The Organizational Politics Playbook

Book excerpt: Good things do not always come to good people who deliver on their promises, act with integrity, and behave responsibly. Unfortunately, it takes more than a strong work ethic and long hours to get ahead or even survive in most organizations. Organizational survival often requires mastering organizational politics. But how are we supposed to learn how to navigate the often-treacherous world of tight coalitions, unwritten rules, and secret agendas? The Organizational Politics Playbook has the answers and includes fifty practical strategies that include how to: • Uncover the secret sources of power • Make others look good • Leave a bad organization with grace • Build a protective brain trust • Make yourself seem more valuable by creating a sense of scarcity While this book addresses predictable strategies such as creating fear, using coercion, and engaging in manipulation, it does so only to make sure you recognize them. Allison Vaillancourt believes we must know the dirty tricks of politics in order to combat them.