What will I learn about: the unwritten rules of business traditionally dominated by white male networks, and learn how diverse professionals can leverage them to get ahead?

Discover the unwritten rules of business traditionally dominated by white male networks, and learn how diverse professionals can leverage them to get ahead.

What will I learn about: why defining your own version of success and prioritizing short-term happiness is crucial, as a content mind is proven to be significantly more productive?

Understand why defining your own version of success and prioritizing short-term happiness is crucial, as a content mind is proven to be significantly more productive.

What will I learn about: adopt a proactive, offensive career strategy rather than getting defensive over stereotypes, allowing you to confidently take risks and advocate for your worth?

Learn how to adopt a proactive, offensive career strategy rather than getting defensive over stereotypes, allowing you to confidently take risks and advocate for your worth.

What will I learn about: the practice of intentional goal-setting using the SMART framework, and discover why writing down your objectives and sharing them with a peer guarantees accountability?

Master the practice of intentional goal-setting using the SMART framework, and discover why writing down your objectives and sharing them with a peer guarantees accountability.

What will I learn about: how to decode your company's true evaluation metrics early on by analyzing performance review forms, enabling you to over-deliver and overcome unconscious bias?

Find out how to decode your company's true evaluation metrics early on by analyzing performance review forms, enabling you to over-deliver and overcome unconscious bias.

Mastering the Game

Strategies for Career Success

Sharon E. Jones with Sudheer R. Poluru

★ 4.1 / 5(72 ratings)

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Categories:

Career & Success

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Have you ever wondered why some people seem to know the "unwritten rules" of business that were never officially taught to you?
💡What if you could leverage a secret playbook designed specifically to help marginalized professionals get unstuck and reach the top?
💡Are you curious about the subtle, high-stakes strategies that actually level the playing field in a corporate world built on tradition?

Listen to Mastering the Game — Free Audiobook

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Key Takeaways from Mastering the Game

✓Discover the unwritten rules of business traditionally dominated by white male networks, and learn how diverse professionals can leverage them to get ahead.
✓Understand why defining your own version of success and prioritizing short-term happiness is crucial, as a content mind is proven to be significantly more productive.
✓Learn how to adopt a proactive, offensive career strategy rather than getting defensive over stereotypes, allowing you to confidently take risks and advocate for your worth.
✓Master the practice of intentional goal-setting using the SMART framework, and discover why writing down your objectives and sharing them with a peer guarantees accountability.
✓Find out how to decode your company's true evaluation metrics early on by analyzing performance review forms, enabling you to over-deliver and overcome unconscious bias.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Mastering the Game

Mind Map

Mastering the Game

The Core Challenge+

Intentional Mindset+

Offensive Strategy+

Metrics & Performance+

Networking & Relationships+

Personal Branding+

Combating Burnout+

Paying it Forward+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9

According to the book, what is a major, less-documented hurdle that diverse professionals face on the path to career success?

A. A lack of formal education and technical skills compared to their peers.
B. An inability to access the unwritten rules of business created by traditional networks.
C. A tendency to avoid leadership roles and high-stakes projects.
D. The explicit refusal of corporate mentors to work with people of color.

Question 2 of 9

How does the author suggest professionals should define success for themselves?

A. By aligning their goals with the expectations of their supervisors.
B. By prioritizing external validation and prestigious job titles.
C. By focusing on work that brings them personal happiness and contentment.
D. By securing a position that guarantees the highest financial compensation.

Question 3 of 9

What does the author mean by adopting an 'offensive strategy' in the workplace?

A. Being aggressive and rolling over colleagues to get your way.
B. Being proactive, taking risks, and assertively seeking what you want.
C. Defending yourself rigorously whenever you face negative stereotypes.
D. Confronting unconscious bias by publicly calling out every microaggression.

Question 4 of 9

Why is it particularly important for diverse professionals to consistently submit error-free work?

A. Because human resources departments use error rates as the sole metric for promotions.
B. Because diverse professionals are rarely given a second chance to submit assignments.
C. Because errors can unintentionally confirm the negative stereotypes held by supervisors due to unconscious bias.
D. Because they are inherently held to lower quantitative standards than their peers.

Question 5 of 9

According to the text, what is the primary difference between a mentor and a sponsor?

A. A mentor provides guidance and shares knowledge, while a sponsor uses their influence to elevate you.
B. A mentor is always within your department, while a sponsor works at a different company.
C. A mentor helps you build your personal brand, while a sponsor provides emotional support.
D. A mentor expects reciprocity, whereas a sponsor helps you unconditionally.

Question 6 of 9

What strategy does the author recommend for dressing appropriately in the workplace?

A. Always wear formal business attire, regardless of the office culture.
B. Emulate the dress code of the most successful peers at your current level.
C. Dress as comfortably as possible to maximize your daily productivity.
D. Look at how people two levels above you dress and emulate their style.

Question 7 of 9

What does it mean to 'lay a mattress' in the context of personal branding?

A. Ensuring you have enough savings to quit a toxic job comfortably.
B. Managing the narrative early to cushion the blow of an impending professional setback.
C. Taking frequent breaks during the workday to prevent burnout.
D. Building a soft, approachable persona so colleagues feel comfortable giving feedback.

Question 8 of 9

What surprising statistic does the text share about taking vacations?

A. Taking frequent vacations decreases your chances of promotion by 10 percent.
B. Employees who use all their paid leave have a 6.5 percent higher chance of getting a raise or promotion.
C. Working through vacations increases your long-term productivity by 31 percent.
D. Taking vacations longer than one week significantly damages professional relationships.

Question 9 of 9

How does the author suggest you 'pay it forward' if you cannot afford to take a mentor out to lunch or buy them a gift?

A. Offer to do their administrative work for a week.
B. Write them a glowing performance review on the company's public forum.
C. Share their advice with your own network to amplify their impact.
D. Promise to hire them as a consultant once you reach an executive position.

Mastering the Game — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
21 — Intentionality is the essential first step toward success.
32 — Getting defensive can hold back your career, while an offensive strategy keeps you advancing.
43 — Know the metrics you’ll be judged on, then exceed them.
54 — Expanding your network upward and outward will create more opportunities and help you advance.
65 — Managing your personal brand helps you control how others perceive you.
76 — Burnout can hurt your long-term success, so make recovery time part of your schedule.
87 — Paying it forward is our best chance to change an unfair system.
98 — Final summary

Mastering the Game Summary & Overview

Mastering the Game (2018) aims to level the playing field for women and people of color in the world of business – the traditional purview of white men. This book lays bare the unwritten rules of the game and outlines strategies diverse professionals can use to get unstuck at work.

Who Should Listen to Mastering the Game?

People who have felt marginalized at work
Social activists who want to create a fairer and more inclusive world
Allies who want to be even more empathetic

About the Author: Sharon E. Jones with Sudheer R. Poluru

Sharon E. Jones is a lawyer and consultant with decades of experience navigating the vagaries of the white male-dominated workplace. Her career has taken her from private law firms to the US government to running her own diversity consultancy.

Sudheer R. Poluru is an MBA candidate at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is also an inclusion specialist at Jones Diversity, Sharon E. Jones’s diversity consultancy.

Mastering the Game

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Mastering the Game — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Mastering the Game

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Mastering the Game — Full Chapter Overview

Mastering the Game Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Mastering the Game?

About the Author: Sharon E. Jones with Sudheer R. Poluru

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