How to Win Playing the Office Politics Game

Dear Career Vanity,

I’m a Technology Sales Executive working for a conservative, “IBM-type” company that has 1,500 people within our division and only 19 female managers.  My appraisals are stellar and I’ve worked hard to earn a great promotion and reputation within the organization.

After an incident, where I passionately disagreed with a senior level executive about a process that would save the organization millions of dollars in research and development, I realized that I might now be perceived as defensive and unfortunately emotional.

How do I maintain my middle ground when I believe something is right, without taking the easy way out? I want to play the game at work, but not without sacrificing my dignity and reputation. Read the rest of this entry »

Can One Bad Funny Destroy Your Career?

“Oh God, Have I just ruined my career?” Halle Berry asked.

Workplace comedians beware.  Halle’s appearance on “the Tonight Show”, to promote her new movie “Things We Lost in the Fire”, was a media disaster.

According to the New York Post, her remarks about a “Jewish Nose” were viewed as anti-Semitic and offensive. Read the rest of this entry »