How Work Works: The Subtle Science of Getting Ahead Without Losing Yourself

A PORCHLIGHT BEST BUSINESS BOOK AWARD WINNER

AN INC. MAGAZINE NON-OBVIOUS BOOK AWARDS PICK

A unique and revelatory guide to understanding and navigating the unwritten rules of the workplace—the key to achieving success, finding meaning, and staying true to your authentic self in today’s business world—from the organizational expert and celebrated author of The Fix.

In her two decades researching organizations, Michelle King has discovered that people who succeed possess a particularly unique skill: They know how workplaces work. More specifically, to get ahead, they do not rely on the often generic and outdated written formal rules that for a century have defined the workplace. Instead, they have learned to gauge how they should behave and perform by becoming aware of informal (and unspoken) rules that exist just below the surface, rather than “formal” organizational guidelines. In this one-of-a-kind guide, King offers her proprietary framework based on over ten years of research and hundreds of employees who reached leadership positions. By focusing on five key areas -- navigating informal networks; developing self-awareness and awareness of others; learning the skills you need to be adaptive to changing conditions; getting support for your next promotion; and finding meaning and fulfillment at work—King teaches every professional how to understand and make these systems work for them and achieve their career ambitions.

The new world of work requires a new way of working. With more people vying for top positions, a volatile unpredictable global workplace, and an ever-evolving landscape, it is increasingly important for employees to understand how to negotiate the unspoken and intangible elements of workplace culture.. In How Work Works, King dispels old myths and provides keen observations about what it means to find belonging, build networks, manage the informal and ultimately thrive at work.

This practical guide offers a new playbook for career success:

• The Unwritten Rules: Learn to “read the air” and master the informal, unspoken guidelines that truly govern how you get ahead.
• Informal Networks: Move beyond formal hierarchies and discover how to build the authentic connections that provide career-defining support and information.
• Self-Awareness Framework: Understand the critical difference between how you see yourself and how others see you, and learn to bridge the gap.
• Future-Proof Your Career: Master the adaptive strategies needed to thrive in today’s volatile, hybrid, and remote work environments.
• Meaningful Advancement: A step-by-step system to get the support you need for your next promotion while finding genuine fulfillment in what you do.