Customer Reviews

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

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"One important aim of this book is to challenge your stereotypes of persuasion. We usually think of persuasion as something reserved for salespeople-certainly not for managers. What I am going to propose to you is that, quite to the contrary, persuasion skills have become absolutely essential to the job of managing-far more than we might imagine. Much of what a good manager does today is sell: sell their ideas to coworkers; sell their organizations on change; sell their bosses on new investments. But it's not traditional selling. A large part of what we do as effective managers is to find optimal solutions for problems through investigation, discussion, and debate. We then convince our organization to get behind them. It is in the convincing part that we face our greatest hurdless-getting buy-in. This is where the skills of constructive persuasion play a vital role. So leave behind your older notions of persuasion. It's time for a paradigm shift. Your effectiveness depends on it" (pp.14-15).

In this context, in Chapter 2, after listing wrong ideas about persuasion as following:

1. persuasion is simply mustering the best arguments for something;

2. persuasion almost always involves stating your position up front;

3. persuasion means being assertive-often very assertive; and

4. negotiating and deal making are at the heart of it.

Jay A. Conger writes that "These are some of the stereotypes people have about the act of convincing. There are several others. Together I call them the 'killer myths' of persuasion-'killer' because they can kill our ability to be effective and our motivation to become better persuaders."

Killer Myth 1- The most effective persuasion is the hard sell.

Killer Myth 2- Persuasion is a one-way process.

Killer Myth 3- Effective persuaders succeed on the first try.

Killer Myth 4- Good persuaders don't need to compromise.

Killer Myth 5- Great arguments are the secret to successful persuasion.

Killer Myth 6- Persuasion is pure manipulation.

As a result, he writes that "Now that we know what persuasion isn't, we may be wondering what constructive persuasion really is." Hence, he shows four distinct steps such as (i)building your credibility, (ii)finding the common ground, (iii)developing compelling positions and evidence, and (iv)connecting emotionally to becoming an effective persuader, and he discusses these steps/the four elements of effective persuasion throuhout the following four (3-6) chapters.

Highly recommended.

As an indication of how good this book is, I bought five copies when it came back in print. There are less than a dozen business books I have more than 2-3 copies of (Drucker is half of them.) It's that good.

As a leadership consultant who regularly has to assist Directors, Vice Presidents and above - many of them in technology-heavy companies - this is the book I used to recommend most often, and it breaks my heart it is out of print. It is good enough that I have contacted Mr. Conger directly. Here's what I've found: it speaks in language that most executives can understand, and with a litle bit of coaching this book provides a framework for them to see what they are doing and not doing when it comes to internal communications, relationships, and, yes, politics. I am no longer amazed at the lack of caolition-building and relationship development skills of executives, but I come across it constantly. As such, I often find that great ideas are NOT being implemented either do to a lack of understanding of, or blatant disregard for, the need to PERSUADE others of the viability and effectiveness of the recommended course of action.

If you're a bright executive who wonders why someone with less technical depth than you has gotten promoted in front of you, this book is a good place to start looking. Ask yourself whether you are as good interpersonally as you are technically.

As a recent MBA graduate, I found "Winning 'Em Over" to be a perfect complement to my formal education. By drawing on the disciplines of rhetoric, communication studies, management, and even storytelling, Jay Conger weaves a provocative and compelling argument for a fundamental and generational shift in the nature of management - from an Age of Command to an Age of Persuasion. Conger proves with contemporary examples what Aristotle knew thousands of years ago - that the author/audience (or persuader/persuadee) relationship is a covenant based on trust and mutually beneficial outcomes, that the audience must be an active participant in the process of persuasion, and that persuasion is a subtle art form. The beauty of "Winning 'Em Over" is that Conger explains the essence of this art in the context of the modern-day manager. In doing so, he provides the tools by which we can begin to understand the route to effective persusasion and, by extension, exemplary leadership. To become effective managers and leaders, we NEED to understand and adopt the principles examined in this book.

Jay Conger's new book is a must read for managers on all rungs of the corporate ladder. Most organizational behavior books shower readers with platitudes, but this book goes beyond. Conger gives current examples of persuasive leaders (both positive and negative) and then shows the reader step-by-step how to begin building the skills necessary to powerfully pursuade. The exercises and practical tips make the book a highly effective tool. Conger's techniques have helped me grapple with difficult negociations at work. I find that I am much more analytical and have a better appreciation of the inner dealings that go on within my work teams. At points the book makes pursuasion seem a bit too easy (at least for me), but it is a key book for all of us read and learn from. Honestly, I use the skills that I picked up reading this book outside the office just as much as I do inside. We all need to learn to pursuade and this text lays a solid foundation for us all to do so.

I really liked this book a lot and found it very useful in modifying my mindset. Its going to be difficult to put this into practice given the complexity of the topic and the time needed for good persuasion but the benefits are clear not just for individuals attempting to persuade but for the organizations they work for. That's it!

Conger's amazing concepts and ideas are presented with such clarity that I now think of this book during every project meeting that I attend at work. This should be a standard text for all management programs. An excellent book that is invaluable in a corporate environment!

Teamwork, shared-vision, genuine commitment, and persuasion -- not old-style commands or self-serving manipulation -- are the new keys to long-term success as a leader/manager. Finally -- an easy-to-read guidebook filled with real-world examples, provocative insights, and effective tools for developing your persuasion skills. This is a truly useful book!