Presented by: Shawn Simmons and Kimberly Fick

1. Success in Corporate America:
The Written and Unwritten
Rules of the Game
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

2. OVERVIEW
 Panelist Bios
 Rules of the Game
 Unwritten Rules
 Critical Success Factors
 Q&A’s
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

3. SHAWN EMERSON SIMMONS
 Background
 University of Oklahoma – BS PE ’93
 Rice University – MS Environmental Engineering ‘99
 Texas Southern University – PhD Environmental Toxicology ‘03
 Full time with ExxonMobil since 2000
 Experience
 Apr ‘14 to present - Water, Waste and State Regulatory Manager
 Aug ‘12- Apr ‘14 – ER&S Supervisor – Africa, Asia Pacific, Australia,
Europe
 Jul ’07 – ‘Aug ‘12 – E&R Supervisor, Lagos, Nigeria
 Jul ‘03 – Jul ‘07 – E&R Advisor, Nigeria Projects, Houston, TX
 Aug ’00 – Jul ‘03– Environmental Coordinator, Baytown Complex
 Best “Game” Strategy: Follow up from time to time with key leaders and let them know what you are
doing. Use a written note – it’s a lost art and people really appreciate and take notice that you took the
time.
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

4. KIMBERLY FICK
 Background
 Colorado School of Mines– BS ChE ’99
 Penn State– MS ChE ‘01
 Penn State– PhD ChE Alternative Diesel Fuels ‘04
 Full time with ExxonMobil since 2004
 Experience
 July‘14 to present - Logistics Technology Section Head, Fairfax, VA
 Jan ‘13- July ‘14- Refining Technology Advisor, Baytown, TX
 Jan ‘11 – May ‘12– Operations Supervisor, Baytown, TX
 Apr’09 – May ‘10 – Operations Supervisor, Baytown, TX
 Mar‘07– April ’09 – Application Engineer Supervisor, Baytown, TX
 Aug ’04– Mar ‘07– Control Systems Engineer, Fairfax, VA
 Best “Game” Strategy: Build your network – include those up, down, and lateral. You never know who
may be able to help you/benefit from your help. I phone call or personal interaction will always get results
faster than an email.
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

5. RULES OF THE GAME
It’s a Game
 It’s a contest with winners
 There is (intense) competition
 There are rules
 Everyone has a choice of moves
 A series of well-planned, well-executed moves
drives any player closer to success
 At the same time, one serious miscalculation can
sidetrack a career
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

6. RULES OF THE GAME
It’s Your Choice to Play the Game
 Involves a series of increasingly difficult
choices and tradeoffs
Tradeoffs may help you to choose to plateau
your career at a certain level
 The choice of moves is always yours
 No whining
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

7. THE RULES OF THE GAME
*P – I – E
 Performance
 Image
 Exposure
“This isn’t your Grandma’s apple pie”
*Excerpt from “The Organizational Game Revealed” by Harvey Coleman
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

8. PIE – FORMULA FOR SUCCESS
 Perform Exceptionally Well - 10%
 Cultivate the Proper Image – 30%
 Manage One’s Exposure to the Right People – 60%
Perform,
10%
Image,
30%
Exposure,
60%
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

9. IMAGE
Image
, 30%
From the moment you step on campus or into a new
work environment, you are a visible expression of
where you are in the culture, and where you expect to
go.
Image includes:
 Personal expression
 The way you walk
 The way you sit
 The clothes you wear
 Your pleasant (or foul) demeanor
Your image says “I’m ready” or “I’m not ready” to play
the game seriously.
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

10. IMAGE
 Your business wardrobe is very, very important to
your career
 Serious players dress at least one level above their
present position
 Dress denotes your ability to fit into “the club”
Image
, 30%
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

11. EXPOSURE
Exposur
e, 60%
 Exposure is the element of the P-I-E formula that
has the greatest impact on your career
 It is extremely important to gain, maintain and
enhance your visibility and exposure
 You need to gain the exposure necessary to attract a
mentor(s) and sponsor(s)
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

12. UNWRITTEN RULES
Whomever is at the top of the pyramid has
the right and responsibility to make the rules
 … but you also need to understand who in
your organization has influence
To get ahead, you must be pulled through the
system by someone from a higher level –
your sponsor
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

13. UNWRITTEN RULES
 Pick your boss carefully (if you have the
opportunity to do so)
Make your boss look good
 Never go to your boss with a problem for
which you have not considered a solution
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

14. UNWRITTEN RULES
You have to get the job done. Effectively
getting the job done is a prerequisite to
advancement
 Don’t make excuses
 Exposure is critical
 Always be on your game whenever
interacting with senior leaders
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

15. UNWRITTEN RULES
 Networking – it’s who you know,
not just what you know
 People usually do business with people they
like or with whom they feel comfortable,
loyalty is a key trait
 The game doesn’t always seem “fair” but,
YOU can play to win !!!
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

16. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
 Hard Work (Efficiently!)
 Results
Mentor
 Sponsor
 Leadership
 Image/Presentation of Self
 Loyalty and Commitment
 Strong Network and Relationships
Take Calculated Risks & Try New Things
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

17. Q&A
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.

18. RESOURCES
 Books
 Empowering Yourself: The Organizational Game Revealed by Harvey
Coleman
 Ruderman, M.N. and Ohlott, P.J. (2002). Standing at the Crossroads: Next
Steps for High-Achieving Women. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Women and Political Savvy By Jean Brittain Leslie and William A. Gentry,
Ph.D. Center for Creative Leadership. October 2012.
 Political Skill at Work: Impact on Work Effectiveness by Gerald R. Ferris,
Sherry L. Davidson, Pamela L. Perrewt.
 The Web
 Jo Miller Blog: http://www.womensleadershipcoaching.blogspot.com/
 Search Politics to bring up several articles on office politics
All opinions expressed are purely those of the speakers, not of the companies that they work for.