Learning to dance through office politics

By Nicole Zerillo | Special to amNewYork

August 20, 2007

In the 80s, a dance off was an open-and-shut case. To be number one, you simply smirked your way through a genius pop-n-lock routine your competitor couldn't reproduce.

Forgoing the merit-based dance competitions of yore, Fox's "So, You Think You Can Dance" did not seek out the best dancer in all T.V.-land, but instead the most congenial.

America crowned Sabra Johnson, a nervous, enthusiastic dancer with a mere four years of dance training, the winner over runner-up Danny Tidwell, an alum of the American Ballet Theatre with as much 'tude as talent.

In the modern workplace, as in dance reality television, knowing how to take credit and subtly promote your accomplishments can be as important as the work, itself.

"Self-promotion is an enormous part of any career, but so is knowing how to do it," said Lindsey Pollack, career consultant and author of "Getting From College To Career: 90 Things To Do Before You Join The Real World."

"You are your own P.R. person in the office, and it's your responsibility to make sure your supervisor knows you're meeting and exceeding your duties."

Still, there's a fine line between highlighting your contributions and bragging. While you want to stand out, you don't want to be labeled as an arrogant attention hog, or as someone who refuses to share the spotlight with co-workers.

According to Pollack, being positive about your work in casually spoken "progress reports" or in paper trails of emails to your supervisor can be excellent ways to underscore your own efforts. Another way to not seem completely self-serving is to acknowledge your co-workers' hard work, if only to distinguish it from your own.

If you experience the worst (and most common) scenario of having your hard-work overlooked or wrongly credited, don't get angry. Instead, approach the problem in a way that flows with office culture.

For example, if your boss takes all the praise for a project you significantly contributed to, it's best to turn the other cheek, since your boss will probably credit you herself.

However, if you're blindsided by a colleague in a meeting, Pollack advises "not to accuse anyone or sound like you're complaining. That will only make you look bad, and not improve matters. Instead, start out with a positive comment, and be sure to add on a different facet of how you were involved." Also, try subtly working in a few 'we's, pluaralizing what your co-worker tried to individualize.

If no damage control is possible, stop by for a conversation with your supervisor. The point of this meeting is to bring awareness of the situation to your boss, not a whine and moan.

Also, beware making this a regular pit stop, after meetings. In the workplace, expecting tribute for every good turn is not always realistic. And, while it feels good to be acknowledged, it feels even better to be promoted.