Peter is a hardworking, dedicated, and devoted senior executive. He is perceived as always getting the job done. He works 7 days of week, at the sacrifice of time with his family and friends.

During a coaching session, Peter’s expression resembled someone who had just found out his dog died. He was forlorn and sad. When I asked him what happened, he replied “Susan was promoted, not me!  I work harder, accomplish more, and have made sacrifices for the company. I am being overlooked for a promotion I deserve.”

After a few minutes calming Peter down, I said, “You have experienced the deleterious effects of the “myth of good work.” The myth is that if you work hard and do good work you will be rewarded. Similar to education, the belief is that if you work hard and get good grades you are “promoted” to the next grade. In business the same principle does not apply.

During the next few months of coaching, Peter began to shift his thinking and actions to being more political and building political capital that was important. He realized that doing good work is not enough to get noticed and rewarded. As he began to think and behave politically, he acquired political stature and was ultimately promoted.

Here are a few of the suggestions to overcome the “myth of good work.”

Politics is not a zero-sum game – Continue to find opportunities to create “win-win” scenarios.

Think politically – When a situation occurs where a decision has to be made or people need to be influenced, ask yourself “what are the political dynamics involved in this situation?”

Create political constituents – As in national politics, having strong constituents behind you is imperative. Begin to build relationships with strategic individuals who have political capital and who you can help in some way.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer – There will always be people with whom you do not get along or you know don’t speak highly of you. Anyone who you think will speak negatively about you, begin to spend time with them. Get to know the person and find common ground.

Politics is a learned skill – Developing political skills can be learned. You can learn how to attune to the political signs and cues in any organization. Identify leaders who you believe are politically savvy. Observe their behavior, their way of speaking, how they “show up,” and what other leaders they regularly interact with.