Customer Reviews

169 Ways to Score Points With Your Boss

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read this book cover to cover. Even though a lot of it is common sense, having it all in one handy book is insightful. Each tip is short and succinct, never more than a single page, and captures the point with maybe one anecdote. Even though I probably committed half of all the mistakes pointed out in the book, I still forged through to the end. Convinced now that my boss hates me (not really), I'm going to go back over my flaws and improve myself. After all, this is what the book is about, maintaining a positive attitude and doing the best you can.

I was gravely disappointed in this book. Most of the advice is common sense. Much of it is contradictory. Item #56 is "Work Overtime" (unpaid!). Item #80 is "Get a Life (After Work)". Item #128 ("Be a Good Corporate Citizen") urges the reader to donate 20+ hours/week to charities approved by the company and the boss. What planet does the author work on? It must be a planet whose rotation about its axis and revolution about its Sun create 750 days a year, with each day having 42 hours. In Item #88, "Make a Generous Donation During Your Company's United Fund-Raising Drive," the author admits to "personally reviewing contributions made by virtually all employees at <X> headquarters." Just how does the author, as top manager, know that an employee with a "low" contribution doesn't have heavy personal obligations, such as the nursing-home or hospice care of aging parents? Does charity not begin at home? Item #164, "Be Generous with the Gifts You Give Your Boss," suggests what would have been career suicide where I worked for 29 years. When I was a boss, I was never offered a gift by an employee. Had I been, I would have refused it with a stern lecture about "influence-purchasing."
The book has no index to the 169 short (1-2 page) chapters; it should.

+AH4-The title is somewhat misleading in the sense that all the pointers given (usually in the form of one pagers) are also applicable to your employers, coworkers, even personal relationships. A lot of the items are relationship builders, others are tips for improving efficiency, and yet others reminding us that we are all human. Some of the advice may seem trivially obvious, but those are the ones that somehow we forget!

The title is meant to reflect that ultimately a large part of your career+AH4-+AH4- progress depends on your boss and your relationships with him/her. A good advice, but not to be overstated (and the book certainly does not overstate it). Ultimately "there are no shortcuts". This books just provides the tools to make the path a lot smoother. Cheers.+AH4-

169 Ways to Score Points with Your Boss isn't about "apple polishing". It reminds you of basics like "Be on time" and more advanced skills such as "Allow others to save face".
I also recommend another title, "How to Manage Your Boss."

Mr. Schonberg has explained in very clear, numbered statements, what you can do with just a bit of effort to put yourself in a positive light with your boss. Some of the points may seem to only apply to the executive but most can easily be put into use at any job level. Time is money, don't waste the bosses money by wasting time on the job. Don't badmouth your former employer. Stay current. All easy to do and all simply explained. After all, the sooner you read the book the sooner you can score points with your boss.