When Fredrick Winslow Taylor designed the world’s first modern assembly line and forever changed industry, persuasion was the last thing on his mind. Taylor believed assembly line workers simply needed clear direction on how to execute prescribed tasks. His belief, which manifested in both physical design and organizational structures during the decades that followed, was that the human factor should be removed from the production equation to the greatest extent possible. Stopwatch and measuring tape in hand, Taylor designed and advocated for systems that maximized efficiency and predictability through vertical integration and top-down control. And with that, the 20th century’s great quest for bureaucratic efficiency began.
Why Special Ops Stopped Relying So Much on Top-Down Leadership
Sometimes persuasion beats direction.
May 27, 2015
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How to convince the unconvincable.
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New!
HBR Learning
Persuading Others Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Persuading Others. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to convince the unconvincable.