Comments on: Teaching Your Child Corporate Politics

By: alex

alex — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:37:59 +0000

This is such a great post! One to bookmark. I like BusyDad suggestion.

My parents never taught me anything about politicking in my job. They were “company” people…you do for the company and the company will take care of you, which is not the way of the current work world or the non profit world I work in.

As a girl, I did learn about this politicking more from junior high on. You learned how to seem agreeable and stick to your own guns in the same breath. It is hard…but it is the way of girls for the most part, esp. southern girls.

alexs last blog post..I Must I Must I Must be Productive!

By: BusyDad

BusyDad — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:18:28 +0000

Matt! All this time I did not know you had a blog! I guess the first time I went to your site, I went to the commerce part. Sorry bout that!!

My opinion: PREPARE your child for the second scenario. TEACH the first. It’s kind of how I was raised. I tend to see the good, but brace for the bad.

BusyDads last blog post..Rollin’ on tha Eastside… the Far Eastside

By: Bejewell

Bejewell — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:06:49 +0000

I was never good at the rat race and refused to play office politics from the start - not because I didn’t want to be successful, but because it just wasn’t ME. Still, somehow I’ve managed to work my way into a successful career just by being myself. I don’t know if it’s just dumb luck, or appreciation that people have for the fact that I openly say “I’m not going to play that game” - but it CAN be done.

I’m not saying t’s easy, and the truth is, I have been railroaded out of jobs before. But I’ve found that the jobs I left because of the rat race weren’t jobs that made me happy anyway, and they’ve led into other jobs that worked better for me.

It’s a big world out there, with a lot of different kinds of people, co-workers and employers. In my opinion, the best thing you can teach your daughter is to be herself, and to be proud of that - everything else will follow.

Great post!! Glad to have foun you through POW!

Bejewells last blog post..My Therapist Says I Have Chutzpah

By: McMommy

McMommy — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:20:03 +0000

Wow! You’ve just made me ponder something I’ve never really stopped to think about before. It’s funny…we are always teaching our kids to “share” and “play nice” but you are right, we don’t want to teach them to get walked all over in life!!

I love a good “thinking” POW! Thanks!

McMommys last blog post..POW! Let’s get it on!

By: KC

KC — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:45:59 +0000

don�t forget that you�ll be looking in the mirror every day for the rest of your life. think about that as you adjust your newly discovered ethics standards back to something you seemingly weren�t very happy with. could there be more future regrets?

as a philosopher once said - �the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expected a different result.�

great post Matt.

KCs last blog post..Guest Post on The Playpen - 10 Eco-Friendly Nursery Tips

By: Shannon

Shannon — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:45:32 +0000

Excellent post. I, too, have BTDT.

How to raise her to succeed? Love her unconditionally for her entire life. I assure you she will then succeed, no matter what she does.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:28:22 +0000

This is tough. I was in the thick of corporate politics in my ‘past’ life and I had completely blocked it out of mind until your post (thanks ).
I think it’s important to teach your children to be good people and when they are older they should know it’s important to be able to look in mirror and know they did the right thing.
Really thought provoking.
(Happy POW!)

By: Fawn

Fawn — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:17:16 +0000

Great post. I agree with Barbara, though. I don’t think I’m naive when it comes to corporate politics, but I can’t think of anything my parents did to encourage me in one direction or another. Encourage her to be a good person, but one who won’t be bulldozed. I don’t think there’s necessarily a trade-off there. Good luck with your own battle at work.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 03:23:59 +0000

I agree with the previous 3 comments.

And, you do not have to decide today.

Perhaps the worst that will immediately happen is that you will spend less time with her trying to preserve your job. And, less time together - for a while - is survivable, for both of you.

Dancing in the corporate world is not the next developmental milestone. Really, if you know how to teach a child to do either of those two things, please write a book and I will buy it. My children are both teens, and I’m thinking I can give them the components, but whether they choose corporate-climbing-over-others or the high-moral-ground-of-deferrence - well, that’s part of adulthood - no?

Did your parents teach you to become a corporate climber?

I just think you are getting too far ahead of yourself. I hope that reassures you.

By: Domestic Diva

Domestic Diva — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:28:42 +0000

This is a great post! All of us parents are faced with decisions like this and often times we don’t know what to do so reaching out to others for advice is a great thing. I wish I could help you more but I think you should trust your instinct on this one.