Ebook: Reinforcements: How to Get People to Help You

Humans have a natural instinct to help others.

Imagine walking up to a stranger on the subway and asking them for their seat. What about asking a random person on the street if you could borrow their phone? If the idea makes you squeamish, you're not alone--social psychologists have found that doing these very things makes most of us almost unbearably uncomfortable.

But here's the funny thing: even though we hate to ask for help, most people are wired to be helpful. And that's a good thing, because every day in the modern, uber-collaborative workplace, we all need to know when and how to call in the cavalry.

However, asking people for help isn't intuitive; in fact, a lot of our instincts are wrong. As a result, we do a poor job of calling in the reinforcements we need, leaving confused or even offended colleagues in our wake.

This pragmatic book explains how to get it right. With humor, insight, and engaging storytelling, Heidi Grant, PhD, describes how to elicit helpful behavior from your friends, family, and colleagues--in a way that leaves them feeling genuinely happy to lend a hand.

Whether you're a first-time manager or a seasoned leader, getting people to pitch in is what leadership is. Fortunately, people have a natural instinct to help other human beings; you just need to know how to channel this urge into what it is you specifically need them to do. It's not manipulation. It's just management.

Review

Named a Business Book of the Month by the Financial Times

Advance Praise for Reinforcements:

Daniel H. Pink, author of When and Drive -- "Everyone--seriously, everyone --will benefit from reading Reinforcements. With graceful prose and a firm grasp of the science, Heidi Grant shows how to seek assistance in ways that leave both the asker and the helper feeling positive, effective, and ready to help again."

Dorie Clark, author, Entrepreneurial You and Reinventing You -- "No one can do it alone. Whatever your project, mission, or job, you'll almost certainly need assistance to succeed. Heidi Grant's Reinforcements shows you the path forward."

Art Markman, Founding Director, Human Dimensions of Organizations program, University of Texas; author, Smart Thinking and Brain Briefs -- "As always, Grant provides a masterful blend of theory and practical advice that is as entertaining as it is useful."

David Burkus, author, Friend of a Friend -- "This brief but brilliant book will have a lasting impact on how you ask for (and get) more help in your work and life."

Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg, author, Innovation as Usual -- "A powerful, practical book on how to attract allies and gain support for your ideas. Required reading for anyone who wants to get things done with the help of others."

Robert Sutton, professor, Stanford University; author, The Asshole Survival Guide and coauthor of Scaling Up Excellence -- " Reinforcements is a delightful and surprising masterpiece. Grant's compelling weave of stories and studies shows how to ask for help (and how not to), and--believe it or not--why, when you ask others for help, you do them a big favor."

About the Author

Heidi Grant, PhD , is a social psychologist who researches, writes, and speaks about the science of motivation. She is Global Director of Research & Development at the NeuroLeadership Institute and serves as Associate Director of Columbia's Motivation Science Center. She received her doctorate in social psychology from Columbia University.