For years, I believed that if I worked hard enough, delivered exceptional results, and treated everyone with respect, my career would naturally progress.
I was wrong.
Like many women, I was operating under the assumption that organizations are meritocracies. I thought promotions went to the best performer. I believed leaders objectively evaluated talent. I assumed that if I kept my head down and did great work, the right people would notice.
What I eventually learned—and what I wrote about extensively in The Politics of Promotion—is that organizations don’t simply run on performance. They run on relationships, influence, and power.
If you don’t understand who has power in your organization, you’re navigating your career without a map.
What Is a Power Map?
A power map is a visual representation of the people who influence decisions inside your organization. (Check out The Politics of Promotion for a usable template.)
Every workplace has people who influence promotions, assignments, budgets, visibility, and reputations. Some sit in the executive suite. Others don’t. Some have impressive titles but very little influence. Others seem almost invisible on the organizational chart but have enormous political capital.
The mistake many of us make is assuming the org chart tells the whole story.
It doesn’t.
The real power structure exists underneath it.
Why Women Often Miss It
We are frequently socialized to focus on competence rather than influence.
We’re taught to:
- Work harder.
- Be collaborative.
- Avoid office politics.
- Let our results speak for themselves.
Unfortunately, organizations don’t operate that way.
Decisions are made by people. And people are influenced by trust, relationships, credibility, reputation, alliances, and information.
Ignoring those realities doesn’t make them disappear.
It simply leaves you out of the conversation.
Too many of us discover this only after being passed over for a promotion they assumed they had earned. Yup! That was me!
Read the full article on Substack.com.
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