One of the most jaw-dropping moments in contact sports is when one player has an opponent lined up for a hit without the other player realizing it. When contact is made, it can produce a collective gasp from the audience as the targeted player is sent reeling toward the ground. In business, the feeling of being sent head-over-heels can be caused by anything from losing out on a "sure-thing" promotion to not surviving an unexpected round of layoffs. It is a sad fact of today's intensely competitive and budget-stressed business environment that even a lengthy tenure of excellent service can vanish in a moment. In the new release I Didn't See It Coming, authors Nancy C. Widmann, Elaine J. Eisenman, Ph.D., and Amy Doran Kopelan attempt to help executives cultivate a sixth sense that will prevent them from being on the receiving end of a workplace wallop.

When judging the merits of a business book, it is important to examine more than the book's subject matter. Presentation, clarity of thoughts and use of examples are three of the most important criteria for creating an engaging read. The authors of I Didn't See It Coming helped vault their book higher in the rankings due to a factor from which other authors can learn a lesson. The trio show respect for an executive's intensely busy schedule. For a book of such brevity, I Didn't See It Coming packs a great deal of information into its pages. The authors do not stretch their literary muscles with an extensive introduction or long-winded explanation of their methods. They begin dispensing wisdom from the book's outset.

Strangely enough I Didn't See It Coming begins with the end. The authors stress that an essential element of avoiding being blindsided is to create, and more importantly, maintain, an exit strategy. They put extra emphasis on "maintain" because too many business leaders who create an initial exit strategy fall prey to complacency or ego. While there may be readers who view the creation of an exit strategy upon arriving in a position as slightly fatalistic, the authors point out that it is important to consider an exit strategy as a career plan. Because of the volatility of the modern workplace, it is not as easy to predict when the tides may turn. In addition, executives are far less likely to remain in positions simply for the experience than in previous times. An exit strategy gives a businessperson a path to follow whether the parting is voluntary or at the employer's behest.

I Didn't See It Coming offers advice on much more than leaving a position. It delves deep into surviving the razor-wire maze of office politics, as well as learning to handle one-on-one interaction and teamwork. The book is not afraid to expose the underbelly of corporate life, and it will help those who need to brush up on manipulating an emotional advantage in the workplace. While the authors never venture into any territory that could truly be considered unethical, there is an open dialogue about the occasional need to do something "unusual" to achieve one's goals. Any executive that picks up I Didn't See It Coming has probably been in the corporate game long enough to know that some rules are set in stone, while others are written in sand.

A small complaint concerning I Didn't See It Coming is the authors' occasional bouts of self-reference. There is a fine line in the world of business book writing when it comes to this tool. The author who refers to examples from his or her own career must either be well-known or have a few gems for stories. Failing to handle this properly smacks of a lack of research. In the case of the authors of I Didn't See It Coming, they toe the line of self-reference but are saved by their various other examples. While the authors never name company names, they have a wealth of true stories about executives that were caught flat-footed in key moments. This helps them hammer their points home and will probably cause several readers to highlight certain passages for co-workers, if the executive feels like sharing the book's secrets, of course.

A reader that applies the ideas found in I Didn't See It Coming will equip him- or herself with a toolbox full of techniques that are long on practicality and short on excess. The book's straightforward approach gives it an almost tactical feel. It wouldn't be surprising to see an edition of I Didn't See It Coming with an Army-standard olive drab cover. Executives that take a page from this playbook will help ensure that they will never be caught in the corporate crosshairs. The authors bestowed upon their book the subtitle The Only Book You'll Ever Need to Avoid being Blindsided in Business. Although a bold claim, it has a ring of validity.

I Didn't See It Coming by Nancy C. Widmann, Elaine J. Eisenman, Ph.D., and Amy Doran Kopelan is published by John Wiley & Sons. It is under consideration by Soundview Executive Book Summaries. If you'd like to subscribe to Soundview Executive Book Summaries, please click here.

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