One of the great things about air travel for me is that it is the only time I get to read a book, rather than an RSS feed. Although if I was to be honest, I do it to keep my mind occupied and stops me from thinking about crashing 😉 . So on my return trip at the weekend I picked up a book called the “The Rules of Work” written by Richard Templar, I was so impressed that I felt I must give it a mention here.

Looking back to when I started my career in recruitment, all I remember is if I worked hard and did a good job, I would get promoted or receive a pay rise. In part that worked, but like all new recruits I was wet behind the ears and I didn’t understand the so called office politics, which everyone seemed to mention but didn’t avoid!!

One couldn’t help notice that some people were promoted not necessarily because they were any better or having been in the job any longer, but it was just left for you to work out what you needed to do to get on. Which is where this book comes in, because it is aimed at those of you who have just started a new job or stuck in a rut and want to rise the corporate ladder, I just wish I had been given this 30 years ago!

There are in total 108 rules, all of which make so much sense and takes the guess work out of success. Many of them are obvious, but more importantly each one is explained why they should be adopted and the consequences of not doing so.

So as to set the scene the first 2 paragraphs are below:

Most of us (I’m guessing here) want to do our jobs well. Most of us (still guessing) want more important jobs, bigger salaries, greater security, higher status and a bright future. So we try to do our  jobs so well that we will be rewarded, respected and promoted.

And that is where we go wrong (I’m not guessing any more)……….