The Unspoken Rules

Named one of 10 Best New Management Books for 2022 by Thinkers50 A Wall Street Journal Bestseller "...this guide provides readers with much more than just early careers advice; it can help everyone from interns to CEOs." — a Financial Times top title You've landed a job. Now what? No one tells you how to navigate your first day in a new role. No one tells you how to take ownership, manage expectations, or handle workplace politics. No one tells you how to get promoted. The answers to these professional unknowns lie in the unspoken rules—the certain ways of doing things that managers expect but don't explain and that top performers do but don't realize. The problem is, these rules aren't taught in school. Instead, they get passed down over dinner or from mentor to mentee, making for an unlevel playing field, with the insiders getting ahead and the outsiders stumbling along through trial and error. Until now. In this practical guide, Gorick Ng, a first-generation college student and Harvard career adviser, demystifies the unspoken rules of work. Ng distills the wisdom he has gathered from over five hundred interviews with professionals across industries and job types about the biggest mistakes people make at work. Loaded with frameworks, checklists, and talking points, the book provides concrete strategies you can apply immediately to your own situation and will help you navigate inevitable questions, such as: How do I manage my time in the face of conflicting priorities? How do I build relationships when I’m working remotely? How do I ask for help without looking incompetent or lazy? The Unspoken Rules is the only book you need to perform your best, stand out from your peers, and set yourself up for a fulfilling career.

What will separate you from the rest early in your career? The ability to take ownership, manage expectations, navigate people dynamics, and communicate professionally—skills that school doesn't teach. Most career guides assume that you already know how the working world works. But if you're starting your very first job or taking a job in a new company, you might not know all the unspoken rules that determine who gets ahead and who doesn't. In The Unspoken Rules, you'll learn the basic workplace skills necessary for success. From the author: "Why didn't anyone ever tell me this?! I've lost count of the number of times I've asked myself this question. As the son of a single mother who dropped out of school at the age of twelve to work in a sewing-machine factory, I missed the lesson on the unspoken rules of the professional workplace. Instead, I learned my lesson the hard way—through trial and error. Now I'm on a mission to discover and decode the unspoken rules of work and share them with others. Over the last four years, I've interviewed over five hundred interns, early career professionals, managers, and executives, from HR to finance, law firms to tech companies, across the globe. My conversations revolved around three key topics: What are the most common mistakes early-career professionals make at work? What would you do differently if you could relive your first years on the job? What do you think separates top performers from mediocre ones? After testing the advice I gathered from these hundreds of interviews, I started coaching other early-career professionals. Now I'm distilling everything I've learned into a step-by-step guide called The Unspoken Rules. We all have what it takes to be a top performer. It begins with mastering the unspoken rules."

Sarah and Brianna have always been friends, and it's always gone like this: guys talk to Sarah in order to get closer to Brianna. So even though Sarah met Ryan first, she's not surprised that he ends up with Brianna (even though Sarah has a massive crush on him). The three of them hang out, and Sarah and Ryan's friendship grows until one night an innocent exchange between them leads to a moment that makes Sarah realize that Ryan might be interested in her after all. But if there's one unwritten rule, it's this: you don't mess around with a friend's boyfriend. So Sarah tries to resist temptation. But with the three of them thrown together more and more, tension builds between Sarah and Ryan, and when they find themselves alone together at one point, they realize they just can't fight how they feel anymore....

"Don't talk back, don't get in his way, and whatever you do, never, ever look him in the eyes." When Winter Kingston has to move to America to live with her aunt and cousins, she has no idea that her life is about to become a whole lot more... complicated. Her plan is simple: get good grades, stay out of trouble, and somehow find a way to get through her senior year. Finding out that her cousin takes part in illegal street fights at night is not part of the plan. Nor is getting thrown into a world of crime and danger. Enter Haze Adams-notorious player, street fighter, and Winter's cousin's enemy. He has rules. When Winter breaks them without a second thought, Haze finds himself drawn to the only girl who doesn't fear or want him. He makes a deal. Whoever wins the next fight gets the girl. And Winter is not having it. One thing is certain: Haze Adams always gets what he wants. And this time... He wants her. Let the internet sensation with over 23,600,000 readers take you on a heartwrenching adventure of forbidden love and suspense.

Maximize your chances to get promoted to the executive level As predictable career paths have become extinct in most organizations, managers aspiring to the C-level job are left to their own devices to determine how to advance their careers. Even in companies committed to talent development, guidance to aspiring executives is often vague and contradictory. This happens, executive coach John Beeson argues, because executive promotions are made based on the decision makers' intuitive sense of whether or not a manager can succeed at higher levels within the organization. Beeson decodes these leadership criteria--the unwritten rules--that companies use to make decisions about who gets promoted and who doesn't, and identifies the six core "selection factors" that are imperative for success at the executive level Demonstrating strategic skills Building a strong management team Managing implementation Exhibiting the capacity for innovation and change Working across organizational boundaries Projecting executive presence Filled with stories of managers who successfully climbed up the executive ladder-and some who struggled-The Unwritten Rules is an invaluable resource for aspiring executives.

The authors share what they have learned about social relationships over the course of years struggling with the effects of autism, identifying Ten Unwritten Rules as general guidelines for handling social situations.

Some rules are meant to be broken, but these rules are meant to be followed. Compiled in to one easy to understand book, these are just a few of the rules of life that should be adhered to in every day situations. Some of the rules listed here are often forgotten and more often ignored. While most of what can be taken away from this book are rules that most of society knows and obeys, there may be a few surprises for some. With society being inundated with reality TV, the Internet and social media, the desire and the opportunity to learn about the fundamental rules of life has diminished. This book is a great reminder of these rules, giving a twist of humor while being very informative.

Unwritten Rules: What Women Need to Know About Leading in Today’s Organizations by Lynn Harris answers the question of why there are so few women in positions of senior leadership, and provides pragmatic advice and professional development for women leaders. Clearly written and convincingly told, Unwritten Rules explodes the leadership myths prevalent in the workplace today, and provides women with essential information to make informed choices about their careers and how to lead. Based on the most recent research, Unwritten Rules explores the specific challenges faced by women leaders and what it takes for them to succeed within the current leadership model. Harris also provides case studies and alternative routes for those who choose to step off the corporate career ladder. Groundbreaking and inspirational, Unwritten Rules should be on everyone’s business agenda and packed in every briefcase.