For what it's worth, I would recommend 48 laws of power by Robert Greene. I would go to the extent and say that all his books are fantastic reads.
Ask HN: Is there a book that teaches you dark patterns of office politics?
11–20 of 72 posts
Re: Ask HN: Is there a book that teaches you dark patterns of office politics?
#12Erik Dietrich had a section on this in "Developer Hegemony." He immediately followed it with, "You won't have a soul at the end of this," and then another section on alternatives.
Re: Ask HN: Is there a book that teaches you dark patterns of office politics?
#13Deliberately playing office politics with manipulative behaviors like this is a losing game.
These behaviors will be quickly identified and managed out in any competently managed team. If they work, it means you’re in an office that rewards bad behavior. Instead of trying to play the game, work on finding a better job. You’ll be happier and healthier.
I’ve had to remove several employees over the years because they wouldn’t stop trying to play politics like this. It poisons the team and makes everyone unhappy, including the person playing the political games.
Re: Ask HN: Is there a book that teaches you dark patterns of office politics?
#14Read this book "Secrets to Winning at Office Politics: How to Achieve Your Goals and Increase Your Influence at Work" by Marie G. McIntyre. It shares how to do the right things the right way to grow your career.
Re: Ask HN: Is there a book that teaches you dark patterns of office politics?
#15What is the point of doing all that? Like what value do you get from knowing the 'Dark Patterns' ?
At the very least: the knowledge and awareness that it's being done to you by others. It might not matter at the beginning, but when someone has but 1-2-3 decades in a place and see people who practice the above get ahead..
It might save a person from becoming homeless by knowing the depravity that they may face and steering clear.
Re: Ask HN: Is there a book that teaches you dark patterns of office politics?
#16Prioritize visible value for the business. Both parts - visibility and value - are important.
Doing valuable things in secret won't help you. Doing visible things whose value others don't understand won't help either.
Point 4 is a joke. It is better developed here: https://github.com/Droogans/unmaintainable-code . Your time is better spent on the other 3 areas.
Re: Ask HN: Is there a book that teaches you dark patterns of office politics?
#17I read one called Workplace Poker a while back, it was pretty good.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0105V634A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_VWNM...
Re: Ask HN: Is there a book that teaches you dark patterns of office politics?
#18Deliberately playing office politics with manipulative behaviors like this is a losing game. These behaviors will be quickly identified and managed out in any competently managed team. If they work, it means you’re in an office that rewards bad behavior. Instead of trying to play the game, work on finding a better job. You’ll be happier and healthier. I’ve had to remove several employees over the years because they w…
Step 1) join a broken/toxic company. Theyre a lot more common than competent ones
Re: Ask HN: Is there a book that teaches you dark patterns of office politics?
#19There's a cult classic series of blog posts called "The Gervais Principle" https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-...
Venkatesh Rao also put out a book collecting his newsletter, "Be Slightly Evil" with a lot of explorations of this topic like, "What's the right length of time to hold a door open for someone?"
Another book of his is Tempo, which is more about understanding and manipulating the tempo of different interactions in business.
But definitely start with the Gervais Principle. It's wonderful.
Re: Ask HN: Is there a book that teaches you dark patterns of office politics?
#20Old, but quite relevant: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1232/1232-h/1232-h.htm "A wise man ought always to follow the paths beaten by great men, and to imitate those who have been supreme, so that if his ability does not equal theirs, at least it will savour of it. Let him act like the clever archers who, designing to hit the mark which yet appears too far distant, and knowing the limits to which the strength of the…
Well done! As soon as I saw the subject line, my immediate thought was "The Prince".