The Politics of Promotion

The Politics of Promotion

Five paths to leverage rather than endure political games.

Author(s): Bonnie Marcus

Publisher: Bonnie Marcus

Date of publication: 2019

Manageris opinion

Even the companies most attached to meritocracy cannot avoid political games. When the time has come to decide who will be promoted, competences and achievements alone do not guarantee success. Other criteria, many of them implicit, come into play: the capacity of the candidates to manage the company’s codes, their visibility, their reputation, their network, etc. A sometimes-frustrating reality, which we should leverage rather than endure, the author of The Politics of Promotion explains. To develop our political aptitudes, Bonnie Marcus recommends working along 5 aspects: learning to decode the informal dynamics of the company; knowing how to push ourselves forward with subtlety; relying on our network; setting up sponsorship relationships; finally, taking advantage of coaching.

The book is mainly targeted at women who, faced with established male networks, are often put at a disadvantage in their career. Nonetheless, the advice provided is relevant for everyone. It is thus a useful read for any manager or leader wanting to accelerate his/her career and extend his/her political influence—and a valuable read for any woman at the beginning of her career or seeking to find her place in a male-dominated environment.