Influence Without Authority

How to influence people over whom you have no authority? This is the central question that Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford seek to answer. For them, the exercise is similar to negotiation. They thus methodically develop the various stages that make it possible to reach agreement, stressing that the key is to understand what the other party values in order to make an attractive offer in exchange for collaboration. This may sound simplistic, but it works. The authors clearly explain in the succeeding chapters how to view a situation from another person’s perspective, how to grasp his or her needs and constraints, how to identify currencies of exchange, and how to reach mutually beneficial agreements. This effective book encourages managers to adopt a balanced attitude that is neither manipulative nor naïve.