The Modern Machiavelli: Playing Office Politics to Win (ePub)

Many people claim that office politics is a waste of time. That success comes from doing your job. That talent rises by itself.
These people are, to put it gently, losers.
If you want to succeed, if you want to grow your career beyond entry level, then you need to play the game of office politics.

And you need to play it to win.

Luckily, this book is here to help you out. There is no discussion of morality, no introspection as to whether office politics is really necessary in the modern workplace. Instead we focus on clear, rational advice so that you can achieve your goals via influencing others.

This book is divided into multiple chapters, each of which covers a different aspect of developing and using your political skills.
- Chapter 1 introduces the world of office politics and the associated requirements.
- Chapter 2 discusses power in the workplace - sources of power, the distinction between formal and informal power, and the chapters you need to read based on your current situation.
- Chapter 3 covers the essential skills which are necessary to support any attempt at persuading others or utilising office politics in your plans.
- Chapter 4 is devoted to fundamentals and the way they relate to your current situation. It provides hints on decoding your own values, political skill and style, and the organisation which you are a part of.
- Chapter 5 looks at initial impressions. It covers the importance of making a competent first impression, tailoring your style to match workplace reputation, and offers hints on fine-tuning external appearance towards professionalism.
- Chapter 6 is about creating and maintaining a competent reputation. We look at baseline expectations, moving beyond these, and the surprising benefits you have from being good at meetings.
- Chapter 7 involves the art of making and selling good decisions, an essential skill for those who wish to progress upwards in the company.
- Chapter 8 is focused on the fundamentals of communication and their impact on office politics - from basic skills and selling ideas through to dealing with or using 'no' and holding tough conversations with others.
- Chapter 9 is about managing upwards - to your manager and above. It includes typical manager requirements, dealing with new managers, and a short guide to detecting managerial insanity.
- Chapter 10 is all about managing downwards - developing a leadership personality, making the most of your team, taking over a new team, and moving unwanted people on.
- Chapter 11 looks at networks. It covers creating, maintaining, and tracking networks for professional development.
- Chapter 12 is about influencing others, whether it be picking targets, identifying tradeable currencies, using a suitable strategy, or simply noting typical mistakes newcomers make.
- Chapter 13 looks at negotiation. The approach outlined here is as applicable to formal negotiations as it is for quick back-and-forth discussions over a conspiratorial cup of coffee.
- Chapter 14 is for when things are going wrong. It examines last-ditch methods for achieving success as well as effective approaches to cover your behind when they inevitably fail.
- Chapter 15 is all about moving on. It covers the decision to move onwards, the art of negotiation for your new role, and a set of tell-tale signs that firings and lay-offs are coming in.
- Finally Chapter 16 provides a summary of typical political shenanigans which you will encounter and (most likely) try to use on other colleagues.

Ready to learn? Then read on.