Using formal and informal status symbols in your organization to advance your career

You want to get ahead in life and in your career.

Formal status symbols in a business setting tend to come with promotion. In other words, you have to earn them. They are insignia of rank in the corporate military.

Some of the most common are:

– A reserved parking space next to the building.

– An office with a window (corner offices and those on the upper floors are the best)

– Executive dining room privileges

– Wet bar in the office

– Adjoining office with Jacuzzi

– Company supplied Blackberry email device

– A private secretary

– First class travel privileges

– Designer lamps and furniture, as well as LCD computer monitors.

Although you, as a management wantabee, may not qualify for some of the above status symbols, you may be able to create reasonable facsimiles. Maybe you don’t rate a reserved parking spot right next to the building, for example, but maybe you can hang one in the reserved parking lot, which is better than walking three blocks from the general parking area like the rest of the pawns.

Make it your business to say nice things to the secretary who handles those matters. It’s also worth befriending people like your facility and maintenance manager, who might be in a position to install an office rug or wallpaper better than you deserve. Check out Dale Carnegie’s timeless book How to Win Friends and Influence People for the finer aspects of dealing with those people.

You may decide that it is politically expedient to spend your own money on things the company does not supply, such as a Blackberry or the newest GSM cell phone and first-class office furniture.

Outsiders, new hires, and occasional visitors who don’t know the difference will think your expensive decorations came with the territory. If someone is rude enough to ask, “How did you rate this?” just smile and shrug. That adds to your mystique.

Informal status symbols are another matter. These are usually adopted by the informal organization and their importance varies from one company or department to another. For example, it has been reported that some managers like to display computer software running on large LCD monitors as status symbols.

The “authority” with such a “screen” may not be the first thing about these products and it may also be totally technically inept in any computing skill.

Also think of a bunch of slim LCD computer monitors as little more than a row of dim light bulbs. The next most impressive computing accessories to be shown include Microsoft Office System 2007 beta 2 software, computer web pages blocked at Sourceforge.net, especially web pages dealing with security, corporate firewall and encryption projects. . Also, it always helps to show the latest Microsoft Beta version. Software like the upcoming vaporware Vista operating system.

All of these advanced computer programs are for the most part mythical.

Will someone you meet be able to tell you the difference between their “Longhorn” prop computer screen and your “Vista”?

These advanced showroom computer software projects are always changing due to the nature of deadlines and the childish nature and infighting, as well as the poor typing skills of computer programmers.

In reality, no one can refute his experience or call his bluff seriously.

Anyone who is a liar or a fool and is certainly not your competitor in pursuit of management or promotion in another field.

And anyway, it’s not like the others you’re trying to improve haven’t had enough of a problem with their current version of Windows or the computer systems they’re struggling with.

If you find it difficult to improve the quality of others, you can also leave computer screens locked on those informational website and program screens. Also, instructional cds or reviews about these and other operating systems or programs may be left for display and demonstration purposes.

And it never hurts to try to show that you are always in the process of improving your skills and knowledge. This will be seen as a demonstration of your time management, management evaluation, and decision-making skills.

It is always good to pretend that you are dominating a Linux distribution or Sun Microsystems server systems.

It’s also noteworthy that there are readily available computer programs to help you pretend you’re busy 28 hours a day.

With the touch of a key, a model of a work project can be displayed on your expensive LCD monitor while you were actually browsing the web for travel sites on your next vacation abroad, or just playing solitaire A handy feature to have By the time your boss walks in the door

Most informal status symbols revolve around personal or office accessories. These include Blackberrys and

High-end business laptop systems

In addition, these accessories should be a silent testament to their value, both their stature and the essential value of the data they contain.

The costly security systems of locks, encryption and satellite tracking to protect your laptop against theft demonstrate the importance of your laptop and its data around which the entire future of your business revolves.

As promising, you should consider purchasing a portable communication device, such as those laptops, even if your company does not provide them.

Also consider the importance of Blackberry portable email systems and high-end GSM phones because they can ultimately be a smart and important investment in your career.

A Blackberry unit tied to the corporate computer and communications system, for example, implies that you are a dedicated manager who may need to summon the electronic genie at any time of the night to obtain data from your office files in order to solve some problems. vital management. crisis.

Of course, it is wise to point out that with simple planning, the crisis may never have happened.

Today, you can even link your new GSM phone to your laptop for instant central office access from anywhere in the world.

Remember to demonstrate your wireless capability often, even from a simple access point, not even your expensive GSM phone / internet connection.

Like an empty briefcase that takes place at the end of the day or work week, it also doesn’t hurt to be seen carrying your laptop or Blackberry to and from work. Certainly, she seems more forward-thinking and forward-thinking than her colleagues.

Remember that these and other quietly promoted corporate status symbols can advance your career in a number of important ways.