Persuasion is the deliberate attempt to influence another
person's map of reality in order to get a change in their
thoughts and actions. So how can you leverage the power of
persuasion to increase the motivation and performance of
your people?
Give them your attention, listen well and learn about what
motivates them. You can do this by using any motivational
model that appeals to you. You can use the Kirschner
Motivational Model or McClelland's Model or even Maslow's
Heirarchy of Needs to speak to the needs motivations of
your people in a way that moves them, engages them and
connects them to a desirable future. And you can use a
motivational model to offer to protect them from an
undesirable future as well.
Successfully using a motivational model isn't just about
what you say. It's also about how you say it. The fact is
that most people are listening emotionally most the time,
and logically only rarely. So, no matter how logical you
are in what you propose they do or don't do, you have to
send signals that encourage your people to let themselves
be influenced by you. Otherwise, you may be wasting both
their time and yours.
There are known ways to package what you say for maximum
impact. I call these packaging tools 'signals,' 'guides'
and 'themes.' Signals speak to how you address the
emotions. Guides make it easier for others to understand
the logic of what you say. Themes are a way of structuring
what you say to help you stay on track while saying it.
The more you use this kind of approach, the more successful
you will be in getting a sustainable result.
Engaging the motivations of your people shouldn't be hard
work. In fact, it puts to work the fact that almost nobody
goes to work wanting to do a bad job. Most people want to
do well, and want what they do to matter. So teamwork
happens when leadership happens, and leadership begins with
you knowing the answers and being able to share the answers
with your people to three very important questions.
The first question is What are we doing? This refers to
the task before us, the goal we're aiming for, the problem
needing a solution, the challenge needing our energy and
focus, our reason for being here, being together.
The second question is, why are we doing it? This question
seeks to isolate the reason behind the reason for doing
something. For example, what elevates this problem to the
place of needing a solution over other problems? What
makes this challenge the important one over other
challenges? Why do you have this particular goal instead
of some other goal? What is the compelling reason that
makes this more important than something else? Your people
must know why they're doing what they're doing, or they'll
find no reason to keep doing it until it's done.
The third question isn't about the task, goal, problem or
challenge. And it's not about the reason behind these
things, either. Instead, it's about the motivation of your
people. The question is, why does it matter? Why does it
matter to me? To you? To us? What do we stand to gain or
lose in doing or not doing it? Because human beings act
out of self interest, or they do not act. That's what
matters, and that's what makes what we do matter, makes it
count.
Once you have the answers to these questions firmly fixed
in your mind, you can help your people to find their own
answers to these questions and then keep those answers in
front of them as a reminder of meaning and purpose. But
don't let a day go by without making certain that these
questions are part of the ongoing conversation between you
and your people. Because time is fleeting, memory is
short, and life has a way of filling in our moments with
other input and information, unless we make a real effort
to hold a strong focus.
Of course, it's one thing to have a lofty vision, and
something else entirely when it comes to the rubber meeting
the road. To keep your people connected and focused, you
simply must treat them with respect, keep them informed
along the way, and give recognition whenever it's due.
Recognition, not just in the large things, either, but in
the small things as well. People feel recognized when you
show appreciation. Thanks for showing up. Thanks for
speaking up. Thanks for standing up. Thanks for keeping
your promise. Thanks for following through. My mom used to
tell me that there is always something to appreciate, you
just have to appreciate the value of appreciation to find
it.
Done well, the use of persuasion creates a good atmosphere
for getting good results. And that's good, because nothing
worthwhile is likely to get done in an environment where
bad behavior dominates and respect is lacking. You know
the saying about one bad apple can ruin the whole barrel?
Well, one person behaving badly can undermine your best
efforts at positive persuasion.
Here's what's bad about bad behavior. It has a bad effect
on morale, teamwork and results. There's no getting around
the fact that pushy, negative, disruptive and unreliable
behavior is costly because it has real world consequences.
So what is to be done about the bad behavior of an
individual on a team? It's important to keep in mind that
human behavior is purposeful. People do what they do for
what they consider a good reason, and labeling a particular
behavior as good or bad may do little to influence whether
you get more or less of it. More important is to understand
what's behind a behavior, how it serves a purpose in
someone's life or work. Understand the 'good' intent behind
'bad' behavior, and you may find yourself in a position to
do something about it, from helping your people understand
that the consequences of their behavior are self defeating
to their good intentions, to revealing to them better
options for fulfilling their good intent. Done
persuasively, they'll be grateful for the insight and
opportunity to learn from you. And you, as a result, will
get better results from your people.
What specifically can you do when there's a problem with
someone's behavior? First, observe it. Notice what is
happening, when it happens, where it happens and how it
happens. Then get together with the person or people
involved, and learn everything you can about it from them.
Set the stage by telling them what you've observed, where
and when you observed it, and then ask them, "When this
happens, what's going on for you? What is your intention?"
Next, tell them the self defeating part. "When you do that,
here's the reaction it gets. Is that what you intended?"
And the answer is almost always going to be "No, it's not!"
That's your learning moment, right there. "What do you
think might work better?" Either give your people a chance
to come up with a new choice, or, if they're drawing a
blank, either brainstorm with them, or tell them what you
know could work better. In any case, you'll have set the
table for learning. A little reinforcement, and it becomes
their skill for life.
Effective persuasion requires knowledge about people, tact
and skill in dealing with them, and your commitment from
the moment you start to the moment you get the result you
aimed for. Bring these things to bear and your efforts
will bear fruit in the form of motivation and morale,
achieved goals and positive results.
----------------------------------------------------
©Dr. Rick Kirschner. Dr. Kirschner is a bestselling
author, professional speaker, trainer, teletrainer, and
coach. Clients include NASA, Starbucks, Texas Instruments.
Author of the 'Insider's Guide To The Art Of Persuasion.'
For a limited time, get a $49 value 1 hour audio on Dealing
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