@a7 Who said promotions came from doing work?
According to one of the top tier executives on a national all hands call a couple of years ago, if your career has stalled, maybe it's because you haven't taken a manager out to lunch so they could get to know you.
No one could believe he actually said the quiet part out loud on a national call.
Experience? Nope
Proven track record? Nope
Best at what you do? Nope
Take him out to lunch and attach your lips firmly to his lower grommet?
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
When discussed in the days and weeks afterwards every manager up to the director said it is who you know not what you know that will get you promoted. And whether or not you are willing to tow the company or org line even if it is morally and legally questionable.
Some of us knew then that we were never going to move up.
Others did move up... and quickly. After buying a huge supply of chapstick of course.
2 years later and the titles are the same, the work is the same, the problems and solutions are the same.
But the entire upline has changed 3 or 4 times all the way to the CEO.
Some out but most up.
It seems there is profit in kneeling before the grommet of power if you can stomach the taste.