The Invisible Curriculum: What High Performers Learn That Isn’t Taught

Back in school, the curriculum was clear. You knew which subjects to study, which tests to pass, and what counted as success. The rules were structured, the expectations explicit. Then you entered the workforce. Suddenly, the clarity vanished. No one handed you a curriculum for earning trust in the boardroom, navigating power dynamics or timing your ideas for maximum impact. If your manager spelled out clear expectations, you were one of the lucky few. For most, professional success depends on decoding something far more elusive: the invisible curriculum.

This is the unwritten, often unspoken layer of professional life — the norms, signals and behaviors that shape who gets heard, who advances and whose contributions fade into the background. Unlike formal training, you absorb this curriculum. No one teaches it. And it’s the most critical subject you will ever study.

Decoding the Invisible Curriculum

The invisible curriculum is written on every wall. You just have to know where to look. It lives in who gets cc’d on emails, whose ideas get attributed in presentations and which meetings happen behind closed doors. Uncovering it requires deliberate observation and a willingness to ask better questions: not just “what” is happening, but “why” and “who benefits.” Here’s how to start reading between the lines:

• Mapping the Org Chart. Pay attention to who gets looped in early, who gets the benefit of the doubt and who gets airtime in meetings. Influence doesn’t always follow hierarchy — it flows through trust. Build relationships before you need them. Sponsor others and observe who sponsors you. Trust is currency; invest wisely.
• Finding the Organizational Cadence. Every organization has its own dialect of “how we do things here.” Learn to read the room — literally and politically. Is the decision-maker receptive to new ideas? Is the team in execution mode or open to ideation? The faster you decode it, the more strategically you can move within it.
• Making Impact Legible. Not all work is visible, and not all visible work is valued equally. Ask yourself: Who sees the impact of what I’m doing? Who narrates my contributions when I’m not in the room? Don’t just do great work — curate it. Make sure the right people know what you’re solving and why it matters.

The invisible curriculum won’t show up in your onboarding packet, but it shapes every promotion, every pivot, every perception. Mastering it doesn’t mean playing politics — it means understanding the game you’re already in. This unwritten code is the final, most consequential exam of your career. Fail to master it — and you’ll be the best-kept secret in the room that matters. Succeed — and you’ll start shaping outcomes.

Adeline (Addy) Maissonet is a senior advisor on contracting policies and procedures within the Office of the Secretary of War, U.S. Department of War (DoW) and the agency’s representative on the Department’s views on proposed legislation to Congressional members, their staff, and committee staffers. She leads the development and implementation of Department-wide procurement policies for commodities and services, within her portfolio. Prior to her current role, Addy served as a Division Chief and Contracting Officer with unlimited warrant authority for the U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) – Fort Eustis, Virginia. Prior to joining the MICC, Addy served as a Branch Head for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC), Norfolk, Virginia, with unlimited warrant authority. She also held other procurement positions with the U.S. Navy. Addy holds an MBA in Management and Contracting Level III Certification under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act. She is a graduate from Cornell University’s Executive Leadership Certificate Program and Harvard University’s Business Analytics Certificate Program. In her free time, Addy enjoys hiking and overlanding with her family and friends.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of War.

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