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I Wish I'd Known That Earlier in My Career: The Power of Positive Workplace Politics
The must-read guide to understanding corporate politics in order to get ahead Designed to provide the reader with an understanding of corporate politics from a positive perspective, I Wish I'd Known That Earlier in My Career uses case studies to teach the essentials of organizational dynamics, power networks, and the decision-making processes and dilemmas involved in business. Examining corporate politics and the barriers many managers face in their efforts to reach the top, the book works to build awareness and strategies for business and career success. Taking a refreshing new approach to workplace politics, the book presents new ways to think about embracing opportunities in order to achieve personal and organization-wide career satisfaction. Rather than encouraging employees to move on and start their own businesses, it instead details how to move up within their current companies by learning to understand power bases and conversation more thoroughly. Essential reading for anyone looking to move forward in their professional life, I Wish I'd Known That Earlier in My Career provides genuinely helpful advice in a highly accessible, easily applicable way.
- GenresBusiness
198 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 13, 2016
A really great read for anyone who works in an organization, large or small. Very insightful and full of valuable lessons I'll definitely take with me as I progress in my career.
May 10, 2019
Good book! Especially on work related on something that we did not expect!
June 15, 2020
This book was a mixed bag for me.
On the positive side, the author clearly and concisely addresses the elephant in the room of politics. People forget (especially when it comes to local and national politics) that politics is present in every human organization that numbers more than two people. The real-life case studies were very useful, and the chapters all contained useful information.
Where the book was lacking was in its depth. It casually brushes over things like *how* to observe power structures. Observe who goes to lunch together? Sounds nice, but then what to do with that information? Maybe that's a lunch where someone is being informed they're to be made redundant, or perhaps it has nothing to do with work at all. There are many interpretations, and the book spends precious little time investigating anything other than offering the most superficial advice.
This was particularly egregious on the chapter about indirect vs direct communication: the graphic used was condescending beyond belief.
Surprisingly, the worst chapter for me was the one about gender and cultural differences - two things I expected the author to have deep expertise on.
The other major issue beyond the superficiality was the fact that all (yes, ALL) of the case studies were examples of negative politics! If you want to write a book about how politics can be both positive and negative inside corporations, then it undermines your point when all the concrete examples exist as case studies and the positive examples are nearly all hypotheticals.
There were some positive tinges to a few of the case studies, but it is depressing to think that there are so few examples of positive politicking for her to have chosen from in her long career.
Further to this point, the author doesn't address seeming non-sequitors, such as her point about Fuld at Lehman, who she reports was hung out to dry by then-Treasury Secretary Paulson. If Fuld was as bad as managing his network as she claims, how could he have risen to the position of CEO if playing savvy politics was so crucial to career advancement?
This leads into one further point that I don't think the author really wrestles with: how many executives exhibit sociopathic tendencies? Studies suggest not a few, so how are they able to get ahead without things the author claims are valuable, such as authentic values and inclusive questioning? And how are we non-sociopaths supposed to advance, given their posturing and outright scheming? There seem to be quite some rose-tinted views here, in spite of the fact that all the case studies demonstrate negative politics and bad office behavior, and it's never entirely made clear why we should not have a more cynical view on the whole enterprise.
Overall, this book works well enough as a high-level overview of the subject, but if you want to read in any depth about how people act or are motivated in large organizations, this is not the book for you.
N.b. to anyone for whom this matters: I've spent my entire career working in multi-cultural, multi-national corporations.
On the positive side, the author clearly and concisely addresses the elephant in the room of politics. People forget (especially when it comes to local and national politics) that politics is present in every human organization that numbers more than two people. The real-life case studies were very useful, and the chapters all contained useful information.
Where the book was lacking was in its depth. It casually brushes over things like *how* to observe power structures. Observe who goes to lunch together? Sounds nice, but then what to do with that information? Maybe that's a lunch where someone is being informed they're to be made redundant, or perhaps it has nothing to do with work at all. There are many interpretations, and the book spends precious little time investigating anything other than offering the most superficial advice.
This was particularly egregious on the chapter about indirect vs direct communication: the graphic used was condescending beyond belief.
Surprisingly, the worst chapter for me was the one about gender and cultural differences - two things I expected the author to have deep expertise on.
The other major issue beyond the superficiality was the fact that all (yes, ALL) of the case studies were examples of negative politics! If you want to write a book about how politics can be both positive and negative inside corporations, then it undermines your point when all the concrete examples exist as case studies and the positive examples are nearly all hypotheticals.
There were some positive tinges to a few of the case studies, but it is depressing to think that there are so few examples of positive politicking for her to have chosen from in her long career.
Further to this point, the author doesn't address seeming non-sequitors, such as her point about Fuld at Lehman, who she reports was hung out to dry by then-Treasury Secretary Paulson. If Fuld was as bad as managing his network as she claims, how could he have risen to the position of CEO if playing savvy politics was so crucial to career advancement?
This leads into one further point that I don't think the author really wrestles with: how many executives exhibit sociopathic tendencies? Studies suggest not a few, so how are they able to get ahead without things the author claims are valuable, such as authentic values and inclusive questioning? And how are we non-sociopaths supposed to advance, given their posturing and outright scheming? There seem to be quite some rose-tinted views here, in spite of the fact that all the case studies demonstrate negative politics and bad office behavior, and it's never entirely made clear why we should not have a more cynical view on the whole enterprise.
Overall, this book works well enough as a high-level overview of the subject, but if you want to read in any depth about how people act or are motivated in large organizations, this is not the book for you.
N.b. to anyone for whom this matters: I've spent my entire career working in multi-cultural, multi-national corporations.
July 20, 2020
Excellent advice when dealing with office politics - no matter what kind of organization that you work for - for-profit or non-profit. The author believes in the power of "positive politics" and provides strategies to help you navigate your company and get ahead. My favorite takeaway: "Forget performance reviews, encourage conversations!"
April 21, 2025
This is one book, that has become an essential part of my coaching arsenal. I tell everyone who listens to me, particularly people in their early part of their careers - on how to think about, make peace and then navigate workplace politics. At the end, its not like - the lion (politics) will not eat you if you are a vegetarian (someone who doesn't like politics)!
February 24, 2017
Great book. It was used in my class. Very applicable.
February 1, 2015
This book highlights a usually misinterpreted/disregarded skill. Politics can both be positive or negative. However, the author believes that it's inevitable.
The book is easy to read. It has very eye-friendly font. Aslo, it has short, yet meaniningful structore and short chapeter whcih makes it easy to read in small bites throughout the day.
I somehow find it a bit scewed to the assumption that that politics is not only ineveitable, but necessary to be realized as one of the tools used to get things done and advance in career.
Practice , I believe, will give more insight how to develop, use and optimize politics to the best of the organization keeping in mind policies, ethics and commonsense.
The book is easy to read. It has very eye-friendly font. Aslo, it has short, yet meaniningful structore and short chapeter whcih makes it easy to read in small bites throughout the day.
I somehow find it a bit scewed to the assumption that that politics is not only ineveitable, but necessary to be realized as one of the tools used to get things done and advance in career.
Practice , I believe, will give more insight how to develop, use and optimize politics to the best of the organization keeping in mind policies, ethics and commonsense.
December 14, 2013
My opinion for this may be skewed as I personally am not a fan of the corporate work environment. However, I did approach this book with as open a mind as I could. Generally, this book helps people who are stuck in the corporate world to move upwards via a mechanism of framing, putting politics in a more positive light and allowing them to stomach the idea of politics better. Nevertheless, it does raise some valid points and cold truths of the working world that are inevitable for corporate success.
April 13, 2015
I thought this book had some great insights in it. It was geared towards employees of massive multi-national corporations and the political environments that accompany them. There were a lot of tips that could be very helpful in most relationships at work. I found it inspiring and helpful but at times I felt like the author was trying to compensate for lack of real world experience by illustrating ridiculous situations. Helpful. Glad I read it.
August 3, 2015
I found the early parts of the book enlightening and helpful. The latter half or so kind of devolves into a polemic on gender roles in the workplace? Not that the subject isn't important, I've just seen the topic (and most of the author's conclusions/advice) covered more cogently and concisely elsewhere.
June 10, 2012
Definitely a good read for anyone looking to get ahead in a corporate environment. Many times hard work and results aren't enough. Jane horan outlines the power connections you need to make in order to succeed in your personal brand management.
October 5, 2016
Good examples, but takeaways were limited for me
I would recommend this book to corporate managers that are unaware of the tight hold politics has on their organizations, and therefore their careers.
I would recommend this book to corporate managers that are unaware of the tight hold politics has on their organizations, and therefore their careers.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews