Unspoken Corporate Rules Series: Your Employer Likes A Safe Bet

There are several types of employees, but they usually fall into two major categories, namely, those who stand out and those who fit in, otherwise known as the ‘Safe Bets.’

There is no pretty way to say this, but your employer likes, no, correction, LOVES a

Safe Bet. The company’s leadership has a serious need to feel comfortable, and that happens when they surround the office with this type of employee.

Who is a Safe Bet Employee?

These people are usually emotionally neutral, predictable, consistent, and non-

threatening in a corporate way. They get just enough work done. They align culturally with the company. They are unproblematic and “easy to work with.” The safe bet employee is not a disrupter but quietly discerning. These are the people that the organisation will invest in. They will inevitably grow with the companies they work for.

Don’t get me wrong, these are fine people. They are also performers who have made peace with sacrificing who they truly are in order to play the safe and strategic long game at work.

How Do You Identify A Safe Bet Employee?

How do you know who the Safe Bet employees are? Some of their key characteristics, highlighted very eloquently by Ms. Tanya Uyigue (her Instagram account is ‘@tanyaucoaching’; please follow her if you can), are as follows:

• Are you non-threatening? Do you speak up and ask the hard questions during open staff meetings? Safe Bets do not openly disclose their opinions readily, even when they disagree with whatever issue is at play. They understand that it might not serve them, or matter in the medium to long term, if they challenge the status quo in an open forum.

• Do you have a “palatable personality”? Do you engage in small talk? Do you

  make decisions the way your bosses make decisions? Does your logic align with your managers’ logic? Do you influence the way they influence? Safe Bets are structurally performative. They intentionally culturally align by mirroring management. If you are an introvert and your manager is an extrovert among a managerial board of other extroverts, you might not be regarded as a Safe Bet employee. Leadership cares about its self-preservation, and the Safe Bets who can integrate well will be welcomed above all others. They are a perfect mirror for management, promoting the existing corporate culture. This is the reality.

• Are you low maintenance? Further to the last point, Safe Bets are low

  maintenance. They are not divas. They do not require a lot of hand-holding and

  social massaging to get their work done. They do not require special

  accommodations, special equipment, or special anything. If there is confusion at the office, this isn’t a major challenge for them. They can move forward and get past the drama and chaos. Low-maintenance employees are typically not the type to call things out. The word that can best describe them is “unproblematic.”

• Are you loyal or are you a Runner/Track Star? An added redeeming quality that employers love about these Safe Bets is that they will not (or are very unlikely to) quit their jobs. Safe Bets do not have a side hustle. If they are on social media, they are there to promote the company. They display a significant amount of adherence to the doctrine of “company above self”.

If you answered “yes” to the majority of the aforementioned questions, you might be a Safe Bet employee. If you answered the other way, there is still hope for you, so keep reading!

So… What Now?

A 2017 Forbes magazine article discussed the dilemma employers face between hiring a Safe Bet versus a "potential rock star," highlighting the tension between choosing a candidate who is a predictable fit and one who may bring transformative ideas but with less certainty. My advice for employees is to choose your battles wisely by:

1. Strategically identifying those moments when speaking up can work in your favour and push you into a role that allows you to showcase your talent. These moments might be during your one-on-one sessions with your boss.

2. In our book, Consciously Quitting: A Guide for Navigating Your Career Transition, co-author A. V. Andrew and I urge readers to ‘play the game.’ Perform in your work and learn how to assimilate into your role. Adapt into your job culture for as long as it serves you to. Observe who is in charge on paper and in practice; sometimes it can be two different people!

3. Mirror the Safe Bet crew by avoiding office drama, quietly but confidently getting your work done, and leading from the rear with strategy and support.

Final Thoughts…

Whether you're a polished safe bet or a blazing rock star in the making, you are still confined within the boundaries of office culture. The key is knowing which rules to follow, which ones to finesse, and which ones to rewrite entirely.

Play smart, play strategic, and never forget that even the quietest players can still win the game.

Stay tuned for future installments, where we will tackle issues such as defining success.

V.J. Gomes is the co-founder of Consciously Quitting, a career-transition platform. Book her for a strategy session or keynote address.

Grab your copy of Consciously Quitting: A Guide for Navigating Your Career Transition

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Create the Rising Tide That Lifts Your Network of Love Boats

In our book, “Consciously Quitting: A Guide for Navigating Your Career Transition”, we speak about the importance of cultivating a Network of Love.

So, what exactly is a Network of Love? Think of it as your inner circle, almost tribal in nature, with shared values, accepted norms, and, most importantly, a tested and proven record of fellowship. These are your ride-or-die BFFs, your “ace deuces,” your lifetime-subscribed plus-ones. But they don’t just wander in. They earn their all-access pass by standing with you through real-life trials. In short: these people must be vetted.

Psychologists who study friendship often break social proximity into four levels of

acquaintance, casual friendship, close friendship, and intimate friendship. An

acquaintance is someone you have met but with whom you’ve shared little meaningful time. Casual friends share some common ground and occasional exchanges. Those who make it into your inner ring — your close and lifelong friends — have weathered major storms with you. They have seen you at your brightest and held space for you in your darkest hours. These are the ones who stay, and for them, we are deeply grateful.

Figure 1: Levels of Your Network

So how do you actually build this Network of Love? Here are some reflections and real-world tips to help you expand and strengthen your personal and professional tribe:

Identify Your Core Values to Identify Your Core Friends

If you want to find like-minded people to build trust and fellowship with, you need to start by identifying your own values and observing how they may vary over time. Some of my closest friends and mentors came into my life while I was working in Guyana. We were a group of passionate, driven professionals with shared dreams and visions and a deep understanding of what we wanted from our careers. As we began spending time together outside of work, our bond solidified into lasting fellowship.

From a literal perspective, your closest friends are those individuals with whom you have established significant trust over time. This involves ensuring alignment with most, if not all, of the values that are important to you and accommodating any changes that may occur as time progresses.

Paying It Forward With Kindness

Complementing strangers and spreading positivity can open doors to new connections, however, follow-through is what keeps you in the room. Consistent acts of kindness, showing up, helping out, and creating space for others, these acts are what truly deepen relationships. Support your core people. Show up when it matters. Hold space when they need it. If you genuinely support your core group, they are more likely to remember you whether times are good or bad. 

Build Leverage With and For Your Strongest Supporters

In time, you build a coalition of amazing, like-minded people who actually want to see you win. In fact, they make it their mission to make YOU their mission. 

Real power lies in creating opportunities for those around you. Share job postings, connect them with collaborators, recommend them for paid engagements, or just check in with real interest. Invite them into spaces where they can shine. When one of us rises, we all do! 

Take the time to help your friends even if they refuse to ask upfront. You never know what opening doors for others can do for you.

Final Thoughts…

Your Network of Love isn’t just a feel-good concept; it’s the strategic foundation for the empire you are building.  You are known by the company you keep, and if you cultivate a winning culture for your tribe, the doors they open for themselves will certainly become the doors they open for you! 

Stay tuned for future installments, where we will tackle issues such as how to absorb feedback at work and taking steps to truly enjoy the life you already have.

V.J. Gomes is the co-founder of Consciously Quitting, a career-transition platform. Book her for a strategy session or keynote address.

Grab your copy of Consciously Quitting: A Guide for Navigating Your Career Transition

Instagram: @consciously_quittingbook

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Unspoken Corporate Rules Series: Managing Your Boss, Part 1

As mentioned in our book, Consciously Quitting: A Guide for Navigating Your Career

Transition, your first 100 days in a new role are key to establishing your professional

stamp on the organisation. Cultivating relationships is a crucial part of navigating this new landscape. Nowhere is this more important than in your relationship with your new boss.

In this onboarding phase of your new job, your primary concerns should be to:

• Make a strong and positive impression,

• Reassure your new boss that hiring you was a wise decision, with short and long-term benefits, and

• Align strategically with your team to maximize collective success.

Here’s how to make those priorities work for you in real time.

Align Strategically with Your Boss’s Work

If you want to add value, begin by understanding the value that your boss contributes. Align with their goals, initiatives, and leadership style by investigating crucial details of their work. What critical deadlines are they managing? Which short-term projects can you support to ease pressure or build momentum for them and the team?

So how do you find all the answers to those questions? By meeting with your boss, of course!

Get Feedback Regularly

Observe your boss’s schedule and make space for a consistent monthly 1-on-1. Use

this time to get clarity, share updates, and deepen professional rapport. These check-ins are not just about performance metrics, They’re your opportunity to fine-tune your communication style to match your boss’s preferences.

Where possible, build parallel rapport with other departmental managers. Strategic

relationships across leadership lines mean you can have advocates in the rooms and discussions where you are not always included. Just be sure to identify the best managers and professional alliances that do not appear to be in competition with your boss. Which brings us to the next point…

Never Outshine Your Boss

Unless you are called specifically to lead in a high-profile capacity, play your cards

smart and skillfully. At the start of your corporate relationship, you don’t know who your boss truly is or how insecure he/she can be. It is always best to assume that your boss has an ego that needs the occasional reassuring.

Make your accomplishments visible, but attribute credit upward where appropriate.

Praise their leadership when your own growth is recognised. In meetings, speak when invited, offering up sharp insights with humility. Be secure in your lane but also alert for opportunities to progress onward and upward.

Confidence and diplomacy can coexist. Find that balance early.

Overcommunicate to Your Boss

No one wants a barrage of irrelevant updates, but thoughtful reminders are both

respectful and strategic. Let your boss know about upcoming deadlines, meetings, and any time you have to spend away from work. Keep them in the loop about your progress and any support you might need to succeed.

During your check-ins, highlight your achievements with care. It is not boasting if you ensure that your contributions are seen and valued in the right context. Private praise is often the safest path, especially early in a new reporting relationship.

Final Thoughts…

Managing your boss is less about navigation and more about intentional alignment,

emotional intelligence, and strategic communication. Your goal is to build trust early, offer value consistently, and navigate personalities thoughtfully.

Start by understanding your boss’s work and aligning your efforts with their priorities. Be proactive about support, ask what matters, and find ways to contribute meaningfully. Schedule regular check-ins to gather feedback and build rapport, also using those sessions to demonstrate initiative, clarify expectations, and fine-tune your approach.

Tread wisely. Avoid outshining your boss in public spaces. Make your contributions

visible, but always with professional grace. Give credit upward where needed and know when silence says more than a spotlight.

Finally, make communication your quiet superpower. Offer thoughtful updates, keep your boss informed, and be clear about your needs. When done intentionally and with care, overcommunicating is not a nuisance — it's an act of professionalism.

In the world of unspoken corporate rules, managing up is one of the smartest things you can do to safeguard your success. When done correctly, you will gain both a boss and a loyal advocate.

Stay tuned for future installments, where we will tackle issues such as how to handle difficult dynamics, absorb feedback like a pro, and protect your growth in more complex environments.

Need more career insights? Purchase our guide! It's a great book on navigating your next career move!

V.J. Gomes is the co-founder of Consciously Quitting, a career-transition platform. Book her for a strategy session or keynote address.

Grab your copy of Consciously Quitting: A Guide for Navigating Your Career Transition

Instagram: @consciously_quittingbook

Threads: @consciously_quittingbook

Facebook: Consciously Quitting