In the competitive world of business, success often feels like an elusive game with hidden rules. This is especially true for women and people of color, who face additional challenges in climbing the corporate ladder. "Mastering the Game" by Sudheer R. Poluru aims to level the playing field by revealing the unwritten rules of career success that have traditionally been passed down through networks dominated by white men.
The book draws on decades of experience from lawyer and diversity consultant Sharon E. Jones to provide strategies for diverse professionals to navigate the business world and achieve their goals. It offers practical advice on everything from setting intentional goals to building powerful networks and managing your personal brand.
The State of Diversity in Business
Before diving into strategies for success, it's important to understand the current landscape. The statistics paint a stark picture of the lack of diversity at the highest levels of business:
- In 2017, only 6.4% of Fortune 500 companies were led by women
- Less than 2% were led by people of Asian heritage
- Less than 1% were led by black men
These numbers reflect the many obstacles faced by women and people of color, including:
- Conscious and unconscious bias
- Exclusive "old boy" networks
- Harmful stereotypes
But beyond these more obvious hurdles lies a subtler challenge: many diverse professionals simply aren't aware of the unspoken rules for advancing in business. This book aims to change that by sharing these crucial insights.
The Power of Intentionality
The first step on the road to success is adopting an intentional mindset. This means focusing on what you can control and making deliberate choices to move your career forward. There are two key components to this approach:
1. Define Your Personal Version of Success
It's easy to get caught up in chasing external markers of success, like prestigious job titles or high salaries. But true fulfillment comes from aligning your career with your own values and priorities. The author shares a personal example of realizing that becoming a General Counsel wasn't actually her goal, despite its prestige.
Your definition of success may evolve over time, reflecting changes in your life circumstances and personal growth. The key is to regularly check in with yourself to ensure you're pursuing what truly matters to you.
Interestingly, research shows that happiness may actually lead to success, rather than the other way around. Studies from Harvard found that our brains are 31% more productive when we're feeling content. So prioritizing your short-term happiness could be a smart strategy for long-term success.
2. Set SMART Goals
Once you've defined what success means to you, it's time to set concrete goals to get there. The SMART framework, developed by George Doran in 1981, provides a useful structure:
- Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve
- Meaningful: Ensure the goal aligns with your values
- Achievable: Set realistic targets you can reach
- Relevant: Choose goals that move you toward your vision of success
- Time-bound: Set deadlines to create urgency and track progress
Write down your goals and share them with a trusted friend who can help hold you accountable. Remember to regularly evaluate and adjust your goals as needed.
Developing Mental Toughness
Success rarely comes without obstacles, and diverse professionals often face even more challenges. Developing mental resilience is crucial for overcoming these hurdles.
Overcoming Stereotypes
Negative stereotypes about gender and race are unfortunately still prevalent in many workplaces. It's important to recognize these biases without internalizing them. Getting defensive or taking stereotypes personally can distract you from your goals. Instead, focus on proving stereotypes wrong through your actions and achievements.
Adopting an Offensive Strategy
Rather than playing defense against discrimination, take a proactive approach to your career. This involves:
- Taking calculated risks
- Building self-confidence
- Being assertive in pursuit of your goals
For many women and people of color, this may require consciously pushing past social conditioning that discourages these behaviors. One professional shared her strategy of "channeling her inner white male" during salary negotiations to project confidence and command respect.
Embracing Feedback
Continuous improvement requires being open to feedback, even when it's difficult to hear. When receiving criticism:
- Stay calm and avoid getting defensive
- Ask follow-up questions for clarity
- Request specific examples
- Decide how to incorporate useful feedback into your strategy
Knowing When to Move On
Sometimes, the best move for your career is to leave a company. Stay attuned to signs that it might be time to explore new opportunities, such as:
- Upcoming mergers or restructuring
- Company scandals or financial troubles
- Limited growth potential in your current role
Maintain a strong network and keep in touch with recruiters so you're prepared to pivot if necessary.
Understanding and Exceeding Expectations
To advance in your career, you need to consistently meet and exceed your employer's expectations. This requires understanding how your performance will be evaluated.
Identify Key Metrics
Different organizations prioritize different metrics. When starting a new role:
- Request a copy of the performance review form to see what's measured
- Meet with experienced colleagues to learn what defines success in the organization
- After your first review, ask a trusted coworker to help you interpret the feedback
Deliver Consistently High-Quality Work
For diverse professionals, it's especially important to combat unconscious bias by over-delivering on measurable aspects of performance. This means:
- Submitting error-free work on time, every time
- Double-checking your understanding of assignments
- Proofreading carefully, including reading work aloud to catch mistakes
- Going above and beyond on quantifiable metrics
By consistently exceeding expectations, you make it harder for anyone to argue with your performance, regardless of any biases they may hold.
The Power of Networking
While networking can feel uncomfortable or insincere to some, building strong professional relationships is crucial for career success. A robust network can:
- Help you find job opportunities (56% of people in a 1974 study got jobs through personal connections)
- Provide support and reduce feelings of isolation for diverse professionals
- Open doors to new opportunities and insider knowledge
Effective Networking Strategies
- Focus on making genuine connections with people you like, rather than collecting business cards
- Follow up promptly after meeting new contacts (within a day, then again a month later)
- Don't ignore "lower-level" employees – today's assistant could be tomorrow's executive
- Build a diverse network across different roles and backgrounds
The Importance of Mentors and Sponsors
For women and people of color, having guidance from experienced professionals is especially valuable. Seek out both:
- Mentors: Provide advice, share knowledge, and offer guidance
- Sponsors: Use their influence to advocate for your advancement
In exchange for their support, deliver exceptional results that reflect well on your mentor or sponsor.
Practice Reciprocity
Networking is a two-way street. Always look for ways to give back to your contacts, whether through introductions, sharing knowledge, or giving credit for their help. This approach builds stronger, more lasting relationships.
Managing Your Personal Brand
In today's business world, how others perceive you can be just as important as your actual performance. Actively managing your personal brand puts you in control of that perception.
Professional Appearance
While unfair, diverse professionals are often subject to greater scrutiny regarding their appearance. Some tips:
- Observe how people two levels above you dress and emulate their style
- When in doubt, err on the side of more formal attire
- Aim to be remembered for your work, not your outfit
Strategic Self-Promotion
Don't assume others will seek out information about your accomplishments. Instead:
- Take a "victory lap" around the office after major successes
- Proactively manage the narrative around potential setbacks
- Use a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) to identify your key selling points
- Focus conversations on areas where you want to build your reputation
While it may feel like bragging, strategic self-promotion is necessary for career advancement. The key is to do it authentically and back it up with results.
Building Your Brand Outside Work
Becoming involved in relevant charitable or professional organizations can enhance your reputation and expand your network. Look for opportunities to take on leadership roles in causes you care about, but be careful not to overcommit yourself.
Avoiding Burnout
Working hard is important, but pushing yourself too far can lead to burnout, damaging both your health and your career prospects.
The Importance of Recovery Time
Build regular breaks into your schedule:
- Take short walks around the office every hour
- Use all your vacation days (studies show this increases chances of promotion)
- Consider occasional remote work days for a change of pace
Treat Your Body Like an Athlete
Maintaining your physical health is crucial for sustained career success:
- Eat a balanced diet
- Exercise regularly
- Prioritize getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night (insufficient sleep costs the average worker 11 days of productivity per year)
Practice Mindfulness
Even small amounts of mindfulness or meditation can have significant benefits for your mental health and overall well-being.
Making a Positive Impact
As you advance in your career, you gain more power to create positive change. Use your influence to help level the playing field for other diverse professionals.
Pay It Forward
- Share valuable advice and contacts with junior professionals
- Mentor others as you were mentored
- Participate in hiring committees to broaden the pool of diverse candidates
Use Your Influence
- Get involved in your company's charitable initiatives
- Speak up against discriminatory behavior when you witness it
- Remember that you have power to create change at every level of your career
Key Takeaways
Define success on your own terms: Don't chase external markers of success if they don't align with your personal values and goals.
Set intentional, SMART goals: Be specific about what you want to achieve and create a concrete plan to get there.
Develop mental toughness: Learn to overcome stereotypes and setbacks without letting them derail your progress.
Understand and exceed expectations: Identify the key metrics for success in your organization and consistently over-deliver on them.
Build a strong, diverse network: Cultivate genuine relationships with professionals at all levels and seek out mentors and sponsors.
Manage your personal brand: Take control of how others perceive you through strategic self-promotion and a polished professional image.
Avoid burnout: Prioritize self-care and build recovery time into your schedule to maintain long-term success.
Use your influence for good: As you advance, create opportunities for other diverse professionals and speak up against discrimination.
Conclusion
"Mastering the Game" provides a roadmap for diverse professionals to navigate the often-challenging landscape of career advancement. By understanding the unwritten rules of business success and implementing intentional strategies, women and people of color can overcome obstacles and achieve their professional goals.
The book emphasizes the importance of both individual effort and systemic change. While it's crucial for diverse professionals to develop the skills and mindset needed to succeed, it's equally important for those in positions of power to use their influence to create more inclusive workplaces.
Ultimately, the goal is not just individual success, but a transformation of the business world into one where talent and hard work are rewarded regardless of gender, race, or background. By mastering the game and then working to change its rules, diverse professionals can pave the way for a more equitable future.
Practical Exercises
To help readers put the book's advice into practice, here are some suggested exercises:
Vision boarding: Create a visual representation of your personal definition of success. Include images and words that represent your ideal career and life balance.
SMART goal worksheet: Write out your professional goals using the SMART framework, breaking them down into short-term, medium-term, and long-term objectives.
Network mapping: Draw a map of your current professional network, identifying areas where you could benefit from expanding your connections.
Personal brand statement: Craft a concise statement (1-2 sentences) that encapsulates your unique value proposition and professional identity.
Feedback journal: Keep a log of feedback you receive, both positive and constructive. Note your initial reactions and brainstorm ways to incorporate the feedback into your development plan.
Self-care checklist: Create a weekly checklist to ensure you're prioritizing sleep, exercise, healthy eating, and stress-reduction activities.
Pay-it-forward plan: List three specific ways you can use your current position to help other diverse professionals in your field.
Further Reading
For readers interested in diving deeper into topics covered in "Mastering the Game," consider exploring these related books:
- "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" by Sheryl Sandberg
- "The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World" by Dorie Clark
- "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain
- "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth
- "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg
These books offer complementary perspectives on career development, personal growth, and navigating professional challenges.
A Call to Action
"Mastering the Game" is not just a guide for individual success – it's a call to action for creating a more inclusive and equitable business world. As you implement the strategies outlined in the book, consider how you can use your growing influence to:
- Advocate for diversity and inclusion initiatives in your workplace
- Mentor and sponsor other diverse professionals
- Speak up against discriminatory practices or behaviors
- Support organizations working towards greater equity in business
- Share your own experiences and insights to help others navigate their careers
By mastering the game and then working to change its rules, you can contribute to a future where success is truly based on merit and hard work, regardless of background or identity.
Remember, change doesn't happen overnight, but every small action adds up. As you climb the ladder of success, make sure you're extending a hand to help others up as well. Together, we can create a business world that reflects the full diversity and potential of our society.