Frontal Attack, Divide and Conquer, The Fait Accompli and 118 Other Tactics Managers Must Know

by Richard H. Buskirk

A handbook of managerial tactics, this book lays out every trick in the proverbial book to provide managers with their most important tool: knowledge. Introduces tactical thinking and provides insights into some of the common, though not often discussed, tactics in management. Discusses everything from sandbagging to steamrolling, shows you how to aim at weakness, find a fall guy, pour oil on troubled waters, leave well-enough alone, hitch a lie to the truth, capitalize on defeat, and even how to keep quiet.

243 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 1989

About the author

Richard H. Buskirk is professor of marketing at California State College, Fullerton. He earned his DBA at the University of Washington, and BS and MBA degrees at Indiana University. He wrote Principles of Marketing, and coauthored Management of the Sales Force, and Textbook of Salesmanship. Professor Buskirk is consultant to various firms on marketing and management problems, and is director of an electronics manufacturing concern and a chain of retail men's stores. Richard H. Buskirk, an educator, businessman and consultant who directed the USC entrepreneur program for 10 years. Richard Hobart Buskirk, American marketing educator. Member minority business opportunity committee Federal Executive Board; member planning commission City of Rancho Mirage, since 1994. Served with United States Navy, 1944-1946. Member Association Business Simulation and Experimental Learning (past president), Academy Management, The Springs Association (president 1992).

Reviews

[Cas🍃 · Rating 1 out of 5]

2/10
pc: 243
This book sucked. The content is basically how to manipulate people you work with. I think it’s helpful if you read it from a place of understanding how people might try to manipulate you but to use its advice to manipulate others seems icky to me. I think I just disagree with this book on a moral/psychological level. Had some good points but again I just wasn’t interested in tactics to use in business negotiations. Military strategies were brought up a lot, specifically so many examples talking about hitler?? That was weird as fuck. Also the author used she/her pronouns when talking about mistakes in business and he/him when talking about successes so there was def some misogyny going on too. Weird book tbh

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

A breezy catalog of typical tactics used by managers in office politics. It is great sport to deduce these ruses with co-workers but a bit refreshing to see them printed in black-and-white. The book still suffers from the usual arrogance of business writers and resorts to calling anyone who disagrees with an observation or solution "naive" or a "fool" instead of presenting harder evidence. In the end, it is a good manual for training little Trumps.