Convinced!: How to Prove Your Competence & Win People Over Kindle Edition

This is a highly recommended thesis on what matters in the world today. Jack Nasher has a talent for saying it like it is; no fluff here and no emotional ploys. When you are playing the game of life you want to win , and you don’t want to lose. Jack lays out all the facts, with various studies laid open throughout every chapter. This is a brief book, I finished reading it in 3 days, yet the message is powerful:that in today’s world those that SEEM to be the best ending up being the best. But make no mistake, this is not a ploy for those with no ethics that always wish to fake their hand in poker. These are proven formulas.I would suggest this book works best by reading and re-reading each chapter. Don’t question the author; just start practicing what he is preaching and see the changes that take shape over time in your life; experience greater efficiency and have a greater effect on those around you. The reader wishes the book was longer because it’s truly effective.

I hate when the author makes you read the whole thing just to give you some "insights" at the end of the book. For the most part, the whole book is common sense, and at the very end provides some insights about his work. Not sure i can recommend this book

Perceptions are realities but are not necessarily "real." What they seem to be is not necessarily true. Charles Ponzi and Bernard Madoff are excellent cases in point. For me, one of Jack Nasher's most valuable insights is that "brilliance does not speak for itself: you can, in fact, be the best in the world and no one will notice." No question about it: charlatans such as Ponzi and Madoff master the skills that give them "the power to convince, influence, and lead others." Nasher wrote this book to help those worthy to gain "an inexplicable advantage over others who can deliver a similar quality."It is noteworthy that all of the major research studies of what is most important to employees indicates that "feeling appreciated" is ranked at or near the top. Gallup surveys indicate that, on average, less than 30% of employees in a U.S. company are actively and positively engaged;  the others are either passively engaged ("mailing it in") or actively engaged in undermining the success of their employer. As Nasher explains, "I will show you the most effective techniques to convince others of your worth by demonstrating competence, but it is up to you to decide if and how."Nasher shares his thoughts about subjects that include these:o Actual versus perceived competenceo "The Anticipation Effect"o The power of associationo Framing competenceo Effective verbal communicationo Effective non-verbal communicationo Developing an appealing presenceo The power of symbolsIt is also noteworthy that, as Jack Nasher's Notes (see Pages 189-207) and Bibliography ((209-248) indicate, he shares valuable lessons that he learned from a wide and deep range of primary sources as well as from his own extensive experiences during the last several decades. These sources and experiences help to guide and inform his narrative. He really does know what he's talking about as he also demonstrates superior communication skills.One final thought I presume to add: Many people are far more effective selling themselves and their abilities than they are delivering results that validate their competence. Here in Texas, there are ranchers who have a big hat and no cattle. Those who "talk a good game" better be prepared to play it well. You get the idea.

This book is both a fluid read yet packed with numerous practical tips on how to display competence, all contained within a well-conceived framework. The book starts by making the case for competence...very important, as many of us are taught to be exceedingly modest as a sign of respect. But the problem, as Nasher convincingly argues, is that without displaying your competence, you will never reach your highest potential. This does not equate to senseless and unjustified boasting, but what it does mean is to focus on your audience and what you must do to communicate with them effectively to advance your goals. Nasher spends the remaining 7 chapters of the book breaking his findings into discrete indicia of competence. He provides the reader with clear, easy-to-follow tips, backed by scientific experiments, numbers, and concrete examples. This is a must read for anyone, but especially for the busy professional who needs to raise her game to the next level.

I have been a fan of this genre for a long time, reading most of the typical Gladwell books and also having made it through "Thinking Fast and Slow" which deals with similar topics on human behavior and how you can "hack" our tendencies to your advantage. One thing I always noticed about these books is that the evidence and knowledge presented is almost exclusively academic and theoretical. I was thrilled to read Convinced! and find that it is almost a handbook for day-to-day interaction at work and in the public sphere, with practical examples and applications provided for the studies facts presented.Dr. Nasher has taken decades of empirical evidence and broken it down into an easily digestible and practical book. Coming in at around 160 pages without the source pages at the end, you will get through this book quickly and gain a ton of insight into the unwitting mistakes you might have made in how you present yourself and good/bad news and how you can interact with your colleagues differently to allow your competence to shine through. Since I have read the book I have found myself referring back to my copy for a refresher as I encounter different situations in the workplace. Great read, highly recommended!

If your parent taught you be the modest, it is affecting your career growth. Read this book to unlearn everything that you believe about life and career