THE FAST TRACK: How to Manage Yourself and Others in the Corporate Labyrinth

by John Budd ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 22, 1982

How to get ahead (once again) by playing corporate games--and ignoring conventional business wisdom. Budd, an ex-Lever Bros. exec, sees the prototypical corporation as a labyrinthine entity--with a center of power (COP), a center of control (CCC), and de-centralized centers of power (D-COP). Corporate realities ""cannot avoid the essential COP-CCC-D-COP dynamics no matter what the organizational structure might be."" No less hard-and-fast is Budd's pronouncement that ""all corporate populations are divided into two parts--Parasites and Prime Movers."" The latter are, of course, the heroes of his piece: though only an estimated two percent of the corporate populace, they account for 99 percent of ""the meaningful business output."" The despised Parasites, on the other hand, come in many varieties--and can in some cases (e.g., the Inert Positive Parasite) be advantageously manipulated by those on the way up. The advice, in short, is to recognize the realities and act accordingly. Budd's specific recommendations include avoidance of personal relationships on the job, the practice of selective dissent, and maintenance of a consistent style. A humorless exercise in realpolitik--outclassed by some stellar competition.

Pub Date: April 22, 1982

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1982

Categories: NONFICTION