Using Informal and Formal Status Symbols in Your Organization to Advance Your Career

     You want to get ahead in life and your career.

Formal status symbols in a business setting tend to come with promotion. In other words, you have to earn them. They're badges of rank in the corporate army.

    Some of the most common ones are:

        - A reserved parking space next to the building
       - An office with a window (corner offices and those on top floors best)
        - Executive dining room privileges
        - Wet bar in office
        - Jacuzzi adjoining office
        - Blackberry email device supplied by the company
         - A private secretary
         - First-class travel privileges
         -designer lamps and furniture as well as LCD computer monitors

       Although you as a management standoff want bee might not qualify for some of the above status symbols, you may be able to come up with reasonable facsimiles. Perhaps you don't rate a reserved parking spot right next to the building, for example, but maybe you can wangle one in the reserved lot, which is better than hiking three blocks from the general parking area like the rest of the peons.

       Make it your business to say nice things to the secretary who handles such matters. It also pays to befriend people like the head of facilities and maintenance, who would be in a position to install a better office rug or wall­paper than you deserve. Check Dale Carnegie's timeless book How to Win Friends and Influence People for the finer points of dealing with such folks.

        You may decide it's politically expedient to spend your own money for things that the company won't supply, such as a that Blackberry or that newest GSM cellular phone and high-class office furnishings.

         Outsiders, new employees, and casual visitors who don't know the difference will think your expensive trappings came with the territory. If somebody is rude enough to ask, "How did you rate this?" just smile and shrug your shoulders. That adds to your mystique.

       Informal status symbols are another matter. These are often adopted by the informal organization, and their importance varies from one company or department to the next. For example it has been reported that some managers like to display computer software running on oversize LCD monitors as status symbols.

       The “authority” with such a “display “may not the first thing about these products and as well may be totally technically inept at any computer skills.

        As well think of a bank of thin LCD computer monitors as s little more than a string of dim lamp bulbs. The more impressive upcoming computer props to display include Microsoft Office System 2007 beta 2 Software , computer web pages locked at Sourceforge.net especially those web pages dealing with security , corporate firewall and encryption projects As well it always helps to display the latest Beta release Microsoft Software such as the upcoming vaporware operating system Vista .

        All of these advanced computer programs to be are for the most part mythical.

        Will anyone you encounter be able to tell you the difference between their prop computer display of “Longhorn" and your “Vista “.

        These advanced showroom computer software projects are always changing due to the nature of deadlines and the infighting and childish nature as well as the poor typing skills of computer programmers.

        No one can really ever refute your expertise or call your bluff seriously.

       Anyone who would is either a liar or fool and is certainly not your competitor in the quest for management or promotion in another field.

       And anyways it is not as if the others you are trying to upscale have not had enough trouble with their current version of Windows or the computer systems they struggle with .

       If you find it difficult to upscale others you can also leave computer screens locked on those program screens and informational websites As well instructional cds or reviews on these and other operating systems or programs may be left around for display and demo purposes.

       And it never hurts to try to display that you are always in the process of upgrading your skills and knowledge. This will be seen as a demonstration of your time management and management evaluation and decision making skills.

      It’s always good to pretend that you are mastering a Linux distro or the Sun Microsystems server systems.

     As well it is noteworthy that there are computer programs easily available to help you pretend that you are busy 28 hours a days.

    With the touch of a key, a model of a work project can be thrown up on your expensive neat LCD monitor while in actuality you were really searching the web for travel sites on your upcoming foreign vacation, or simply playing solitaire A handy feature to have for when your boss walks in the door.

     Most informal status symbols revolve around personal or office accessories. These include Blackberrys, and Higher end business notebook computers systems

     As well these props should have silent testament to their value - both of their stature and of the essential value of the data they contain.

     Expensive locks, encryption and satellite tracking security systems to protect your laptop from theft scream out the importance of your notebook computer and its data on which the whole future of your firm revolve around.

     As an up and comer you should consider acquiring one portable communication devices such as those notebooks computers even if your firm will not provide them to you .

     As well consider the importance of Blackberry portable email systems and high end GSM phones because ultimately they may prove to be a wise and important investment in your career.

     A Blackberry unit linked to the corporate communication and computer system for example, implies that you're a dedicated manager who may need to summon the electronic genie at any hour of the night to elicit data from your office files in order to solve some vital management crisis.

     Of course it is wise to point out that with simple planning that crisis may never have occurred .

   In this day and age you can even link your new GSM phone to your notebook for instant access anywhere in most of the world to head office.   Remember to often demonstrate your wireless ability even if it is from a simple hotspot not even your expensive GSM phone / Internet connection.  Just like an empty briefcase being carried out at the end of the day or work week it doesn't hurt to be seen carrying your notebook computer or Blackberry to and from work, either. You certainly look more progressive and farsighted than colleagues

   Remember these and other silently promoted corporate status symbols can advance your career in any of a number of important ways.
 

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