cover image It Takes More Than Excellence

It Takes More Than Excellence

William S. Appleton. Prentice Hall Press, $13.95 (134pp) ISBN 978-0-671-60025-9

Professional skills alone cannot assure success in the ""psychological jungle'' of business unless they are accompanied by a capacity to handle human relations, stresses Appleton, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, in this brief, cogent essay. Designed to develop creative self-esteem, his psychological plan for advancement outlined here entails conquering emotions and recognizing transferences rooted in childhood that, he suggests, may influence relationships with superiors. One must also have confidence in oneself, he notes, in order to inspire it in others. In his advice on building self-esteem, the author combines both the psychoanalytic approach with the behavioral, which relies on assertiveness training tempered with judgment. Supplementing the psychological analyses are practical tips on dealing with the boss. (January 15)