Do you have the skill of navigating the office environment and "getting ahead"?

[Anonymous]

I definitely don't🙂

I can get by

I have made tons of mistakes

Maybe I'm learning from them

[Levin]

Well, the question is, do you want to thrive in them?

In my place, there's a lot of nepotism and cronyism. Generally, the people who get promoted kiss the best arse. Someone got promoted to my level and she's terrible. Unreliable. She's supposed to help me and learn what I do, so she can do my crucial job when I'm off. She has no interest in it whatsoever. The management cover for her, and said, 'well, she probably still won't know how to do it herself by October'. Piss poor, and puts a lot of pressure on me. Working hard and being reliable won't get you promoted.

Obviously being proactive and confident helps.

But yeah, I can't be anything other than negative about such a prospect. Office environments are awful.

[Asker]

I think I have learned a number of lessons of what not to do

Never be in bad humor
Never get annoyed with anyone
Especially a person more senior
Always have a joke or witty comment ready
Don't work too hard
If you're in the office be happy, upbeat
Be confident obviously
Don't ask stupid questions

[Asker]

I forgot, don't do anything embarrassing 🙂

Don't get drunk at office parties 🙂

[Levin]

Sure, they're all ideals.

There was a period when I was in bad humour.
I had a big argument with the boss in the office.

I just don't give a shit anymore. Looking to get out. So it depends what you want for yourself.

I don't want to be in that environment anymore.

I stuck up for myself and think for myself. A dangerous combination.

[Asker]

And did you leave soon after that?

[Asker]

You didn't leave
Ya
Sometimes we have to stick up for ourselves

[Levin]

This argument happened a month or two ago. There's no bad blood, really. But i don't like working there so am actively looking for something els3. My issue is that I don't want to go in an office again, so something completely different

[Asker]

You really don't like the office environment!
I don't see any other option
I only see my particular line is work
But I retire in under 5 years
So not too long to go

[Levin]

5 years is bareable.
30 years is not

[Asker]

Yes in May i will have 4.5 years to go
That won't be long going in
Actually the last 30 years want long going in either

What's easier that going into the office?
Cycle in
Go to gym at lunch
Cycle home

[WindAtMyBack]

I could navigate the office environment just fine. But getting ahead implies being a ladder climber, which I had no desire to do. I just wanted to do what I was doing and get better at it. Moving up means doing something I don't want to do, and likely would not have been as good at.

[Nikki1989]

Yup. At the age of 16, I began working as an office temp and have worked my way up the corporate ladder since then. I can't climb that ladder much higher now.

[AI Opinion]

I recognize this feeling from my early career, even after business school.

A few ideas that helped me “get ahead” without becoming political:

1. Observe the unwritten rules
Who gets listened to? How are decisions really made? Treat this as research.

2. Build quiet alliances
Have 1:1 coffees, offer help, and follow through. Reliable people earn influence.

3. Manage your manager
Clarify expectations, share progress, and ask directly: “What would exceeding expectations look like?”

4. Learn from mistakes deliberately
After each misstep, write: what happened, why, and one behavior to change next time.

You’re already reflecting—that’s the foundation of real advancement.

[lightbulb27]

did for a long time. defintely skills and game and luck.