How Women Become the MVP of the Political Game
By Kristin Hodgkinson and Wendy R. Weidenbaum
To women, office politics may carry negative connotations of scheming, conniving, and not playing fairly. The reality is that navigating politics effectively can be played in a positive way and is essential to getting ahead. Many women see playing the political game as keeping their head down and working as hard as possible and hoping to be recognized for the work they accomplish. Yet, doing good work is only half the battle. What many don’t realize is that these political games can, and should, be played to their benefit. Check out these three tips to learn how:
Take Credit Where Credit’s Due
Statements such as, “The team did this…” or “I supported…” will not help you stand out. While it is important to give credit where credit is due, it is just as important to own your achievements, and recognize the role you have played. You may be under the impression that good work speaks for itself. Yet, in today’s world, unless you act as your own advocate, you’re at risk of getting no more than a ‘good job’ or an “atta girl.” While this is nice to hear, taking ownership of your accomplishments is the only way to fast track your career. If you took the lead in landing a big account, don’t downplay your achievements by giving all the credit to the team. Give the team credit and yet be vocal about the specific actions you took and decisions you made to make this success happen.
Voice Your Accomplishments/Forge Your Own Path
Once you have credited yourself with your achievements, you may assume that this work will be recognized, and that promotion or new projects will just fall into your lap. Right? Wrong. You cannot let others determine the path of your career. As soon as you’ve accomplished something great, use it as a leveraging tool to schedule a meeting with your boss. Acknowledge your accomplishments when they happen and use them to your advantage to direct your path where you want it to go. If you did an excellent job on a report and have kept no record of it, it will do nothing for you three months down the road when it comes time for performance evaluations. A great tip from Wendy Weidenbaum is to keep a folder of all of the work you’ve accomplished throughout the year. This way when you meet with your boss to be evaluated you have hard evidence of everything you’ve achieved.
Map the Networks
And finally, be sure to be aware of the various social networks and hierarchies in your company. Sometimes all it takes is networking with the right person to push your career into high speed. Become aware of the various spheres of influence to use to your advantage when you’re trying to get something to fall in your favor. By being able to navigate these networks, you’ll be able to identify the perfect individual to become an advocate for your career. Having a mentor like this is crucial because they can be the deciding factor in whether or not your excellent report gets to the desk of the top bosses in your company.