Winning 'em Over: A New Model for Management in the Age of Persuasion

By and large, today's executives understand that the command-and-control style of management, in which they simply order someone to do something and expect to be obeyed because of their position, doesn't work well anymore. Today's labor market, the author notes, requires managers to lead differently. Conger, a professor of management at the University of Southern California, attempts to show them how. Using simple examples and an approach reminiscent of the One Minute Manager series, he sets out a four-step model to explain ways to persuade the people who work for you to do what you want. Be credible. Employees must believe you know what you're talking about. To find common ground, couch your arguments in terms employees understand. Present compelling evidence to show why your schemes are appropriate. And fourth, connect emotionally with the people you're trying to convince. Although the structure is straightforward, the book would have been stronger had Conger not relied so heavily on secondhand sources and could have shown executives the quantifiable payoff in taking his approach. Still, he goes a long way toward detailing how to communicate with today's workforce. (June)