No!: The Power of Disagreement in a World that Wants to Get Along

(Paperback, Main)

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Description

We like to get along, at home or in the workplace. We don't want to hurt people or offend. Therefore, it is no surprise that numerous famous psychological experiments have proven that we don't tend to go against authority or the majority view. Famous management gurus share the view that harmony, cohesiveness and agreement are the building blocks for effective decision-making and creativity. But they are wrong.

In No!, Charlan Nemeth, the world's leading expert on dissent, uses her 35 years of research to show why we need rebels - and how fostering more disagreement and arguments can dramatically improve decision-making and the production of good ideas. Using examples from Twelve Angry Men to brainstorming, she explains how people with minority opinions need the space to express themselves uncompromisingly, even if it causes discomfort and conflict. Explaining why the devil's advocate technique doesn't work and why authentic disagreement is necessary to open our perspectives, this book has the power to revolutionise business, creative organisations, and society.

Reviews

Punchy... it could transform millions of meetings, doing away with all those mushy , consensus-driven hours wasted by people too scared of disagreement or power to speak truth to gibberish... all managers interested in the quality and integrity of their decision-making would do well to heed [this book]. * Wall Street Journal *
A beautifully written and important book that deserves to be read by the docile and disobedient alike. Crowds are sometimes wise, but Charlan Nemeth shows how, when, and why listening to the majority is dangerous, and why disagreement is often an engine of innovation, persuasion, and error correction. * Adam Alter bestselling author of Irresistible and Drunk Tank Pink *
Insightful, easy to read and full of examples... In this illuminating book, Charlan Nemeth demonstrates how dissent improves decision-making. This is a book every manager and board member should read. * Professor Saadi Lahlou, Chair in Social Psychology, London School of Economics *
A timely tome on the perils of silence and the value of voice. Charlan Nemeth is one of the world's leading experts on making decisions and influencing others, and she presents a career's worth of evidence on why the views you don't want to consider are often the ones you need to hear most. * Adam Grant, bestselling author of Originals *

There is no person on the planet better scientifically qualified to write a book on the dynamics of dissent. She has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to apply the scientific literature to engaging realworld problems.

* Philip Tetlock University Professor of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, and author of Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction *
[A] tour-de-force of research ... To really understand what makes for effective dissent, you can do no better than reading what Charlan Nemeth has to say here. * Dr. Randall S. Peterson, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, London Business School *
A lucid, practical guide to fostering smarter teams, companies, and societies. Charlan Nemeth demonstrates the power of nonconformists in raising the quality of our group decisions. * William Poundstone - bestselling author of Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google *

Author Bio

Charlan Jeanne Nemeth is Professor of Psychology, at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2005-2009 she was Visiting Professor of Organizational Behaviour at London Business School. Professor Nemeth's work has been featured in Wired, the New Yorker, Fast Company and various other media outlets. She advises numerous important institutions on effective decision-making, including the Supreme Court of the United States.