Why Hard Work is the Fastest Way to Fail in Corporate - Kendall Berg

What happens when you keep your head down, work harder than everyone else, and wait patiently for a promotion—only for your boss to tell you they completely "forgot" about you?Kendall Berg, known online as "That Career Coach," spent five years stuck in "corporate purgatory." She was a high-performer doing the work of a director with the title of a manager, but she kept watching less-talented people pass her by. After a brutal performance review where she was told that nobody actually liked working with her, Kendall realized the corporate rules she was following were completely broken. She changed her strategy, learned to play the game, and earned five promotions in six years.In this episode of FailCraft, Kendall joins Ezekiel to expose the truth about office politics. She explains why high-performers constantly stall out because they don't know how to disagree effectively, the massive difference between being authentic and being manipulative, and the specific 5-person networking hack you can use tomorrow to get noticed.In this episode of FailCraft, you’ll discover:* The Promotion Disaster: The heartbreaking moment Kendall realized hard work doesn't guarantee you will be remembered.* The "Likability" Factor: Why delivering great work is absolutely useless if you don't take the time to make people feel seen.* Authentic Office Politics: How to play the corporate game and network upward without feeling like a fake "suck-up".* The Myth of Job Security: Why your company sees you as a number on a spreadsheet, and how to build "career security" instead.* How to Disagree: The brilliant "I can do anything, but I can't do everything" script high-performers must use to protect their capacity.* The 5-Person Hack: The first small move you must make tomorrow if you feel invisible and underappreciated at work.This episode is for anyone who is the first one in the office and the last one to leave, but feels stuck, overlooked, and ready to finally get paid what they are worth.Connect With Kendall Berg:* Website: https://thatcareercoach.net/* Book: Secrets to the Career Game (Available on Amazon)* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatcareercoach_/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-berg-347b5a40/Support the Show:* Subscribe and leave a review!* Share this episode if it resonated!Want to Be a Guest on FailCraft?* Reach out to Ezekiel on PodMatch: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/failcraftChapters:01:20 Introduction: Kendall Berg & Cracking the Corporate Code02:05 Stuck in Corporate Purgatory: The "We Forgot" Moment04:42 "You Do Great Work, But Nobody Likes You"06:47 How to Play Office Politics Without Being Manipulative11:48 Why Job Security is a Myth (Build Career Security Instead)15:49 The #1 Soft Skill High-Performers Lack: How to Disagree19:30 The 5-Person Networking Hack to Get Noticed21:03 Kendall's Definition of True Success22:28 How to Connect & Get the Book