Allen & Unwin No! book Business & finance English Paperback 288 pages

The most important book on psychology since Quiet by Susan Cain.

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.

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.