During our school days, we were taught to have integrity, honesty, frugality, being truthful and mostly related to being real. From there, we made friends and found some who were not good to be our friends due to various reasons such as dishonesty, stealing from us and backstabbers.
So, if we were to apply the same concepts at work, we will all fail to make it up the corporate ladder if we were ambitious. This is because the ones on top will never. Ever. Promote us. Just look at the ones who are struggling and are genuine to the colleagues. What does this teach my kids? How do I even tell or explain to my kids when they finally step out to work for money, they have to put on face masks and be “nice” to the ones who are in the power to promote them if they were ambitious and want to be the CEO or CFO or something?
What education taught us is just nothing but academics to help us in the first job. What education does not teach is how to survive in the corporate jungle full of two-headed snakes, backstabbers and many others. I fear for my children’s future because I have no idea how to explain to them that they have to put up a firewall to protect themselves.
There are many things to do when one becomes an adult.
- Be real only to those who deserve it. But how do we know who deserves it?
- Be “nice” to the ones who are in the power to promote you at work.
- Be able to manage stress from different factors.
- Be able to perform in a fast-paced environment.
- Be flexible at work. This may mean that one has to be able to manage stress from different kinds of bosses.
So, my children, if you were to find this in the history cache, I hope you understand this. The world may not be out to eat you all the time but there are people who want to use you as a stepping stone for their climb up the corporate ladder. I am being used as a stepping stone and there are times I don’t know until the person has been promoted.
Do note that bosses are biased no matter what. They only promote the people they like. They may be capable in their job or they may just be capable in other areas than the job.