Succeeding Beyond Office Politics
Sucking up to someone who doesn’t respect you won’t suddenly make them start. It may seem like the smartest thing to do. The logic is that if you could prove your efficiency, it would be alright, right? But never in the history of people who don’t already rate you has that ever happened.
Your best bet for continuous efficiency is to actually work diligently, be teachable, accept criticism, and improve on areas that need it. Every day should be a challenge to prove yourself to yourself.
Look at it this way: it’s like learning how to climb a ladder. You do the work of conquering your fear; one step up, one step down, until you get the hang of it. You’re not completely there, but you know you’re making progress. You’re not at the top yet, but you have the confidence that you can keep going.
What happens when you keep looking up to your boss to see you and applaud your progress? It means their feedback matters. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it becomes a problem when you’re seeking acknowledgment from someone who feasts on your inadequacies for sport— someone who thinks everyone is less competent than they are, who is incredibly hard to please, and who only validates you when it suits them.
In your attempt to gain their favor, you begin to lose yourself, and everything you work toward with grit begins to lose its significance because it’s not earning you applause. That ladder you gave your all to learning begins to terrify you. You want to climb, you know you can, but suddenly, you’re no longer sure of your steps.
There’s a big difference between being humble and being a pushover. You have no control over how your superiors treat you at work, but you do have power in how you carry yourself; there will always be a sense of pride if your job isn’t just about eye service. There’s joy even through the nastiness, knowing that their actions aren’t a reflection of you and that their destructive criticism isn’t a reflection of your capabilities.
When you focus on getting on the ladder instead of being seen getting on it, you thrive. Feedback from your superiors is important; no one knows it all. But there’s a difference between someone who nurtures talent and someone who stifles it. They’re not the same. And you only win with either of them when you remain true to yourself: humble but also self-respecting.
In essence, focus on your own development and find pride and satisfaction in your work independent of external validation, especially from those who are unlikely to appreciate it.
