Get Them on Your Side

by Samuel B. Bacharach

An acknowledged expert in the field of management and organizational behavior offers advice on building political capital, in a guide for managers searching for ways to gain support and allies for their ideas and initiatives. 60,000 first printing.

Genres: Nonfiction

233 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jay Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author points out the various types of people and agendas you need to be prepared to deal with when looking to bring about change in an organization.

[PD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good little book. It was helpful to differentiate between goals and approaches, which then make up different agenda types: Traditionalist, Developer, Adjuster, and Revolutionary.

The theme throughout discusses being a “politically competent leader” who navigates terrain, build and guides a coalition to make things happen.

[Sean Van Duser · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was pretty good. There were no life changing insights or anything if that nature. Just stuff one should likely already know presented in a way to help one apply it more regularly and effectively. I would recommend for anyone in a management position or any other position that involves getting people to work together to accomplish a goal

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally read this for class a long time ago (back in 2006) and I decided to reread it for my current job (in 2021). Still a good book, a very easy and fast read. Sound advice I've found useful in my work.

[Luis Cervantes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Banger

[jslsdh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very analytical, reasoned and people-oriented approach to influencing change in any organisation. The title may sound a little idealistic or sensational, even, but the book offers a number of substantial pointers in understanding/analysing the political terrain of the organisation, in understanding and engaging key/relevant people well, and lastly in making a lasting yet adaptable difference.

A number of points resonate very much with what I've learnt in negotiation - especially in seeking out and understanding stakeholders' interests and perspectives. Had a number of eye-opening realisations, especially where the author breaks down how different people have very different ways of thinking and approaching issues which the change-leader may miss or have a disconnect with. It helped me understand some past instances where my method/approach of pushing change through failed.

[Christine Boyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book as part of my annual work goals, which is great because I love reading about business and political environments in my personal time in the evening.

This book is better that the usual gimmicky business books (Who Moved My Cheese? and Fish!), and it has a nice blend of "real-life" examples along with the course content.

Still, I don't think I'm in the target audience because I am not responsible for mass change initiatives in my job.

Hopefully next year, my manager will put more fiction on my annual goals.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ SEP 2014

This is a really good take on how to work collaboratively in today's organizations. Best quotes, "To have planning without improvising is to create rigidity and doom your change effort to failure. To improvise without planning is to create chaos that will derail your effort" (p. 35); and "Successful coalition leadership, like leadership in any organization, combines strategy and tactics" (p. 203).

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone engaged in change that requires others needs to read this book. It should be required for anyone engaged in coalition or community organizing. Lots of great thought provoking content, and suggestions on building support and engaging others to create change.