Work Would Be Great If It Weren't for the People

Lichtenberg, a former senior v-p at Prudential Securities, together with Stone (Little Girl Fly Away) offers a witty and cynical guide to office politics. According to them, ability, hard work and reliability are often not enough to succeed in the workplace unless these attributes are accompanied by a knowledge of the dynamics of human relations. The authors suggest first trying to work cooperatively by seeking common solutions to problems. But when stymied by roadblocks, such as a bullying boss, a vindictive co-worker or office gossip, they advise calling on the ""evil twin"" that supposedly lurks within everyone's consciousness as a self-protective mechanism. But, as they point out, revenge can backfire. And there are limitations on whistle-blowing, if that option is taken, since whistle-blowers are often simply transferred to another department. Sometimes, as the authors note, the most effective thing to do is to lie low. Author tour. (Apr.)