough and quality bootlicking.
Eliminate the competition by quietly and carefully sabotaging their every move. If you think they might be higher in the standings than you for the next role — take them out.
Sewering Your Boss — Maybe if you make her look stupid enough, they’ll fire her, and put you in her role.
Constantly Champion Your Own Virtues – If people don’t know how wonderful you are, it’s about time you told them. Don’t be afraid to repeat, ad nauseam.
Sorry – I seem to have lost my inner-monologue.
It’s frightening how many people think that one or more of the above will work. We see it time and time again, even if people don’t fully admit to employing some or all of these techniques.
There is no doubt that occasionally a boot-licker will slip between the cracks and have some success for a limited period of time. Maybe even a year or two. However, there is always a reckoning. This is not to say that the most qualified person always gets the job – organizational politics are a fact of life that people need to accept. I don’t know of any organizations that are pure meritocracies.
But people who attempt to prosper by insincere means most often meet their demise with the same level of intensity as they played the game. What comes around goes around – even though it may take longer than many of us might like.
So how do you get ahead in your career? Start by not being an idiot. If you can’t manage that, you’re not going to get ahead anyway, so you might as well cut your losses now. (Oops – there’s my inner-monologue again).
If you want some other ideas, download our latest podcast on How to Get Ahead – Wily Manager Style.
In the meantime… let’s be careful out there.