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Mar 16, 2021danielestes rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
One of the stories in Workplace Poker profiles a young man who is a natural salesman but when offered the chance to take sales training he declines. His reasoning is that it sounds dreadful and besides what could it teach him if he's already good at sales. Turns out, he still had a lot to learn and his dismissal of the training course was more about avoiding the hard work required to better himself. That story mirrors my own approach to this book, Workplace Poker. Would I like to read a book on how to navigate office politics? No, thanks. How about a book that plainly states that you, and you alone, are largely responsible for your own career shortcomings? Not interested. But you know what? I needed to hear this advice. I didn't like it most of the time, and I didn't agree with several chapters at all, but spread throughout there were moments of brutal truth. And those moments hit home hard. The chapters on personal accountability were the most illuminating. I'm not one to victim blame, not even for myself, but it's hard not to think that life's deck is stacked against you sometimes. Workplace Poker's response would be, yes, it is stacked against you but so what? That's not an excuse for you not to act. That's a harsh pill to swallow.