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 can dramatically improve decisions 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. 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.
"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
