Secrets to Winning at Office Politics

How to Achieve Your Goals and Increase Your Influence at Work

By: Marie G. McIntyre PhD

Narrated by: Margaret Strom

Get ahead, Gain influence, Get what you want

Office politics are an unavoidable fact of life in every workplace. To accomplish your personal and business goals, you must learn to successfully play the political game in your organization. Whether you are a new player or a seasoned veteran, Secrets to Winning at Office Politics can help you increase your personal power without compromising your integrity or taking advantage of others. This smart, practical guide shows you how to stop wasting energy on things you can't change and start taking steps to get what you want.

Written by an organizational psychologist and corporate consultant, Marie G. McIntyre's Secrets to Winning at Office Politics uses real-life examples of political winners and losers to illustrate the behaviors that contribute to success or failure at work. You will be shown techniques for managing your boss more effectively, improving your influence skills, changing the way you are perceived, and dealing with difficult people. Using these proven strategies for political success, you will then be able to create a "Political Game Plan" that outlines the steps necessary to accomplish your own individual goals.

©2005 Marie G. McIntyre, Ph.D. (P)2018 Tantor

Worth your time!

I've been battling office politics for a long time now and think the author hits the nail on the head with this book. While a bit tacky or dramatic at times, it's full of great insight and worth the time and attention of anyone who must engage in politics (hint: that's everyone who has a job!).

Amazing!

This audible hit the nail on the head with every example given. It was like the author tapped into my life and gave me a new refreshed perspective on processing politcs in the work place

very intelligent, intense, too the point, strong

many many good items that can help you grow. this book is real, action oriented, and packed with knowledge that actually feel like secrets

Needed This

This was fantastic. Marie gets it right. All should be required to read this one.

Well worth your time. Wish I’d read it 20’years ago.

This book provides a clear direction through the office politics maze.

It teaches you things to help you not get in the way of your own success.

Highly recommended.

Why not sooner!?

I should have read this MUSH sooner in my professional career. Great insights and it ends wonderfully.

Matter of fact, straight and to the point.

A detailed analysis on the types of behavior you find in the work place and the strategies your can use to increase your influence, leverage, and as a result, political power.

The writer’s honesty.

I enjoyed finding out about how to focus on future in workplace. The book became more interesting as it progressed. Thank you!

Highly recommended

This is an essential, must read, and life changing book to include in everyone's library.

Surprisingly useful and approachable

I was surprised at how much I liked this book and resonated with the advice it gave. Marie did well to contribute a counterbalance to the traditional negative connotation to the word “politics” as it pertains to navigating the complex web of work relationships around you. Her example stories were relatable, believable, and illustrative of the particular points she was making. The sections that focused on actions you should take were approachable and memorable.

My main drawback is that I felt she often left the reader with only one option in the face of political difficulty at work: to leave the company and find work elsewhere. Certainly, that is the best option in many of those situations she highlighted. However, I feel it wasn’t necessarily the only option available in other situations she highlighted. Regardless, I’m sure politically savvy folks will more accurately calculate leverage potential and make a good choice for themselves—especially after reading this book.

There are a couple tables of information that don’t do well being read to you. Not bad enough to change my recommendation of this book, though.

My main takeaways of the book mostly come from Part 1: focusing on leverage rather than fairness, accepting the “organizational facts of life,” and increasing results, knowledge, attitude, empathy, networks, inclusion, and detachment to increase your political leverage.