Tips on management - 3 don'ts

Management Tip of the Day: Three don'ts of persuasion


Mon Aug 1, 2011 9:04AM EDT

BOSTON (Reuters Life!) - It's not enough to simply tell employees to do something, and there are some common blunders used when attempting persuasion that should be avoided, says Harvard Business Review.

The Management Tip of the Day offers quick, practical management tips and ideas from Harvard Business Review and HBR.org (http:\\www.hbr.org). Any opinions expressed are not endorsed by Reuters.

"In today's business environment, it's not enough to tell employees to do something. You need to also explain why they should. This is why people who've mastered the art of persuasion rise to the tops of the ranks.

When trying to influence others, avoid three of the most common mistakes:

1. The hard sell. Being insistent and exuberant at the outset gives potential opponents something to grab on to. Use finesse instead of brawn.

2. Resisting compromise. Compromise does not equal surrender. Listen to others and when possible, integrate their ideas into the solution.

3. Assuming you have one chance. Persuasion is a process, not a one-time event. Get results over time by listening, proposing a position, testing it, and then refining it."

-Today's management tip was adapted from the book "Harvard Business Review on Communicating Effectively."

(For the full post: http://hbr.org/product/harvard-business-review-on-communicating-effective/an/10320-PDF-ENG)