My coworker Dave told me to just “play the game” at work... he was totally wrong

Dave from accounting said I should laugh at my boss’s dumb jokes and volunteer for every stupid project to get ahead. I did that for 6 months straight, even staying late 3 nights a week, and all it got me was a huge pile of extra work and zero raise. Meanwhile, the guy who actually called out the boss on bad ideas got promoted last month. Has anyone else ever followed terrible advice from a coworker like that and regretted it?

2 comments

2 Comments

danielb436d ago

Playing the game doesn't mean being a yes man to everything. It means understanding how things actually get done in your workplace and working that system. Sounds like Dave gave you bad advice on how to play the game, not that the game itself is a myth. The guy who pushed back on bad ideas probably knew when to speak up and when to keep quiet, which is a skill. Maybe next time watch what the successful people actually do instead of taking advice from some guy in accounting.

lilyg836d ago

Nah, "watching what the successful people do" is solid advice. Dave told you to be a doormat, not to play the game. That guy who called out the boss? He probably did it in a way that showed he cared about the team, not just complaining. You were basically running on a hamster wheel for 6 months while that other dude actually figured out the power structure. Next time, skip Dave and just pay attention to who actually gets the raises.