The Art of Making Things Happen

By Jo Owen
Prentice Hall, 2007
$19.99

No matter that this book was written in England, if you are looking for a practical "how to" book on gaining management influence and succeeding in organizations today, this is it! Owen suggests that high intelligence (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ) are simply not enough; instead, smart managers strive to develop solid political intelligence (PQ). In his view, political intelligence is all about understanding how an organization works and developing an ability to make things happen in a world of increasing ambiguity combined with decreasing authority. The author contends that political IQ is a learnable skill and recommends a six step process to develop strategies that deal with the who, what, where, when, how, and why, of organizational power. The book is well laid out, easy to read, practical and straight forward. A quick but powerful read.