The game

Are you playing the game at work? Gosh, I hate this whole game thing! I want to be promoted for my effort, for doing things above and beyond expectations, for being a great leader and for thinking outside of the box. I don't enjoy meaningless small talk and I don't like brown nosing. So how does one get ahead when the game is being played all around you? My hope is that it's not being played everywhere. That is my hope, but my reality is that it is being played to some extent everywhere. In some respect, it's not all bad. You get to know people that you don't work with on a daily basis that make decisions about yours and others future careers (or at least future career within that organization). They get to know you and see how you interact with others and what type of leader you are or could be. So let's start thinking about the game differently. I value genuine relationships and conversations. When I recognize someone's efforts, I want them to know that I am truly impressed. In saying that, I don't want it to seem that I'm just recognizing their efforts because I am supposed to. This is why I try to build "real" relationships with my teachers and students. I want them to know me and I want to know them. So maybe this whole game thing isn't really a game at all, maybe it's just uncomfortable to try to build relationships with people we don't know at all. Maybe this is why people call it a game; maybe they have missed the entire point. It's become a game to them because they have forgotten about what a relationship is. It is supposed to be about an authentic relationship with all stakeholders to achieve a common goal. I will keep being me and I hope that others will just be themselves as well, so we can accomplish great things together. There should be no "game," just people striving to be the best they can be and accomplishing great things with people they care about.