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Capitalizing on Your Political Savvy 137

But getting better at those things will sharpen your radar and
your knack for both talking and listening to people, which will make
it that much easier to play your political card well all the time.
Next, we’re going to look at ways to build on and use those skills
that will make you a mover and shaker on par with Nancy Pelosi,
who politicked her way into the coveted speaker’s chair in Congress.

Make Room for Informal Interactions

Work doesn’t only get done inside the office, during formal sit-down
meetings. In fact, I’ve found that some of the most important
exchanges I’ve had with my bosses, clients, and peers have happened
in passing, over a sandwich, an after-work drink, or between tee-
offs on the golf course. Women who believe work is supposed to be
all about work—as I once did—miss out on those small but impor-
tant moments.
I’ll give you an example: When I worked at Fairchild Industries,
my boss, Bob, loved to go out for lunch, and I didn’t. The job I had
was a huge jump from my last one, so I felt that I needed every free
moment I had to read up, write, or plan for what I had to do next—
plus I have never been a big lunch eater. But Bob would call me at
least twice a week and ask me to go out to lunch either with him or
the guys. Eventually, I realized that I couldn’t keep turning down my
boss for lunch; it wasn’t a great way to foster our relationship.
So, we “did lunch.” And before the sandwiches were served, I
realized that doing lunch was not the waste of time I had always
assumed it was. Quite the opposite, it was a singular opportunity to
learn important things that were subtle in nature, but as important
as my day-to-day work.
After only a few of these exchanges I realized that, without lunch
with Bob, my job would be much harder. Fairchild’s CEO joined us
one day. While he would never have asked me to lunch on my own—