How to Survive working with and for White People.

[#1 pick]

1. Never show your hand to non blacks.
2. Always talk to Blacks like middle men. Friendly and respectful but never like friends. You don't want them to turn on you as their loyalty is to that check.
3. Understand that white people are white supremacist. But deal with them with kindness but also be tough on them. Never let them think they are superior to you but don't make the block hot for you as well.
4. Try to be as articulate as possible in emails and even when speaking to an audience. People judge like a bytch regardless of race.
5. If you are a giver of 110%, expect to never be respected the way you should be as a Black person.
6. Understand, this is a game. How you build connections isn't just for now but for years to come. My network is going into its 7th year and it's strong af. But it was weak af 7 years ago. It takes time and patience.
7. All it take is one yes. Don't be discouraged. Don't be a Debbie downer.
8. If the situation is too hot like Ole boy at Uber, leave. Mental health is far more important than a check regardless of others opinion.
9. Choose a spouse and choose well. She needs to be a rock and want you to do better.
10. Never stop learning, always look at jobs as temp in terms of learning so you never become saddle with your current skills.
11. As a Black man, you should always be looking to start businesses, co-found businesses or research business for family wealth. Everything you do is for the next generation as an individual and building up the community, you can't do that as an employee.
12. Understand professional barriers and plan around them for the long haul and start ASAP.

 

[RTF]

Some general advice especially for young people.


Use your initiative. Don't take thing at face value - if someone asks you a question try to answer or find out the root cause/problem. Often people ask the wrong question.

Be useful beyond your job description. Look for an area of the business that is weak and set out to improve it. It can and should be a small area but just show you can take something and make it better. Work with others who see that same small weakness to get it done.

Trust your gut about someone. I've foun the vast majority of my line managers and senior people in my role/discipline genuinely want me to succeed and be better. Ask them questions. Get feedback from them. If you think someone is trust worthy give them something little to be trusted with as a test.

Conversely often you can tell if someone I not rocking with you from jump street. Keep it smart, try to win them over with excellence but remember that they're opps and treat them as such.

Treat colleagues of a similar experience as friendly but competitive rivals. Align yourself if you can with the best ones and use them as inspiration.

Find people on your wave or as close as possible. These will help you get through the day.

Understand most just trying to get paid. If they think you can help them they'lol he good to you.

Build a reputation. Put yourself in a position to be applauded.

I believe in being social - so your presence is felt and missed. But limit the sharing of info. I don't let coworkers know that I own property for example. Don't want them to hate on my shine.

Lastly - this game ain't built for us.

 

[Jack Trippa 3z company ho]

Disagree with a lot of stuff here. It will get you 'othered' and isolated.
You want to infiltrate as best as possible without c00ning or exposing yourself too much.

You want to join committees and you want to go out with them a lot. Get drunk with them but always be on point. Never get too loose and let the guard down. White people are extra - show them 10% they'all show you 15%.

It's fine and good to be cautious. But you need to give them food for thought. You want to create allies as best as possible.

I say it again. Get on the inside. Play the game. But play it safe with your yourself and be on point. Let people feel they can really talk to you and only give them
Enough to keep it up.

This. Being standoffish, anti-social, and mean muggin is the dumbest fukking thing you can do. You don't have to go to level 10 with it, but it's best to navigate within the system cuz you sure as hell aren't changing it.

Network, make allies, work hard. You'll be fine.

 

[Henri Christophe]

damn, this is no way to live.

I'll commit that before I have to go through this mental agony for a check.

shout out to the internet.

 

[Black Magisterialness]

There is a thread on here by a young brother asking for Tips working in a office. We can all assume this is a heavy Cac enviroment and working with Cacs is perilous at best.

I would like everyone to chime in on navigating these enviroments so EVERYONE can learn how to survive working in these places.

These are my rules and i would love for everyone to add their 2 cents. If this needs to be moved to another forum please move it but let's keep this alive.

Here are mine! What's yours? Stories, links, tips are all welcome. Shout out to RiceNBeckford for also coming with some good tips!

Also this is a Basic guide as Menelik II did point out but it's basic enough for entry level work. That being said any advice from the Basic to the Advanced level always works so please chime in!

1. Don't divulge ANY personal info about yourself, political leanings, relationships, etc especially with cac's there. Example "Hey black man how old are you? "Oh me? I am 55 lol" then get back to work. Do this every time you are asked especially by a Cac or C00N.
2. Do the job 150% every time. You don't have a choice. You are black. No seriously. You are black you really have no choice.
3. Keep your ears open and your mouth shut. When a fellow worker comes to you to talk shyt about someone else simply say this line "Well....they may be rough around the edges but they do work hard" then break conversation." Do this every time someone brings this up around you so when they get into HR for talking shyt they can't use or corroborate you as a witness to this as you are NEUTRAL.
4. Don't surf the Coli on your job.
5. Don't surf the Coli on your job.
6. Don't surf the Coli on your job.
7. Watch for C00NS and treat them just as I said above with divulging personal info.
8. Identify the Real Black folk there and learn from them. They survived this long so they must be doing something right if they aren't C00NS
9. Don't fukk and or date or flirt with women at work. You are there to get paid not played...and I am DEAD fukking serious about this. This also means don't partake in sexual conversations at work. When HR comes down on that shyt I promise you will make a fine sacrificial lamb.
10. Be Neutral...don't be aggressive. Nothing gets a black man nailed by HR by some cac saying "Oh he seems intimidating".
11. Smile but KEEP IT PUSHING. If you aren't working then you should be planning your work. Don't be seen taking a "break" by C00NS or Cac's as they will rat on you REAL fast. You should be only going to work, to your desk, to lunch then to your car to go home.
12. If you see a Cac coworker doing something they shouldn't doesn't give you the right to do so EVEN if they say so. You are black those same privileges don't extend to you so don't try to partake in them. Especially when these cac's want to invite you to smoke a blunt after work or on lunch.

If you can follow those steps you should be fine. I know it sucks but this is how we black people have to work in a Cac environment.

This is real spit ESPECIALLY 3,9 and 12.

Hell, I work with and for black folks and I STILL obey those rules.

 

[hustlemania]

NONE of these white people are your "friends". Always remember that. They'll stab you in the back faster than you can say


Be courteous without being friendly. Don't go out for drinks. Don't go out for co-lunches/meals. Don't go to parties with Cac co-workers. NEVER let them feel as if they can contact you outside of work hours for ANY reason.

An important thing to remember is that backstabbing is not racially exclusive. Don't think they're JUST trying to fukk JUST YOU over, they'll stab each other in the back too, you're just 1st in line. I don't know why, but that realization made me be able to keep my sanity as I moved up into management.

-Befriend your boss. Make sure your the employee who picks OT when no one else does on occasion.

- do not except any face book friend request.

- be able to dabble in small talk and be likeable but above all else be mysterious and never over reveal your personal life.

- avoid political talk ( very hard) when white employees spew Fox News ingnorance


SIDENOTE: I'm thankful I work at a level one trauma hospital under a union in the city who prides themselves in diversity.

Do your job and go home

all facts..

these are all solid....until youre a supervisor like me. Then you have to engage in day to day conversation

im in the position myself.. gotta still stay on code..



another thing id like to note.. if you keep yourself busy enough.. or, in some cases- at least pretend you're in the middle of doing something of importance.. you really wont leave yourself open to much interaction..

 

[AtomicUse]

all
another thing id like to note.. if you keep yourself busy enough.. or, in some cases- at least pretend you're in the middle of doing something of importance.. you really wont leave yourself open to much interaction..

You on that Costanza plan.
This was a great moment in comedy and it really works in the real world

 

[Karb]

Keep to yourself but if you decide to say "Hi" don't be upset when all you get is the

I was on that "positive mindset" and "greet people to spread joy and happiness" tip for a short while as a teen, but I didn't last long

Alotta these cacs hit me with that :Twilson:

This one old lady even got scared.

 

[Karb]

So glad I'll never have to work a corporate/desk job and put up with this shyt.

What's your line of work breh? Are you an entrepreneur/freelance worker?

 

[Karb]

My best friend works for a very big company and has managed to move up the ladder. He is a tall, very black breh - fits the stereotype of what would intimidate the average cac. He's just very competent at his job and has managed to make them become overly reliant on him to the point where they panick if he doesn't brief them on their own shyt before they go into a meeting

Plus he is charismatic which helps. He wants to eventually work freelance or as a consultant though and is not planning on staying there long term, which I think is wise.

Be competent, they should never be able to say that you don't pull your own weight at the very least. Don't hesitate to strategically take on more responsibilities with the aim of making them depend on you. Don't just aimlessly take on more work for the sake of work though. Have an endgame.

Most ppl in the corporate world are hella lazy. They want to do as little work as possible and take as much credit as possible.

I've worked places where many ppl didn't like me at all, including the bosses, but they had to put up with me because I was doing shyt that none of them wanted to do

 

[Indiglow Meta (R$G)]

Degrading.
Yet necessary for some.
I already tried y'all lifestyle before. CSR...Data entry.
Help desk, etc. fukk that.
Them folks like giving out write ups for nothing, while you're wearing uncomfortable dress clothes and church shoes... Talking condescending, compliment sandwich bullshyt.
"Well you do sound a bit AGGRESSIVE, a customer called back and complained about your tone"

I'd rather not.

 

[Indiglow Meta (R$G)]

My best friend works for a very big company and has managed to move up the ladder. He is a tall, very black breh - fits the stereotype of what would intimidate the average cac. He's just very competent at his job and has managed to make them become overly reliant on him to the point where they panick if he doesn't brief them on their own shyt before they go into a meeting

Plus he is charismatic which helps. He wants to eventually work freelance or as a consultant though and is not planning on staying there long term, which I think is wise.

Be competent, they should never be able to say that you don't pull your own weight at the very least. Don't hesitate to strategically take on more responsibilities with the aim of making them depend on you. Don't just aimlessly take on more work for the sake of work though. Have an endgame.

Most ppl in the corporate world are hella lazy. They want to do as little work as possible and take as much credit as possible.

I've worked places where many ppl didn't like me at all, including the bosses, but they had to put up with me because I was doing shyt that none of them wanted to do

They'd love you in Amerikkka.
A "go to guy" is treated much differently.

 

[#1 pick]

They'd love you in Amerikkka.
A "go to guy" is treated much differently.

Explain

 

[Karb]

They'd love you in Amerikkka.
A "go to guy" is treated much differently.

I don't understand what you mean. I never said that you should kiss ass or backstab others. I'm not saying you should sweep the floors and let ppl walk all over you. Just become indispensable and have them depend on you instead of vice versa

My advice is mostly for brehs who are fresh out of college.

 

[Indiglow Meta (R$G)]

I don't understand what you mean. I never said that you should kiss ass or backstab others. I'm not saying you should sweep the floors and let ppl walk all over you. Just become indispensable and have them depend on you instead of vice versa

My advice is mostly for brehs who are fresh out of college.

Ahh