Curious why your colleague snagged that promotion when you're the one carrying the weight and burning the midnight oil?

You’ve been doing all the heavy lifting at work, yet someone else gets the promotion. Many of my clients come to me because they had a similar experience, so I know it’s quite common… but it also can be resolved!

First, you want to analyze what’s going on. What are the dynamics in your office and what’s in the way of you succeeding.

Here are 3 concrete examples of how politics can obstruct your promotion:

1.???Unfair Recognition and Attribution

One common frustration in many workplaces is the lack of fair recognition and attribution of achievements. You might be consistently delivering exceptional results, but if your contributions are overshadowed by others or wrongly attributed to someone else, it can hinder your chances of promotion. To counter this, keep meticulous records of your accomplishments and be proactive in sharing them with your manager (and yes, also with your manager’s manager if you see a need for that). Additionally, building alliances with influential colleagues who can vouch for your contributions can help ensure that your efforts are properly recognized.

2.???Stagnation Due to Hierarchical Barriers

In hierarchical organizations, advancement opportunities may be limited by rigid structures and bureaucratic processes. You might find yourself stuck in a position with few prospects for upward mobility, despite your qualifications and aspirations. To overcome this obstacle, consider seeking out lateral moves or special projects that allow you to showcase your skills and expand your network beyond your immediate department or team. By demonstrating your versatility and adaptability, you can position yourself for future advancement opportunities even in the face of hierarchical barriers.

Also – and I’ve seen this with some of my clients – if your professional growth is faster than the prescribed progression grid or timelines and there’s no option to skip ahead, then you may be better off somewhere else… Just my five cents!

3.???Undermining by Office Politics

Office politics can sometimes manifest in subtle or overt attempts to undermine your credibility or reputation. This can occur through gossip, sabotage, or the spreading of misinformation designed to discredit you in the eyes of decision-makers (over-competitive colleagues!). To counteract such tactics, maintain professionalism at all times and focus on building strong relationships based on trust and integrity. Additionally, don't hesitate to address any instances of undermining directly, while also seeking support from allies and mentors who can provide guidance and advocacy. Unfortunately, many corporate environments tend to be very competitive, which is actually counterproductive to fruitful co-creation, but it can be used to keep employees more easily controllable as you’re not a strong alone as you are in a cohesive group. So, sadly, in some organizations, you may need to deal with it more competitive behavior than you’d like to.

So, what's the key to overcoming these obstacles and achieving success despite office politics? It's about more than just putting in the work and delivering results. It's also about actively managing your professional relationships, building your visibility within the organization (I call this “positive visibility”), and understanding the dynamics at play.

Ultimately, your corporate success often hinges on a combination of competence, strategic networking, and the ability to navigate office politics with finesse. When you recognize the role that politics can play in obstructing promotions and take steps to effectively navigate them, you can more easily position yourself for success in your career.

Need help with this? DM me!

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