Enlightened Office Politics

Rating:
Summary: Get to the point...
Review: ...is what the authors needed to do with this painfully extensive book. Having now read the book in its entirety, I can still say that it contains little useful information and the useful information it does have seems to be buried and scattered throughout the book. One problem is that the length of many chapters (one chapter clocks in at roughly 60 pages) make them difficult to read in one setting, if you have a shorter attention span, or for that matter, a life. This could create a problem as stopping in the middle of a chapter and picking back up with it later may be counter-productive. There is lots of good information presented, it would have just been nicer to have it broken down into smaller chunks.

Rating:
Summary: Get to the point...
Review: What are the forces in the workplace that can make or break your career? How can one deal effectively with situations ranging from water-cooler chats to conferences in your boss' office? How can one navigate more smoothly office politics and power plays? What is the difference between lying and spin-doctoring? These are some of the questions authors Michael and Deborah Dobson attempt to answer in this book which is loaded with career survival tips. Here are a few of their postulates: "Deal with the way things are, not the way you think they ought to be"; "Live your principles and life, not everyone else's"; "Be honest, or be quiet"; "Respect those who oppose you".Read the book, and step more confidently over those subtle and not so subtle traps in the corporate battle arena. The book illustrates much of what you may encounter, and is a helpful tool in preparing you for those experiences. After reading this book, continue your enlightenment with, "How To Master Change in Your Life" by Mary Carroll Moore. Both books contain practical and timely information.

Rating:
Summary: CAREER SURVIVAL TIPS!
Review: What are the forces in the workplace that can make or break your career? How can one deal effectively with situations ranging from water-cooler chats to conferences in your boss' office? How can one navigate more smoothly office politics and power plays? What is the difference between lying and spin-doctoring? These are some of the questions authors Michael and Deborah Dobson attempt to answer in this book which is loaded with career survival tips. Here are a few of their postulates: "Deal with the way things are, not the way you think they ought to be"; "Live your principles and life, not everyone else's"; "Be honest, or be quiet"; "Respect those who oppose you".Read the book, and step more confidently over those subtle and not so subtle traps in the corporate battle arena. The book illustrates much of what you may encounter, and is a helpful tool in preparing you for those experiences. After reading this book, continue your enlightenment with, "How To Master Change in Your Life" by Mary Carroll Moore. Both books contain practical and timely information.

Rating:
Summary: An ethical Machiavelli that's moral yet realistic
Review: What distinguishes this book from the competition is the authors' commitment to an ethical, principled approach to the political game, which I found to be refreshing and positive. So often, the choice is presented as "stop worrying about being nice and get out there and win!" Instead, the Dobsons show why having principles, being honest, and treating others with dignity and respect can be a source of political strength and effective results, and why the archetypical Machiavellian office politician often comes to a bad end.

The second quality of this book I liked was its emphasis on how to adapt its general guidelines to your specific situations, which it did through a series of exercises, questionnaires, and worksheets. They took some serious effort on my part to complete, because they were quite challenging. I had to think through my own goals, the goals of other people, and the circumstances that described my office environment. At the end, however, I felt that I had a much clearer picture of what was going on, why it was going on, and what I could do about it. I would definitely encourage you to invest time in the exercises.

The third quality of the book that appealed to me was the easy and personal writing style. The Dobsons have a warm, intimate conversational tone, and I felt that they explained clearly and effectively how organizations worked, where politics fit into the picture, and how you could turn it into a positive force on behalf of your goals.

In a world where cynicism and power hunger drives people toward short-term gain, it is heartening to see a potentially negative topic such as office politics treated as a positive, ethical, and potentially uplifting force. I recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: An ethical Machiavelli that's moral yet realistic
Review: What distinguishes this book from the competition is the authors' commitment to an ethical, principled approach to the political game, which I found to be refreshing and positive. So often, the choice is presented as "stop worrying about being nice and get out there and win!" Instead, the Dobsons show why having principles, being honest, and treating others with dignity and respect can be a source of political strength and effective results, and why the archetypical Machiavellian office politician often comes to a bad end.

The second quality of this book I liked was its emphasis on how to adapt its general guidelines to your specific situations, which it did through a series of exercises, questionnaires, and worksheets. They took some serious effort on my part to complete, because they were quite challenging. I had to think through my own goals, the goals of other people, and the circumstances that described my office environment. At the end, however, I felt that I had a much clearer picture of what was going on, why it was going on, and what I could do about it. I would definitely encourage you to invest time in the exercises.

The third quality of the book that appealed to me was the easy and personal writing style. The Dobsons have a warm, intimate conversational tone, and I felt that they explained clearly and effectively how organizations worked, where politics fit into the picture, and how you could turn it into a positive force on behalf of your goals.

In a world where cynicism and power hunger drives people toward short-term gain, it is heartening to see a potentially negative topic such as office politics treated as a positive, ethical, and potentially uplifting force. I recommend this book.