In his book, Running From Safety, one of my favorite authors, Richard Bach, advises that choices are power tools for creating a successful life. As you think about your career goals I suggest it might be a good idea to review the choices you have made in the past. They are, after all, the reason you find yourself where you happen to be today.
I also advise that you look around at the brownnosers in your workplace and try to see what choices they have made. If you happen to like their career trajectory then you might want to think about incorporating some of those same choices into your plan.
To the unenlightened eye the choices that brown-nosers make may seem shallow and self-effacing, almost embarrassing. But if you look closer their true skill is in the ability to figure out how things get done in the corporate world, or should I say, who gets things done in the organization. Then they leverage their skill at connecting with people and positioning ideas to take advantage of this understanding.
- You can choose to accept the fact that brown-nosing is not always quite what you think it is and you can learn a little brown-nosing skill of your own.
- You can choose to hang onto your somewhat naive notion that education, smarts and good work alone will get you where you want to go and ignore any evidence to the contrary.
- You can recognize that you should learn some of these skills but opt out, even if you know it would be in your best interest to play.
All three choices have consequences. Which will you choose?
Think about it ----
Linda
P.S. Learn more about these brownnosing tools in Brown-Nosing 101: A career survival manual for the rest of us.
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