How Work Works

Getting ahead in your career requires understanding the subtle nuances of your work environment.

Navigating the ladder of upward mobility can seem like picking through a minefield of secret rules available only to those who already have executive titles. Beyond explicit rules and tasks, any workplace also has informal norms and expectations. These unspoken tenets may include the way colleagues interact and which behaviors earn rewards. 

The Japanese have a term for this ability to understand a culture’s context and nuances: “kuuki wo yomu,” or “reading the air.” Particularly when you are new, your happiness at work and your professional success may hinge on your ability to read between the lines and discern how your work environment really works.

Increase your sense of belonging by bolstering others’ connectedness.

To get ahead, ask how you fit in at your workplace. Feeling a sense of belonging and connectedness affects your engagement, morale and productivity. A 2019 Harvard Business Review study found that companies whose employees felt a sense of belonging...