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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.
- Combines individual case studies and real life situations with helpful tips and techniques designed to help overcome corporate challenges
- Each chapter tells a story that illustrates a constructive concept that can be easily learned and applied in the real world
- Covers topics including: political savvy, the benefits of self-promotion, performance management, sexual harassment, and other organizational challenges
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.
Acknowledgments xi
Foreword xv
Introduction: Why We Don’t Move Ahead—Politics xvii
Chapter 1 The How and Why of Positive Politics 1
Chapter 2 Becoming Savvy 11
Chapter 3 Surviving the Ebbs and Flows of Power 35
Chapter 4 Taking Things at Face Value: Trust, But Verify 49
Chapter 5 Mapping Power: Who’s In and Who’s Out 71
Chapter 6 Managing Perceptions 85
Chapter 7 Reputation and Brand Management: What’s Your Story? 97
Chapter 8 The Spoken Word: Gender and Culture Issues 107
Chapter 9 The Politics of Performance Management 121
Chapter 10 Power, Politics and Sex 135
Conclusion 147
Bibliography 157
Index 165
Jane Horan is the founder of the Horan Group, a strategic consultancy that shapes savvy cross-cultural work environments. Jane works with Fortune 500 companies, NGO's and academic institutions in Asia, North America and Europe as an executive coach and facilitator in cross-cultural leadership, bias awareness and political savvy. She is a frequent speaker on Transformational Women Leaders, Organizational Politics, Innovation and presented at leadership conferences globally, including the Women's International Networking (WIN) Conference in Prague and Rome. Jane has lived in Asia for over two decades, and previously worked for Kraft, The Walt Disney Company and CNBC in Organizational, Leadership and Talent Development roles. She is an EdD candidate with Bristol University on Asian Women Leaders, holds a Masters Degree in Organization Design and Effectiveness from The Fielding Institute, California, and studied International Business Management and Chinese Language at the Monterey Institute, California/Hunan Technical University in Changsha, China. Jane has published articles in Business Week, 20-first, The Organisational Development Journal and interviewed by The Straits Times and The South China Morning Post. She has appeared on radio for the Booth Business School at the University of Chicago, HeadHunter Radio, and 938 Live Singapore. Jane holds board positions on PrimeTime, The Singapore Council of Women's Organization and The International Alliance for Women. She can be contacted at www.thehorangroup.com.
"If The White House Project has anything to do with it, millions of young women won't look back in retrospect to realize the lessons of this book after decades of believing the world is a meritocracy. Jane Horan has brilliantly captured one of the most important levers of leadership advancement—navigating the politics of any environment."
—Tiffany Dufu President, The White House Project
"The world of work is a self-interested world, and that means politics is always a factor. Jane Horan does a stunning job clarifying whats going on and what you need to see and take seriously. Her point: Politics is—neither good nor bad until you interact with them. She wants to help you make them a positive. After reading the advice she gives, I suggest you let her."
—Samuel A. Culbert Professor, UCLA Anderson School of Management, and Author (with Lawrence Rout) of Get Rid of the Performance Review: How Companies Can Stop Intimidating, Start Managing and Focus On What Really Matters
"Using her many experiences, Jane Horan has managed in this book to re-frame the way we think about politics—a critical yet undervalued leadership skill."
—Philippe Gas President and Chief Executive Officer, Euro Disney SAS
"Anyone working in an organization of more than one will benefit from this very readable book on "politics". Often a derogatory term, politics and the ability to understand and manage power is an important leadership skill essential to getting things done and reaching goals for any organization. Readers will enjoy the many case studies as they reflect on how they can improve their own interpersonal skills."
—Professor Steven J. DeKrey Senior Associate Dean and Director of Masters Programs, HKUST
"This book reveals what it means to be savvy within an organization so that employees can build an authentic and thriving career plan. More importantly, it motivates people to better align and sell their innovative ideas. This should be a required text in MBA programs."
—Drew Boyd Executive Director, MS-Marketing Program, and Assistant Professor-Educator of Marketing and Innovation, Carl H. Lindner College of Business, University of Cincinnati
