HBR Guide to Office Politics by Karen Dillon

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Have you ever experienced dealing with a boss who unwittingly holds back your career progress? Have you encountered someone who is always looking to get ahead of you no matter how small the stake is? Have you ever managed a former peer? These and other countless relationship dynamics in our everyday lives are part of the so-called politics of human interactions. So many people are having dreadful lives coming to work due to these political dramas and its myriad ways. These events are present as long as there are two people interacting but there is no better stage for these dynamics to take place but in office. Hence, we have the term office politics.

The problem is that most people are not well-equipped in handling these cases. They either succumb to being the victims or become the bullies themselves. Time and time again without proper advice these people will continue to do it their way, thereby creating the concept of dirty politics. Fortunately, we have a book that can guide all of us through this.

The HBR Guide to Office Politics by Karen Dillon provides a refreshing, practical, and easy to follow insights on how one can navigate the ocean of political dramas at work. Written for any professionals at work, the book is an easy to use guide that one can use
whenever he or she encounters a challenging political situation.

The following are the attributes that made the book worth reading by any worker or professional:

·        Collaborative ideas. Even though it was written by just one author, this book consists of ideas from different industry experts. The author interviewed experts in communication, leadership, branding, business, and management to come up with a balance and wide perspectives on how one can resolve specific political dilemmas. You can read here the views of Dorie Clark, Ron Ashkenas, Herminia Ibarra, Kathryn Heath, and others. These experts were consulted and their ideas are spread throughout the book.

·         Easy to follow book structure. This book is for busy professionals and the structure of the book will really help in getting in to what a person needs to see faster. Each chapter has the same layout: problem; why it happens; and what to do about it. For example, if one has to deal with a bully, he or she has to look at the specific chapter for the topic. The chapter will describe the problem and explain why it happens. Then this is followed by specific steps on how to deal with it.

·        Anecdotes. Each chapter includes a snippet of another person’s account related to the topic at hand. This clearly put the problem in the right perspective therefore reinforcing the lessons more effectively. Their stories may not be similar to yours but you can relate to some of it by putting yourself in their shoes.

Clearly, one does not have to be totally helpless in dealing with any political situations. These are normal part of our working lives and we owe it to ourselves to develop and learn how to handle these situations. Being politically astute does not mean being a sucked up. It means having the right mindset in dealing appropriately with other people by being sensitive to what is happening within us and around our environment.

I would recommend this book to anyone working with others especially those who are in leadership position.