Your Career Game : How Game Theory Can Help You Achieve Your Professional Goals

We compete for jobs and, the more desirable the job, the tougher the competition. Most people readily understand this. But, Nathan Bennett and Stephen A. Miles suggest that fewer people recognize how the pursuit of an open job can be framed as one "move" in a multifaceted game called "a career." The authors contend that individuals who quickly recognize the career game for what it isa fascinating, complex, nuanced, real-life, multiplayer maze, played in real timecan develop into better players and, consequently, will have a better chance of successfully competing for the sort of positions that will help them to realize their goals. Bennett and Miles demonstrate how game theory can help readers to understand and proactively take charge of their career strategy. They first show how game theory can teach readers to manage the interdependencies and interconnectedness among coworkers, managers, and others in a manner that supports personal career efforts. Second, they show how readers can become better players. The key to learning how to play the career game is "career agility"in short, agile individuals are better game players. So, the book's suggestions for how to become more nimble are essential! In addition, the book includes conversations with a wide range of successful professionals such as Ursula Burns (Xerox), Stephen Elop (Microsoft), Marius Kloppers (BHP Billiton), Ken Frazier (Merck), and Liz McCartney (The St. Bernard Project), and discusses how their career moves demonstrate elements of a game theory approach to career management. This is a must-read strategic guide for anyone who seeks to advance their career and navigate today's job market.

Nathan Bennett is the Catherine W. and Edwin A. Wahlen Professor of Management at Georgia Tech's College of Management. He is active as a consultant through his firm, Red Buoy Consulting, LLC (www.redbuoyconsulting.com). Current consulting clients include Heidrick & Struggles and Accenture. He is co-author, with Stephen A. Miles, of Riding Shotgun: The Role of the COO (Stanford University Press, 2006). Stephen A. Miles is the Vice Chairman, Leadership Advisory within Heidrick & Struggles' Leadership Consulting Practice. He is also a key member of Heidrick & Struggles' CEO and Board Practice, and is a member of the firm's management committee. Prior to joining Heidrick & Struggles, Miles held various positions at Andersen Consulting. He is co-author, with Nathan Bennett, of Riding Shotgun: The Role of the COO (Stanford University Press, 2006).