The absolute worst thing you could do for your career!

I've often wondered what the most career-damaging mistake someone can make while working in an organization is. While there are many pitfalls to avoid (stay tuned for a future post on this), the one that stands out the most is causing your supervisor to lose face or take a hit to their personal reputation because of you.

If you've been in an office setting for a while, you've likely seen this scenario play out repeatedly. A project manager entrusts a critical task to someone, publicly displaying their confidence in that person in front of clients or senior colleagues. The individual takes on the task, but the result is subpar. This could be due to a lack of effort, seriousness, or simply not knowing how to do the job.

Regardless of the reason, the outcome is that the manager is now in a difficult position. They either have to cover for the person by doing the work themselves or present the poor work and take responsibility for it. In either case, the manager's reputation and personal equity suffer. As a new joiner, this is something you must avoid at all costs. There may not be a second chance, and if there is, expect a lot of supervision and very little independence.

Another common scenario is when a senior nominates someone for a visible responsibility, and the person doesn't give it their all. This can also damage the senior's reputation.

How to avoid this? Put in 100% effort. Period.

If you don't know how to do something, be upfront about it and seek help from your manager, team members, or other resources. Today, almost everything is documented or available for free on the internet. The key is to communicate openly if you're facing challenges. It's much better to keep your manager informed than to spring an unpleasant surprise on them.

Your primary job is to make your bosses look good in front of their superiors, not worse. This is a good guiding principle to follow.