You'Ve Only Got Three Seconds

Shows how to make positive impressions in a variety of situations, how to plumb the secret agendas of peers and superiors, and how to use psychological dynamics to get ahead

Apparently, as if to emphasize the increasingly fast pace of our lives, Lavington has drastically cut the time we are allotted to make a good first impression. Ten years ago, Norman King gave us The First Five Minutes: The Successful Opening Moves in Business, Sales, & Interviews (1987). Seven years later, it was only 60 Seconds and You're Hired (1994), according to Robin Ryan. Now Lavington, a consultant specializing in personal marketing and "executive enhancement," limits us to three seconds! She claims that within the first three seconds of meeting someone, "that person has already made irreversible judgments." To ensure that those judgments are favorable, Lavington stresses the importance of having self-confidence, a positive attitude, and a neat appearance. She provides self-assessment tests to help people understand their strengths and weaknesses and suggests ways to improve shortcomings. Finally, she recommends tactics for surviving office politics and social intrigue. And, sure enough, behind the hyperbole lies good advice! David Rouse