Think about the last time someone at work seemed to play by a different set of rules and still got what they wanted.
Perhaps a headcount for their team was approved when the entire department is on a hiring freeze. Someone got promoted over others who were better qualified. Or a decision that was approved by the steer co was reversed quietly offline.
You might have wondered, “What rules are these people playing by?”
Often, the answer lies in the difference between how an organisation is designed to work and how it actually works.
System One is the formal organisation. It consists of reporting lines, budget ownership, roles, responsibilities, processes, performance measures and decision-making structures. It tells you how things are supposed to work.
System Minus One is the live organisation. It lies underneath System One. It consists of relationships, influence, alliances, dependencies, unwritten expectations and power. It explains why things sometimes happen differently.
Neither system is inherently good nor bad. Both exist, and they both shape what happens in the organisation.
Most competent people who have made it to management and leadership roles know how to navigate both systems well enough to get things done.
They understand the formal structures, have built strong working relationships with their managers and leadership teams, and have developed operational networks across the organisation that help them deliver results.
But the relationships and networks that help us succeed in our current roles are not necessarily the ones that help us advance in our careers.
The Two Networks
There are two kinds of networks that are needed in both systems: an operational network and an advocacy network.
Your operational network helps you succeed in the role you have. Your advocacy network helps you become a candidate for the role you want.
Most competent and capable people build an operational network but not an advocacy network.
On a scale of 0–10, where 0 means not developed at all and 10 means exceptionally strong, how would you rate:
- Formal relationships: How strong are your working relationships with your team, manager, skip-level manager and immediate leadership team?
- Operational network: How strong are your relationships with people across the organisation who help you solve problems, remove obstacles and deliver results?
- Advocacy network: How strong are your relationships with people who recognise the value of your work, speak positively about you when you are not in the room and actively support your career advancement?
If you are positioning yourself for career advancement in 2027, do not just focus on what you need to deliver. Pay attention to who understands your contribution, who recognises the value of your work, and who is willing to advocate for you.
Announcement: I am changing how I work with Executive Coaching clients.
Starting earlier this month, my Executive Coaching programme has moved to fixed start dates with a limited number of places available each month.
This is a deliberate choice. I run a small coaching practice and want to give each client the time, attention, and continuity that meaningful coaching work requires.
Rather than accepting new clients on a rolling basis, I now open a limited number of places for each intake.
The next available start dates are:
- 31 October 2026: 1 place available (Enquiries close on 24 October 2026)
- 5 November 2026: 1 place available (Enquiries close on 29 October 2026)
Enquiries close seven days before each start date.
If you are navigating a leadership challenge, working towards your next career move, or looking to strengthen your influence and effectiveness at work, you can explore Executive Coaching and request a discovery call.
You can also join the waitlist to hear about future openings.
Frequently asked questions
Is an advocacy network the same as having a sponsor?
Not quite. Your advocacy network is everyone who recognises the value of your work, speaks positively about you when you are not in the room and actively supports your career advancement. A sponsor is the strongest form of that support: someone who uses their own credibility to advocate for you in conversations you are not part of, such as promotion and succession discussions. That backing tends to come from people who have already been watching your work. How Careers Actually Advance explains the difference between a mentor and a sponsor.
Why do capable people build an operational network but not an advocacy network?
The operational network grows out of the work itself. Delivering results means solving problems with people across the organisation, so those relationships form as you do your job. Advocacy does not form that way. It depends on senior people seeing and understanding your contribution, which rarely happens unless you make it happen. The distinction echoes Herminia Ibarra's research on operational and strategic networks.
How do I start building an advocacy network?
Start small. Ask a senior person for their view on a real decision you are weighing. It costs them little and lets them see how you think. Make your work visible to senior people whose reach extends across the department, not only to the team around you. When the relationship is there and you have a particular need, ask for one specific act of support, such as an endorsement for a role or an introduction. How Sponsorship Is Built covers this in more detail.