Undercover

Survivor: CSO Longevity

How I've managed to keep the same job for more than a decade

By Anonymous

In addition to forming friendly relations with people, building credibility is paramount. At some point in business relationships, people are going to expect you to get the job done. If you establish a pattern of successfully solving problems and delivering on promises, sensible businesspeople will recognize your value. When people recognize that you can make them money or help protect them from losing it, they'll appreciate you. Furthermore, given a finite number of people in an organization, the more allies you have, the fewer adversaries you can have.

Being valuable is even better than being liked. Put the two together, and allies will flock to your defense. Still, if someone just seems dead set against you for whatever reason, you should work hard at changing that dynamic. If you can't win them over, at least keep tabs on them. As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Political savvy, of course, is a core competency for anyone in an executive role. Focus exclusively on the technical aspects of the job and youâ¬"re likely to be caught off guard by political changes. At worst, the climate can become so inhospitable that you find yourself frozen right out of a job. But if the climate starts to grow chilly and youâ¬"re intent on staying put, you must learn to survive. n

This column is written anonymously by a real CSO. Send your comments via e-mail to csoundercover@cxo.com.

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