The Corporate Game · Reader survey · For people who lead

Twenty questions. Your story could be in the book.

I’m collecting real experiences from working professionals for The Corporate Game: Play to Win, Keep It Real. It takes about 12 minutes. To make this as robust as possible, please answer as many questions as you can. It will be very helpful.

Because you lead people, there are four additional questions for you at the end. We’d love to hear your voice.

Your answers may be published in the book. They stay anonymous, with names, employers and identifying details removed, unless you choose at the end to be quoted by first name.

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Thank you

Your answers are in. They will help shape the book.

About you

Name

We only use these to contact you. Nothing is published under your name unless you say so at the end.

Industry

How long have you worked in professional or corporate roles?(required)

0–3 years 4–12 years 13 or more years

Do you manage people?(required)

No Yes I manage a team Yes I lead other managers I own or run the business

When you started your first professional job, how prepared did you feel compared with the people who started alongside you?

More prepared About the same Less prepared Ahead in some ways and behind in others

What’s a skill you learned outside school or work that you rely on in your job? Where did you learn it?

Think of the period when you learned the most at work. How would you describe it at the time?

Mostly enjoyable Mostly difficult A mix Not sure yet

Describe a time you did something at work without being sure how it would turn out. What happened?

How much has a direct manager influenced a decision to stay in or leave a job?

Main reason I stayed Main reason I left or considered leaving Both at different times Not a major factor

What’s one specific thing a manager did that changed your career, for better or worse? Describe the action, not their personality.

Do you keep your own record of what you accomplish at work?

Yes consistently Sometimes My employer's process does it No

How is credit for work usually handled where you work? Share one example, good or bad, and what you did next.

Think of the best opportunity you’ve had so far. What contributed most? Choose up to two.

Has anything outside your formal duties (a conversation, an event, a personal connection) affected your career, for better or worse? If nothing has, say so.

Think of your most recent promotion or step up. How did the reality compare with what you expected?

Think of the last time you changed roles, or thought about leaving and stayed. What settled it?

Have you ever changed how you work (leave, fewer hours, a different role) because of the job’s effect on your health or life outside it?

What limits, if any, do you keep around your work? When and why did you set them?

Have you been asked to represent a group you belong to at work, for example on a panel, in recruiting or on a committee?

Yes No Doesn't apply to me I've asked others to

Has anyone senior used their own standing to open a door for you, or have you done that for someone else? What exactly was done? “Not that I know of” is a fine answer.

How different is the way you present yourself at work from how you are outside it?

Describe a time you changed how much of yourself you showed at work, in either direction. What followed, good or bad?

If you chose something else, what is it?

What do you want to have built or left behind, inside or outside your job?

If you manage or lead people

These four questions are for anyone who manages a team, leads other managers, or runs a business. If that isn’t you, skip straight to the next step.

What do you do differently as a manager because of how you were managed?

Think of a good person who left your team. Looking back, what was the real reason, and what was your part in it?

The last time you chose between two strong people for a promotion or key assignment, what actually decided it? Would the person who lost out know why?

What feedback have you delayed or softened for someone, and what did it cost them?

Before you send

I am 18 or older and these answers are my own true experience. I give Elijah Cathey-Li permission to use, edit and publish them, in whole or in part, in The Corporate Game and related materials, in any format, without payment. My answers will appear anonymously, with names, employers and identifying details removed, unless I choose below to be quoted by first name. Submitting does not guarantee inclusion. I can withdraw my answers before publication by emailing elijah@elijahpens.com.

I have read and agree to the terms above

May we quote you by first name?

No keep me anonymous Yes quote me by first name