At any job, there are certain strategies, politics, and social dynamics. Depending on how familiar you are with these dynamics, you can get ahead of your colleagues. Some people like to view this strategy as a game.
In the corporate world, employees who know how to play the game engage in unspoken rules and behaviors that allow them to advance at their jobs. Despite how exhausting it can be, one worker encouraged corporate employees to keep playing for their personal gain. Basically, you have to embrace the unpleasantness of corporate life in order to enjoy your personal life. No surprise, his view was not well received.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the “corporate game,” it can be best described as a metaphorical term that refers to the behaviors employees partake in to help them advance in their careers. They do this to help them achieve their goals, increase their chances of receiving promotions, and thrive in the corporate environment.
The corporate game is different in every company depending on the culture, industry, and social dynamics. Some typical strategies for playing the corporate game well are to set your own personal goals, build relationships with the right team members, work outside your comfort zone, and learn to accept your failures and move on.
Over time, playing the corporate game can become exhausting and overwhelming for some people, and they may begin to feel discouraged and not work as hard. However, no matter how exhausting it gets, a worker named Justin Frett encouraged anyone playing to keep it up, as it would only help them in the long run.
“Why did a dumb-dumb say to me, ‘I don’t like to play the corporate America game?’ Let me explain something to you,” Frett said in a TikTok video. “You play the game, so you can afford to play games when you clock out of there… Don’t be stupid and broke!”
Frett argued that advancing your career and earning a decent salary were the keys to enjoying life outside of work.
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“Play the game so you can afford to ADVANCE up out of there! Investments, side hustles, businesses, savings, etc.,” one TikTok user commented.
“I hate playing the game but when I board a plane to go on vacation and pay my bills, it makes it worth it!” another user shared.
Research has actually shown that Frett and the people who agree with him are onto something. Although science is in its infancy, a study from 2016 found that there is a link between people who are driven to succeed professionally and those who are driven to enjoy their lives outside of work with vigor.
“People get so comfortable playing the game when there shouldn’t be any games but just work,” one user noted. “This mindset is lowkey why there’s still ‘games’ to play though,” another user wrote.
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People argued that going to work should not be about playing games and that as long as people showed up and did their work, they deserved to move up the ranks. As with everything in life, however, that’s not always the case.
Ultimately, the problem with the mindset is what the non-profit organization Project Happiness detailed in a blog post; trying to have it all by playing the corporate game and playing hard in your private life would eventually suck the joy right out of you. It’s essentially untenable because you will burn out, and the things you once enjoyed doing outside of all that hard work and playing corporate games would become a burden instead of a pleasure.
Those who engage in the game have the opportunity to advance in their career, have more influence in projects and decision-making, and can build resilience at work. However, the corporate game can also lead to favoritism and inequality among workers, create conflicts and unhealthy competition, and lead to constant work stress and burnout.
Those who constantly play the corporate game can find themselves still working or constantly thinking about work even when they are off the clock and meant to be enjoying themselves.
In order to foster a healthy work environment where the corporate game exists, organizations should aim to promote fairness, hard work, and collaboration between employees that allows them to engage in a professional and friendly way.
There should be a way for workers to get ahead in their professional lives by focusing on their goals and values while having mutual respect for their colleagues. At the end of the day, as long as you are showing up and working to the best of your ability, you are already playing the game right!
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Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.
