Office Rules That Are Never Said(Out Loud)

Keep your friends close… And leave your co-workers at the office.You have colleagues. Get used to the word. They're not your friends. In tough, stressful, competitive industries, there aren't that many friends. Get over that. Cut the chit-chat on Gchat, the mid-afternoon coffee runs, or the hour-long let's-bitch-about-our-bosses lunch. You'll be amazed at how much you accomplish in one week. And the best part? You'll have more time to spend with your real friends the ones who were there when you were unemployed and sleeping on their couches.

 Remember business is business. It's not personal.Your co-worker got chosen to lead a big project, while you're left sitting pretty on the sidelines. Wait until you get home to call your BFF and bitch. If you need to, go outside and scream. But remember, tomorrow offers a fresh start. Don't let anything build up in your mind. We constantly let clutter into our brains and it just builds up and distracts us.Focus on the fact that while she's leading the project, you're still part of the team. Letting the resentment stew in your mind just makes you less able to do your best work.

Make yourself visible (and not just by wearing something red).Do you need to scream at the top of your lungs like a man and pound on the table? No. But you do need to find a way to call out your accomplishments. Being excited about your work is great. Send an email to your boss about a goal that's been met or a deal that's been struck. Bring attention to yourself and don't feel uncomfortable about it. You've got to find your own attractive way of communication. So whether it's an email, or a weekly meeting where you outline goals you've accomplished, be your own cheerleader, and your boss will think of you when it's time for a promotion.

Don’t be afraid to piss people off.When your boss asks you about the lateness of a project in a meeting, you call out your co-worker for missing a major deadline on it. Awkward, yes, but don't even think about apologizing to her post-meeting. If she wants to hold a grudge against you, let her the fact is, she wasn't doing her job, and you called a spade a spade. I've had meetings with people where I've repeated in my head, 'it doesn’t matter if she likes me,' and I've found that allows me to be exact, honest, and to give thought-out, unemotional answers.It doesn't matter if your co-workers like you. If you are being productive and you're being valuable, your work adds to the equation of the company. You will stay there and you will thrive.