Synopsis
As management professor and consultant Kathleen Reardon explains in her new book, It's All Politics, talent and hard work alone will not get you to the top. What separates the winners from the losers in corporate life is politics.
As Reardon explains, the most talented and accomplished employees often take a backseat to their politically adept coworkers, losing ground in the race to get ahead—sometimes even losing their jobs. Why? Because they’ve failed to manage the important relationships with the people who can best reward their creativity and intelligence. To determine whether you need a crash course in Office Politics 101, ask yourself the following questions:
• Do I get credit for my ideas?
• Do I know how to deal with a difficult colleague?
• Do I get the plum assignments?
• Do I have a mentor?
• Do I say no gracefully and pick my battles wisely?
• Am I in the loop?
Reardon has interviewed hundreds of employees, from successful veterans to aspiring hopefuls, examining why some people who work hard and effectively at their jobs fall behind, while those who are adept at “reading the office tea leaves” forge ahead. Being politically savvy doesn’t mean being unethical or devious. At heart, it’s about listening to and relating to others, and making choices that advance everyone’s goals. Like it or not, when it comes to work, it’s all politics. And politics is all about knowing what to say, when to say it, and who to say it to.
About the Author
KATHLEEN KELLEY REARDON's newest book, the mystery thriller SHADOW CAMPUS, is her debut novel. She has published 10 books and has been a featured political blogger for Huffington Post since 2006; is Professor Emerita at USC Marshall School of Business, and was named the UConn alumni association 2013 Humanitarian of the Year. She has appeared on The Today Show, NBC Nightly News and Good Morning America, and her research and writing have been the subject of hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles and broadcast news segments. Her first book, PERSUASION IN PRACTICE, (now in a revised edition), was described by Public Opinion Quarterly as "a landmark contribution to the field" of research and theory in persuasion. Her first trade book, THEY DON'T GET IT, DO THEY?, was based on her initial Harvard Business Review article "The Memo Every Woman Keeps in Her Desk," an HBR reprint best seller. Her latest HBR article is "Courage as a Skill."She published THE SECRET HANDSHAKE in 2000, an Amazon business and nonfiction bestseller that provides a rare and perceptive inside look at the politics of business; IT'S ALL POLITICS, which provides a deeper analysis of workplace politics; THE SKILLED NEGOTIATOR, and more recently COMEBACKS AT WORK: USING CONVERSATION TO MASTER CONFRONTATION. Her breakthrough Guide to International Business Gift Giving was used for many years by the White House Office of Protocol and protocol chiefs for nations and businesses worldwide. Dr. Reardon was earlier a professor of Communication Sciences at UCONN. She earned her Ph.D., at UMass Amherst with distinction and won the NCA national dissertation award. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi and Mortar Board. She has consulted for many individuals, and companies large and small around the world on topics related to communication, persuasion, negotiation and politics at work.
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