Will Storr on The Status Game and how to get ahead at work
What we learnt this week on Tim Campbell’s podcast reWorking
How important is status at work? This week on his podcast reWorking, Tim Campbell spoke to 'The Status Game' author and investigative journalist Will Storr about status at work and whether there’s a healthy way to use it to your advantage.
If you haven’t listened yet, reWorking is hosted by business coach and The Apprentice UK’s first-ever winner Tim Campbell. Every week, Tim and a new guest help you solve your biggest work and money problems, from asking your boss for a pay rise to knowing when it’s time to quit – and everything in between.
Will Storr’s episode is all about how you can get ahead – by learning to play and win the games we all know are there, but nobody talks about. Will and Tim discuss the ways we can recognize and leverage status to get where we want at work, and even beyond that in our personal and everyday lives.
Read on for a few things we learnt from Will's episode, which you can listen to now on Rayo, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Status isn't power or money. It's the value you offer.
In his episode, Will points to a study where 70 per cent of people chose a higher-status job title over a pay rise. His explanation is that a pay rise is a short-term motivator. Within a couple of weeks you've forgotten it. Status, how the people around you see you, is what keeps you going over the long run.
Play more than one status game.
Will compares status to a drug. You need win after win to keep feeling good, and a win six months ago won't carry you through a bad week.
His answer isn't to stop playing. It's to play more than one game – whether that be a side hustle or something you find rewarding in your everyday life. If work is your only game, a bad month at work becomes a crisis about who you are. If you have several, one going wrong doesn't take you down with it.
It's also why Will's most useful habit is saying no. He turns down work he doesn't need, and he's better at the work he keeps.
If you lead, your job is to generate status for others.
Will says a leader's job is to be a status-generating machine, for the organisation and for the people in it. If you fail to do that, "you're not going to be a leader for very long."
Telling people publicly when they've done good work is one of the most powerful levers a manager has, and it costs nothing.
Listen for the full discussion now
Who is Will Storr?
Award-winning British author, investigative journalist and narrative researcher Will Storr is an expert in two things: status and storytelling. His bestselling books include ‘The Status Game’, which explores our desire for status and how it shapes our career – the topic he unpacks on reWorking.
What other guests are joining reWorking season two?
Other season two guests include Angela Duckworth, Simon Squibb, Ashley Walters, Dean Forbes, Frankie Bridge and Leah Meredith, Jamil Qureshi, Joel Dommett and Ben Shephard, Elfried Samba, Stacey Duguid and Georgie Barrat. The season premiered last week with Rochelle Humes, who spoke about knowing when you're ready for your next big move.
How can I listen to reWORKING season two?
Listen on Rayo, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
How can I stay up to date with Tim Campbell and reWORKING season two?
Follow @reworkingpodcast on Instagram and TikTok and @reWORKINGwithTimCampbellpod on YouTube.