The Politics of Promotion: How High-Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead

The Politics of Promotion offers women the tools and guidance they need to successfully navigate the realities of their organization, emphasizing the need to understand office politics to get the promotions and recognition they deserve. Written by Bonnie Marcus, a professional coach who focuses on helping women advance their careers, this book demonstrates the impact of relationships and sponsorship on career trajectory. Readers will learn why excellence and achievement aren't propulsion enough to get ahead, and how networking with power and intention can make all the difference in perception, reputation, and promotion. Far beyond the typical advice of "be assertive" and "embrace ambition," this book provides a unique and proven method for becoming a bigger player in the workplace and avoiding unexpected trip-ups that can add years to the climb—or end it for good.

Many women focus on performance, thinking that good work garners promotion. Too often, they're left outside of the circles of power and influence where decisions are made that affect their careers. The Politics of Promotion provides a framework for breaking into that circle, and taking control of one's own career path, specifically showing how to:

• Navigate office politics successfully
• Build and nurture key relationships
• Get comfortable with self-promotion
• Avoid potentially disastrous "blindsides"

Women who want to advance cannot afford to view politics as "dirty." It's the reality of the workplace, one that differs between organizations and fluctuates over time. Although being savvy about office politics is important for both genders, unconscious bias and stereotypes create special challenges for women. Learning to navigate these complex rules and customs is the key to professional recognition for women, fostering relationships that reach far beyond the next evaluation. Women looking to get ahead will find that the insights in The Politics of Promotion can help smooth the way.

About the Author

Bonnie Marcus, M.Ed. is president of Women’s Success Coaching, a company she founded in 2007 to assist professional women in successfully navigating the workplace and advancing their careers. She started her own corporate career at an entry-level position and worked her way up to the top of a national company. With 20-plus years of sales and management experience, Bonnie’s extensive business background includes being president/CEO of a ServiceMaster company, and VP of Sales at Medical Staffing Network and at two other national companies in the health care and software industries. She has held executive positions in startup companies and Fortune 500 firms.

As an award-winning entrepreneur, a contributing writer for Forbes and Business Insider, and a much sought-after professional speaker, Bonnie shares her message globally through keynote speeches, live workshops, blogging, and her popular podcasts. Her passion is to help high-achieving women embrace their ambition and realize their leadership potential.

Forbes.com honored Women’s Success Coaching three years in a row as one of the Top 100 Websites for Professional Women, stating, “Women’s Success Coaching weighs in on the many building blocks of empowering women in business, from assertive communication to self-promotion to sensitivity training.”

Bonnie received a BA in Sociology from Connecticut College and a M.Ed. from New York University.