THE CORPORATE OPERATING SYSTEM

THE CORPORATE OPERATING SYSTEM

Most people enter corporate life with the wrong mental model. They expect fairness, clarity, and linear progress—only to discover that large organizations operate on a completely different system. Inside corporations, success is shaped by predictability, communication, perception, and trust. What you deliver matters, but how you deliver it—and how others interpret it—matters just as much. The Corporate Operating System reveals the unwritten rules that determine who advances, who stalls, and why. Drawing on more than 30 years in industry—including over 20 years inside a Fortune 500 company and 14 years as a senior manager—David Simon breaks down the patterns that truly drive careers in complex organizations. This is not theory. It’s the reality of how decisions are made, how performance is judged, and how careers quietly rise or fall behind closed doors. You’ll learn: Why silent effort goes unnoticed—and how to make your work visible without self‑promotion - How managers are evaluated, and why their incentives shape your entire career - The communication habits that build trust—and the ones that quietly destroy it - How to manage expectations, deadlines, and alignment to avoid hidden career risks - Why performance reviews are written all year long, not at review time - What really triggers a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), and how to survive one - When persistence pays off—and when a strategic move is the smarter path forward Whether you’re a new graduate entering the workforce or a seasoned professional navigating complex corporate dynamics, this book gives you the clarity you’ve been missing. It replaces confusion with understanding, emotion with strategy, and guesswork with deliberate action. Once you understand the system, you can finally start using it—intentionally and effectively—to shape your own career.