Positive Influencing Skills (Developing Skills S.)

The old systems of command and control no longer work. As most organizations get flatter and seek to empower all their employees, the only way we can get others to do what we want is by using positive influencing skills. Such skills, explains this book, depend on a few fundmental principles. We stand a better chance of taking people with us when we "pull" rather than "push", persuade rather than manipulate, and involve them in the whole decision-making process. It is more effective to try to modify behaviour rather than personality, and we must always keep in mind that others' beliefs will differ from our own. Building on these firm foundations, the book offers in-depth advice on how to: get people onto your wavelength; probe and listen to discover "where they are coming from"; sell your own views; use assertiveness and body language to put your message across; resist manipulative tactics; and adopt the right "gameplan" for a variety of circumstances - coaching, counselling, criticizing, disciplining, leading meetings and negotiating. The text is rounded off with practical guidance on applying its lessons to the real world. Terry Gillen is the author of "Assertiveness for Managers".