How to Get Anyone to Do Anything

Love the title of this book, by R. Philip Hanes: How to Get Anyone to Do Anything (2006, Ten Speed Press). I found it when I was researching biz books about negotiating, and was lucky to get a review copy from the book's publicist, Jeffery Anderson.

As often happens, I arrive at a deadline not having finished reading the book entirely, and I disclose fully that I don't have my homework finished. But that won't stop me from giving you some excerpts from this semi-autobiography with a powerful message.

"You can accomplish anything you can dream, if you can get someone else to do it!" proclaims Mr. Hanes. The former CEO of Hanes Companies has a long history of accomplishments, in business, non-profit agencies, the arts and conservation organizations.

Hanes puts forth four pillars for successful accomplishments: networking, risk-taking, fund-raising, and problem-solving. Over 80 years old, he shares his strategies for seeing challenges as opportunities and enlisting the help of others to get things done.

This is a true memoir, nothing made up here, of an exceptional man who has led an exceptional life. The messages are strong and inspiring, a blueprint for accomplishment through commitment, contribution, and connection.

Here are a few excerpts:

"I was born with ADHD (attention-deficit, hyperactivity disorder). a condition that made me very impatient and often frustrated. I would beat my head on the floor when I couldn't get things to work the way I wanted them. And when I wanted to say something, often my mind raced ahead so fast that I couldn't get my points across. This frustration alone was enough to set me off."

"After flunking chemistry, trigonometry, and calculus, I took one semester of accounting because it was absolutely clear that I couldn't deal with numbers. And yet, I subsequently ran a large, successful manufacturing, sales, and services corporation."

"How did I do it? I learned from other people by acknowledging their expertise and accepting their help... In the pages that follow, I offer some of the "wares" I have acquired in the belief they will be helpful to you and in your endeavors. My wares are Networking, Risk-Taking, Fund-Raising, and Problem-Solving. They can, I believe, show you how to get anyone to do anything. I hope you will find them useful. But I also hope you will use them for good purposes."

"This is the basic premise of this book - persuading others to accomplish your goals. This is indeed, outsourcing, if you like. It works because the "someone else" are those who will benefit from the result and who will get the credit for achievement. My part is to identify the project, indicate the path to follow, empower the participants, and remove obstacles that might impede progress."