Get Them on Your Side

Samuel Bacharach's book is absolutely fantastic. Although it is excelent for anyone in business, it should be of particuar interest for the businesswoman. I am sure that I am not the only woman who has sadly discovered that, as a woman, it is especially difficult to get your ideas implemented. It is hard to believe that in the 21st century, so many of us find ourselves fighting that same old battle to be taken seriously. But don't throw in the towel! There is help between the covers of this book. Professor Bacharach gives detailed strategies that anyone can grasp in order to change the status quo. I promise that you too can learn to "get them on your side." This is a book that belongs in everyones library, whether you work in corporate America, are organizing a new project for the PTA, or anything in between.

Simple, practical explanation on how to get your project accepted politically. Read it in a (full) day, start applying the next. Enjoy!

"In today's organizations, the real conflict is not between those who resist change and those who advocate change. Conflict is over the agenda. Therefore, political competence demands that you analyze and understand the agendas of others in order to anticipate how they will react to your efforts". (page 38). Professor Samuel Bacharach of Cornell University understands the world of change. More importantly, in "Get Them on Your Side", Bacharach presents a clear and understandable strategy to navigate change in organizations and the resistance to it. In my 39 years of ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church, I have done extensive training in various forms of organizational development and management and have acted as a consultant for various churches and other not for profit organizations. The volume of material that Professor Bacharach presents articulates in a very clear and concise format, the type of work that I have been doing all of these years. Although my experience is primarily with non profit organizations, Bacharach provides the reader with the types of skills one needs to succeed in any form of organizational life across all disciplines, It is applicable to non-profit organizations as well as small businesses and large corporations. Bacharach affirms that a good idea is not enough in and of itself. Leaders and change agents need "political competence". It is heartening to hear that his primary concern "...is to demonstrate to individuals that they are capable of political competence and coalition building and that these skills are teachable". (page 234). This is not a book that overwhelms you with theory and concepts. Rather, you are given precise definitions, specific steps in a process ,and several good examples that put the process to work. "Get Them on Your Side" is must reading for anyone who deals with change. It does not guarantee success in all efforts but it greatly increases the odds, while at the same time creating a climate of increased trust and cooperation in the culture of the organization.

As a career professional in the field of HR I found this book to be incredibly useful, as my job hinges on the ability to gain consensus and sell my ideas to the organization. One of the most difficult things in any organization is developing the ability to skillfully navigate the political landscape. Frankly, if you can't do this it doesn't matter how intelligent you may be or how great your ideas are. If you can't negotiate those political pratfalls and gain consensus then you're doomed to fail, or at a minimum spin your wheels endlessly. "Get Them On Your Side" is probably the best book I've read on this subject...it provides the roadmap and the keys to making it happen. I highly recommend it to anyone in business or beyond who has to bring a group together in order to get things done.

This book is an indispensable guide to anyone who wants to move ideas or themselves forward in an organization. Bacharach, more than any other author, understands that success depends on our ability to get people on our side. His notion of 'political competence' and his insight into what it takes to achieve it is practical, simple and wonderfully clever. In my 30 year career, I've rarely read a book as lively and straightforward as this volume. I read it over the weekend, and used the concepts this week.