73. How to Play the Office Politics Game with Dolores Johnson, Former Vice President of International Marketing, Fortune 100 Companies

What percent of your job is office politics?

Dolores Johnson says 60%. For this Women of Color Rise episode, I talk with Dolores, a former Vice President of International Marketing at Fortune 100 tech companies. In her current chapter, Dolores is a writer focused on race and recently wrote her award-winning Say I’m Dead, A Family Memoir of Race, Secrets and Love. 

Dolores shares gems about how to fast track your career, including how to navigate office politics.

1. Understand office politics – Your job is 40% work and 60% office politics. You need to understand people’s hidden agendas and what is in it for them. This will help you understand how to persuade them to your ideas. Take advantage of pre-meetings to sell and get buy-in for your ideas before the actual meeting.

2. Take time to build relationships – It’s not your work that will get you ahead. It’s your relationships. Take initiative to seek mentorships. Take initiative to network outside of your company. Your job is not guaranteed – and these relationships will help you bounce back when you need a new opportunity.

3. Speak up – Do not fall prey to being quiet. Share your ideas. For Dolores, she needed to learn how to speak more directly, with less detail and more in headlines. 

4. Come up with innovative ideas that drive the bottom line – If you want to accelerate your career, be on the lookout for ideas that the organization has not yet tried. You want to be seen as someone who is innovative with ideas that can drive results.

5. Keep your eyes on the prize – If people make comments that question your worth, believe in yourself. Instead of focusing on just this moment, look forward and remind yourself of where you are headed

6. Take care of yourself – The company is not responsible for your career progress or your care. Take care of your mental health, speak up for your pay, negotiate, and also be aware of the risks. Know that the extra hours, trips, and work won’t provide you job security. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://analizawolf.com/ep-73-how-to-play-the-office-politics-game-with-dolores-johnson