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For example, is the super-competitive coworker really out to ruin your career, or is he secretly insecure and afraid that he'll lose his job. The first is that it emphasizes both internal and external analysis of the given office political situations. I'm a programmer who tends to be very results-oriented and not always concerned with the soft side of business. It's an unfortunate truth, but the author explains how corporate America has moved away from the meritocratic promotion system of the past to the more politics-driven companies that we know and work for.
More importantly, the book greatly emphasized the importance of those soft skills as they relate to overall success in my career.The book really has two strengths in my opinion. I found this book extremely helpful. Is your boss really a good guy who's under a lot of stress and therefore acting a little irrationally, or is he a destructive narcissist who doesn't care who he hurts on his way to the top. Oftentimes, when internal and external examination reveals a truly toxic situation and not just temporary office stress, the author gives you real advice on how to notify HR (if you even should), cover your back, and extricate yourself from the situation, should you think it's time to move on to another department or company. The author guides you through the process of stepping back from the situation and exploring first the internal factors that drove you to arrive at your initial emotional reaction.
Examining these external drivers for office politics helps you remove yourself from the visceral emotions of the moment.The second thing I really like is the explanation that once you've graduated past the lower levels of your chosen profession, how well you "play politics" is just as important to the success of your career as your technical proficiency. The tips in this book are golden. This book helped me to understand how to approach various sticky office situations. Being starkly confronted with this fact, I can now look and realize places in the past where I may have stunted my career growth by caring more about my programming ability than my ability to comfortably socialize with my boss and coworkers.What's really nice about this book is that the author gives real, practical advice on how to handle these situations. The author spends a lot of time encouraging you to think about your past, how you were raised, and your relationships with your siblings.
That line of thinking makes sense, as many of those behaviors will often determine how we deal with the rest of life.The author then forces you to examine external factors in the given situation. I was afraid that this would be a book whose answer to every problem is to hold hands with your boss/coworker/subordinate and sing Kumbaya, but thankfully, the author gives frank advice on how to deal with the various scenarios. To me, the true testament of any book is when I read it and think, "I wish someone had given me this book years ago." That's exactly what I thought after reading this book.
This isn't just about the "other" people in business that you & I need to get along with. It's also about "us," why we respond as we do to particular other personalities and situations, plus practical guidelines to increase the chances of success. An easy & engaging read. Don't keep this book on your shelf: buy it, read it, and keep it under your pillow.
This book gives excellent advice about dealing with difficult situations that occur in office. This book couldn't have come along at a better time. The information that I gained by reading this book I am sure will help me come out on the winning side of negotiations in the future where I've come up short in the past. I've gained a better understanding as to how to maintain a sense of balance and get my point across without creating greater tension in the process. Thank you Dr. Puder-York for sharing this insightful information.
The insight in this book is incomparable. Dr Puder York does an amazing job of discussing situations that happen in the real world and she actually coaches you through it. Her advice is a must read. I think that I have strong people skills, yet, there was a lot in this book that took what I know to the next level.
Without them, your career can be over before it begins. This book is filled with the kind of insights and advice that anyone who is trying to thrive -- not just survive -- in a 21st-century office environment can begin putting to use immediately. Ironically, however, we all seem to get less training and less preparation in this vital area than ever before. The suggestions and ideas contained within are real-world, nuts-and-bolts tools that help avoid problems, resolve issues, and build the kind of consensus that will allow you and your whole team to move forward. Today, more than ever, interpersonal skills are an essential component of business success. This book can help close that gap. Put it on the bookshelf where you keep the essential volumes that you come back to over and over again.
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