Favourite quote:
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts”
Phil W (Founder)
"Study hard so that you can get a good job. Work hard so that you can have a good life". That is the line drilled into almost every single Asian kid as they were growing up. My childhood was filled with books, tests, exams, and tutorials. Almost every waking hour was filled with study. I was doing year 10 mathematics when I was in year 7! I thought that the measure of success of a human being was based on the grades I got. Yet I always suspected that mantra was a lie. I consistently got good grades but I wasn't popular. I had friends but I didn't have "cool" friends, and as I went from Primary School to High School, I didn't get "the girl".
So I tried multiple techniques and found that being ultra nice to people got the response I wanted. The cool kids acknowledged me (though never really accepted me) and girls started talking to me. Yes, I was in the "friend zone" but I didn't care. I didn't know it then, but it was the beginning of my people please attitude. And it was an attitude I carried into work. The combination of hard work, diligent delivery, polite and friendly approach served me well at the beginning of my career. What boss doesn't like a direct report who accepts every task without complaint, delivers on time, and doesn't complain about not getting credit? But as I got more senior, the demands rose exponentially. There is a limit to how much harder I can work. After all, there are only 24 hours in a day. I realised I was staring at an uncomfortable truth. I had to accept the mantra was a lie. Working hard only gets you so far and it is one of the least useful tactics in the game of office politics.
I was lucky enough to have had bosses who showed me the truth. They were introverts who have succeeded and cared enough to share with me their knowledge and experiences. With this blog, I hope to share with you what they've taught me, what I've picked up myself, and together we help other introverts crush office politics and live a life feeling valued and fulfilled.
Favourite quote:
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Courtney G (Core Contributor)
Growing up I’d seen the corporate high flyers in shows like Sex and the City and movies like The Devil Wears Prada and dreamed of walking down Wall St decked out in corporate attire, black stilettos, a coffee in one hand and a designer bag in the other.
In reality, as I commenced my career, I realised that while the corporate workwear was under control (all be it snapped up at a sale and a far cry from the gorgeous threads adorned by the Vogue employees i), the coffee had been sorted, the designer bag a work in progress, the notion that putting my head down and working hard would alone equate to success, however, became a rude awakening….
Often referred to as the "quiet achiever", starting my first job post university, I was keen to show my worth. I put into practise my idea that working hard would be the key to success. But within a short period of time, I began to notice that colleagues who were all talk and little action were getting ahead. I was frustrated and would often think to myself “how is this fair that I am slogging our guts out while those who know the right things to say to the right people, are putting in very little effort and are getting ahead”. How do the bosses not see through this big noting and little action behaviour? Not only that, why are they rewarding them with promotions, incentives and glowing reviews. I was quick to learn the meaning of the term “office politics”.
Numerous times, I’ve felt taken advantage of (spent the weekend working only to have a colleague take the glory for the work), foolish (not being assertive when said work was taken credit for) and a little burnt out as result of applying the working hard will equate to success mentality. I avoided playing office politics. After a decade in the corporate world, I know that working hard alone is not the key to success. Being able to navigate office politics is essential while maintaining the authentic You. An introvert at heart and a reforming people pleaser I still have a long way to go. I hope my day to day experiences as an introvert navigating an extroverted corporate world can provide you with some tips and if not some reassurance that there are other people who have been and are in your shoes. I can’t wait to hear about your experiences and look forward to sharing my insights as I continue to learn and grow!
Callan McDonnell
Callan McDonnell is the Managing Director for the Centre for Applied Leadership, Learning and Narratives, which is dedicated to unlocking the latent potential in organisations, teams and individuals. His love of stories and studies in English literature, classical civilizations along with psychology and mythology have informed the work he does as a coach and facilitator awakening in people a new connection to meaning and purpose.
His blog, The Caliverse is a collection of quotations, stories and resources drawn from his own experience as a coach and a consultant and have helped him as he explores ways in which to live the best life possible.
Fascinated by how we transform our consciousness and continually evolve, Callan is always looking for new ways to help us understand how to live in this world and to radiate as the best versions of ourselves.
Unsplash (Photo Credits)
A massive thanks to the awesome people behind Unsplash and their contributing photographers who share their artistic talents for all to use. MyCorporateDiary hopes that you enjoy the beautiful photos as much as you enjoy reading the blog.