Editorial Review:
In The Secret Handshake, top corporate consultant and USC management professor Kathleen Reardon explores and reveals the hidden rules on the ins and outs of corporate politics that you won’t find outlined in any employee handbook.
Based on hundreds of candid interviews with executives at Fortune 500 companies who have achieved their goals and joined the inner circle, The Secret Handshake lays bare the unstated conventions that govern and shape corporate hierarchies. Taking readers inside boardrooms to learn firsthand how the top decision-makers view and assess the employees under them, it offers invaluable advice on such career-building tactics and skills as getting noticed, networking, persuading others, knowing which battles to fight, and mastering the art of the quid pro quo. For all those who aspire to be part of the decision-making body of their organization, The Secret Handshake is the ultimate intelligence report on whom to trust and whom to watch out for, how to manage the inevitable conflicts that will arise, and how to read between the corporate lines.
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Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 
great primer on office politics  2008-08-29
This book is a good primer on office politics -- how best to deal with people to be successful. I listened to a Book on Tape from the library first, then bought the book. There are many stories that illustrate her points. All in all a logical, easy to understand book that discusses how to communicate and deal with conflict more effectively.
"Publish or Perish" obligation by PhD consultant.  2008-06-04
Nothing new in this book. Same old tired ideas.
The author is a PhD consultant, looking to bolster her consulting practice by using this book to claim she's an expert in business communications.
This is just another output from the 'publish or perish' requirement for professors. These PhD's are forced to write these books with rehashed ideas, just to keep their teaching jobs, and convince a few gullible middle managers they know what they're talking about.
You'll learn a lot more from "Influence" by R. Cialdini
and "Play like a man, win like a woman" by Gail Evans
Workplace politics with success 2007-12-15
Like her "It's All Politics" book, this book is all about interpersonal relationships and succeeding in them--without losing your career, your integrity or your soul! Both should be a "must read" for leaders and managers, alike--and a great read for women!
i borrowed it from the library, then listen to its cd's, and finally bought a copy to keep 2006-01-18
This is a fantastic eye-opener. As a technically-competent guy, I am always puzzled that certain managers like me a lot, while others seem the other way. This book gives me the answers.
I read the book from library several times during my vacation; then listen to its CD's on my way commute; and finally decide to own a copy of the book to put onto my shelf.
Politics 101 2005-09-27
As a career consultant, I'm always looking for books to recommend to clients and ezine readers. While we tend to assume corporate managers are all savvy, in fact many are surprisingly naive and we all can stand to learn more.
Secret Handshake is not as strong as Reardon's first book, They Don't Get It, Do They. The first book included novel and original ideas about a subject the author obviously cares about. But it's worth a quick read - not much more.
Reardon begins by categorizing both companies and employees in terms of their political styles. I'm always suspicious of profiles, but her ad hoc approach offers a face-saving way for people to say, "Hey, I'm just not political."
Overall this book includes useful perspectives, although some readers will not be impressed by the common sense reminders. Most corporate employees can figure out that one-upping the boss is bad timing. But some ideas (like he PURRR technique) will save some careers. The section on getting heavy-handed will be especially valuable.
And some will disagree with Reardon's interpretation of a situation. For instance, a young woman visits a recruiting booth while the company recruiter talks to Reardon. She politely excuses herself for interrupting and insists on leaving her resume. The young woman was interested in a sales job; in my opinion, her persistence should have been applauded!
I read this book after hearing Barbara Ehrenreich speak on her latest book, Bait and Switch. What a contrast! Ehrenreich questions everything that Reardon takes for granted. Reardon warns against "showing up the boss (p 59), while Ehrenreich would point out that stifling disagreement wouldn't be in the best interests of the company in the long run. Reardon accepts corporate values -- or at least implies, "Hey -- that's the way it is." I can just see Ehrenreich rolling her eyes and raising her eyebrows.
There are a couple of minor bloopers on pages 66-67. On page 67 is a reference to Daphne Merion - I think she means Daphne Merkin, a rather outspoken writer for the New Yorker.
And I question Reardon's version of the story behind Madeline Albright's nomination as Secretary of State. Reardon seems to suggest that Albright got the job in part because of her connections to Clinton. But other sources suggest that Clinton actually resisted naming Albright until he was pressured by female legislators. And in fact, some have questioned whether others were equally qualified.
But perhaps the biggest criticism of this book is that, although insights are valuable, it's..well, dull! We need more war stories and more anecdotes. The material has the potential to be as gripping as a novel -- and Reardon's first book (They Don't Get It Do They) managed to come across as much more reasonable.
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