I remember years ago, at one of the corporations I worked for, the HR folks would espouse PIE: PERFORMANCE-IMAGE-EXPOSURE. Advancing in your career was thought to be 1 part Performance, 1 part Image, and 1 part Exposure-but maybe not all equal parts.
Lately I have witnessed that image, and the cultivation of image via exposure is paramount in the corporate world. A shock I know, but I have optimistically held out that performance was paramount. I have always, to my detriment, eschewed Politics for the most part, participating in only the most rudimentary activities. Clearly corporate politics are important, but I always wanted to remain above petty jealousies, intrigues and sycophantic behavior.
It was only much later that I realized you cannot remain above these undesirable conditions because in Corporate America one is literally swimming in it.
There are people in this world whom I admire, if only for their political deftness. They may not have a bit of character, at least in my definition. Integrity may be a four letter word to them. Ethics might be OK as long as its expeditious. Their performance, and the performance of the business unit they lead may appear very ugly and substandard in the harsh light of day, yet somehow, these Politicos are able to maneuver through the shoals and find safe harbor every time. It is truly a wonder.
Ruminating on this, I thought to myself it's not Performance in the absolute sense, as in performance to plan, achievement of business goals, or excellent operating results. Witness the latest mortgage melt-down and credit crisis in the U.S. Financial entities are writing down Billions of dollars of losses, yet at the same time there are some executives cashing enormous checks, banking millions in stock while the results sour the U.S and World Economy.
It is rather, performance, as in a play or theatrics. It is not how well you have performed your job and led your people and achieved positive results, it is how can you sell whatever the results were, no matter how poor, and find willing buyers for your wares. Thus, Performance really melds into the Image and Exposure pieces of the PIE.
I often thought to myself that there was some truth to "good things come to those who wait". Another one of my favorites is "Do good and fear no man" (seen in a restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas). It seems these sentiments and others like them are not enough.
Of course, there needs to be some ownership of ones career rather than sitting around awaiting a promotion to be handed down from on high. It will rarely happen if you are not an active manager of your own career. Ultimately, you are in charge of your own destiny and have no one to blame but yourself.
However, its turned out that job performance is not weighted as heavily a I thought. I think its much the same in most corporations, but I have worked in three, and the other two definitely put, at the very least, equal weight to Performance, oftentimes much more weight. My most recent employment experience has taught me that to excel in your career is not one in the same as delivering excellent results. Rather, what kind of performance can you deliver to convince your audience and critics that what you show them represents something worthy of applause. It's all about theatrics. The audience sees what the thespian wants them to see.
Think about it; new spins on the nouns and verbs in the career game...performance, show, promotion. Business has become less X's and O's and a winning score, and more of an art exhibition, tapping much more heavily into feelings than tangible results.
Perhaps I am naive in my almost 39 years on this planet. Maybe I am still too idealistic. Perhaps I am too stubborn too have my optimism worn down to a nub. I still want to believe its the substance and the results that drive businesses rather than what a charlatan or snake oil salesman can convince an audience to buy.
"I am the great and powerful Oz..." or are you? Be careful wizard, someday somebody might see behind the curtain.
So, the skeptic in you says sour grapes. Maybe. I lament the fact that we have to resort to gamesmanship and its how you play the game, not whether your company wins or loses that's most important. Odd I would say. Yes, relationships are important, but not more so than results. I worked for a company that relationshiped itself into bankruptcy. Let me tell you, it was painful to watch and live through.
I agree, results should be gotten with an eye to relationships. One cannot roll about on the deck like the proverbial loose cannon, claiming that the ends justifies the means, but alienating everyone around you along the way.
Clearly, Ethical and Legal considerations should be sacrosanct. If you become ethically unsound, you really are treading some very dangerous ground and I think you would deserve any calamity that may befall you.
Conversely, business performance should not be sacrificed on the altar of personal friendship in the name of single-minded career mongering. I would say this is one of the highest forms of treason in business today. It ranges from business contracts awarded more on friendship and less on economics, to cronyism at promotion time.
How to make all this negativity positive? I am getting close to old and set in my ways, but if you're 24 years old and reading this perhaps its not too late for you. Some ideas for you to consider:
- Decide if you are going to play the game. If so, understand the rules and how to win. If not, don't cry because your career suffers. Own your decision.
- I would encourage you prepare to play the game, with an end in mind, but make sure you are good at both kinds of performance.
- Become a thespian, but one that can back your soliloquies with solid business results.
- Find a sponsor. Preferably someone who takes a personal interest in you, is motivated to develop and promote you, and has the power or position to do so. Steve in the cube next to you is not your best choice for a sponsor, right now. But stay on his good side, Steve may vault to prominence and bring you along with him.
- Seek a mentor. Mentors and sponsors can be one in the same, or they can be different people entirely. However, mentors can be anyone you meet. In this case, Steve in the cube next to you may be a great mentor.
- Never tell anyone something you don't want them to tell anyone else. Consider your words carefully and always keep in mind that even the person whom you deem most trustworthy may not be able to keep your confidence. There are always keys to the vault.
- Be aware that you will encounter at least 1 person whose main goal is their career and they will do anything to further it, including betray you.
- Finally, be true to yourself.
As you can probably tell, I struggle with some of these things. We all have to overcome some parts of our genetic make-up and the environment in which we developed. Don't despair. If you have the DESIRE, you can win at this game. And remember, as a wise man once told me, "Pick Your Spot".
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