Management by Design By Clive Shearer

June 10, 2009

Management By Design: 6 questions help avoid traps of persuasion

The cardinal rule in jury selection is for attorneys to avoid embarrassing their potential jurors. Why? Because they want members of the jury to “like” them. They know that if they are liked, the juror is more likely to find them credible, and thus believe their interpretation of the facts.

Thus a skilled attorney can sway a jury to believe one witness and discredit another — while the actual truth may never be emphasized, or even known, because each attorney attempts to shape the perceived truth to best suit his or her argument.

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Previous columns:

• Management by Design: Want to be innovative? Here's how to start, 05-13-2009
• Management By Design: Try looking at this downturn differently, 04-08-2009
• Management by Design: Six ways we can become more wise, 03-11-2009
• Management by Design: Inefficient processes cost you time, money, 02-11-2009
• Management by Design: 6% unemployed but 94% are still working, 01-14-2009
• Management By Design: What you can gain from shared rosters, 12-10-2008
• Management By Design: Five workplace cultures, 10-15-2008
• Management By Design: Communication key for project managers, 09-10-2008