In redundancy, you want to get the same message across, but you are doing so in different ways. For example, if McDonalds is having a sale on hamburgers, they might develop ten different advertisements for that sale. Seeing the same ad over and over is repetitive; seeing different ads for the same things is redundant. Both of these techniques can be used effectively by community leaders when trying to influence people. For example, if you are giving a talk, you might make your main point at least three times--at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of your talk.
And you might make it in different ways throughout the speech. But in almost any situation, remember-- repetition and redundancy can be very powerful tools of influence. Generally speaking, you can't win an argument. Even if you win, you may lose.
People don't like to be wrong. By arguing, you're telling other people just that--they are wrong. This could seriously harm the relationship, especially if you don't know the person very well. Sometimes, of course, you will disagree. It's human nature--we won't always see things eye to eye. When this happens, first decide if the disagreement is worth pursuing.
Is it really necessary to show the other person they are wrong? If you feel it is, always try to do it calmly and simply, and without making personal attacks. The more you ask people to do, or the more drastic the change in opinion you are asking for, the less likely it is people are going to do it.
Try to make what you want people to do seem simple and logical. Explain how they can do what you ask with very little change or effort beyond what usually occurs in their lives.
If the change of opinion or action you are working for is complicated, or very long term, break it into pieces you ask people to do. For example, if you want more neighborhood kids to go to college, you might concentrate first on getting them to go to class.
Then, they might think about graduating from high school. And as that looks more likely, they might be willing to consider college more seriously. But telling a seventh grader that she can finish college and earn a fantastic salary as an engineer or a doctor may not seem very realistic. Take big ideas one step at a time. This is something you should never fail to do. Even if it didn't work; even if you felt like it was a waste of time.
It's very important that people feel acknowledged and appreciated. Thanking them is a way to keep the lines of communication open for the next time you want to influence your audience. Just trying to influence an open, friendly audience to do something they aren't strongly opposed to takes time and work.
Undertaking the logistics of finding the person, deciding how to present your case, figuring out exactly what to ask, and having enough time together to accomplish your goals is already a large task. Everything becomes much more difficult, however, when you are trying to influence people under more trying circumstances. For example, if you and your audience don't know each other, or worse yet! When the going gets rough and the stakes are high, it's easy to get frustrated, angry, and in the end, do more damage than you thought possible to a relationship.
Is it time to give up? Absolutely not! Rather, it's time to step back, take a deep breath, and remember all of the great tricks you learned about influence. In particular, try to do the following:. It's easy to lose sight of the big picture, especially when the situation becomes tense or even explosive.
A young American was traveling in North Africa, and found herself in a bazaar in Casablanca. Having found a pair of sandals to replace the pair she was wearing, she started bartering with the salesman. Considering herself a master bargainer, she took it as a point of pride to get the lowest price possible. But after a few moments, it became clear the shop assistant wasn't going to go any lower, despite her repeated pleas, and she began to get very angry. Just then, she took a moment and thought about the price.
She realized that, when she converted the amount from Moroccan Dirhams to U. Getting angry, frustrated, or upset won't do either of you any good. The other person will probably just get angry or frustrated as well, or annoyed with the entire situation.
Also, and just as importantly, you don't think as clearly when you're upset, and may say things or make decisions that you will later regret. In short--getting upset won't do anyone any good. If you feel yourself in danger of losing your cool, try one of the following techniques to help yourself calm down:.
It's very difficult for people to hear personal attacks without taking them personally. And when people are offended are upset, or feel their back is up against the wall, they will be less likely to hear the points you have to make, even if they are completely valid. If you must be critical, be critical of a program or an action, not your audience.
For example, consider these two statements, both given in response to the same problem:. Studies show that fish no longer live downstream from where waste from the company is being dumped. The second statement riles up your audience, and gives members of the audience the perfect chance to say, "we can't discuss anything with you. The first statement, on the other hand, gives clear facts that are not so easily ignored, and requires a response from members of the organization.
A person may be acting in a way that is perfectly ridiculous to you. Remember, though: it's probably not to them.
The more you can understand their motives, the better you can change your tactics to meet them--and eventually, get what you want. If what you are trying isn't working, try something different. Think about magnets--if they are facing each other the wrong way, they repel each other, and you can't put them together for anything. However, if you turn them around, you can't keep them apart. Know when to change tactics and try something from a completely different angle. If you have been using carefully gathered statistics on child abuse to convince people to donate to your Children's Safe House, try some pictures and stories of children who have come through your doors.
If local restaurants are against a ban on smoking sections, despite all of your pleas for better health, show them statistics on restaurants whose business increased when they went smoke-free. Whatever you are doing, try to have many different perspectives in mind when you get together with your audience. Take a few moments to regain composure, or even break for the day. This can help a lot when tension gets too high or discussion has gone on for too long.
Both the communicator and the audience can use the opportunity to reassess the situation. Sometimes, if someone says no to something you find critical, the best thing to do is to go back to some points you have in common, discuss them for a while, and come back to it later.
Sometimes, people will change their minds during the course of a conversation; new thoughts will come up, ideas sink in. If it's important enough to you to have agreement on this issue, this tactic can also work to simply wear them down. In the general tips above, we talked about the importance of repetition. This is another way that might occur. If you find yourself unable to make any headway, who do you know who might have more luck?
Sometimes, as we discussed above, you won't be the best person to get the message across. Unfortunately, you might not know that until you are in the thick of conversation with your audience. However, other people will have more weight with the person or people you are trying to influence.
Find out who the person respects or will listen to, and ask them to try to convince the person. If your message simply isn't being accepted and it's very important that you come to an agreement, you might consider the use of a trained mediator. This is a person who's not from your group or your opponent's group, but whom you both trust to be fair. He or she can help both sides agree upon a standard by which you'll judge your resolution.
Standards are a way to measure your agreement. They include expert opinions, law, precedent the way things have been done in the past , and accepted principles.
For example, let's say you're building a new playground for your town's elementary school. You disagree with the superintendent about what kinds of materials you'll use to build the playground.
The superintendent wants to use chemical treated wood, but you feel it's unsafe. A mediator might read the current guidelines of the lumber industry and tell you which kinds of wood are considered safe for children. Maybe you and the superintendent will agree to follow the lumber industry's advice--in other words, to use that as the standard.
Of course, there are often many kinds of standards. There may also be a national parent group that suggests certain safety guidelines for playgrounds. A mediator might help you and the superintendent negotiate about whose standard you'll use.
Your mediator could also, for example, run your brainstorming session. Here are some other possible jobs for a mediator:. Many trained mediators are also lawyers. A list of people with training in mediation can be found in your local yellow pages. Whatever you are trying to convince your audience to do or believe, there are times when even the most effective leader won't be able to convince them to accept the message.
Or, you may be able to convince them, eventually, to do what you want, but at a price tag in time, energy, or lost goodwill that is just too high. When trying to influence someone, then, know when to bow out gracefully, and to save your armor for another day. The ability to influence someone successfully is one of the most important and challenging jobs any leader will face. This section gives an overview of some general ideas behind this science of persuasion. By fully understanding this information, a leader can become very effective in his or her work.
We encourage you to think carefully about your use of influence, and to use it wisely and ethically as you pursue your goals. Steve's Primer of Practical Persuasion and Influence. Berkowitz, W. Community and Neighborhood Organization. Rappapport and E. Seidman Eds Handbook of Community Psychology. New York,NY: Plenum. Carnegie, D. How to win friends and influence people Rev. Cialdini, R. Influence: Science and practice. McRae, B. Negotiating and influencing skills: The art of creating and claiming value.
Nelson, R. Better business meetings. Pratkanis, A. Age of propaganda: The everyday use and abuse of persuasion. New York, NY: W. Zimbardo, P. The psychology of attitude change and social influence. Skip to main content. Toggle navigation Navigation. Core Functions in Leadership » Section 6. Influencing People » Main Section.
Chapter Chapter 14 Sections Section 1. Developing and Communicating a Vision Section 3. Discovering and Creating Possibilities Section 4. Understanding People's Needs Section 5.
Building and Sustaining Commitment Section 6. Influencing People Section 7. Building and Sustaining Relationships Section 8. Learning From and Contributing to Constituents Section 9.
Making Decisions Section Overcoming Setbacks and Adversity. The Tool Box needs your help to remain available. Toggle navigation Chapter Sections. Section 1. Main Section Checklist PowerPoint. Learn how to influence an audience successfully by using our overview of some general ideas behind the science of persuasion.
The Influence Stack exercise involves students stack-ranking themselves from the most to least influential in the group. The process is repeated each class period until all 12 students have unanimously organized the stack. Power of influence is the single most important quality of a leader. The ability to skillfully engage in conflict is crucial in a group setting.
Healthy conflict in this context means the ability to disagree while managing against inappropriate anger, hyperbolic speech and accusation that normally characterize unhealthy conflict. Avoidance of conflict does not win trust for a leader because people want to follow someone who can advocate with strength when the moment requires it. In the Stanford Interpersonal Dynamics setting, the students who speak up receive higher ranks in the influence stack.
It reasons that having a voice, and using it, is a primary way to influence others. Strength can be achieved by sheer volume but also with clarity, tone, cadence and other qualities. The most influential people can seamlessly balance between inserting their voice and engaging with empathic ears. Knowing when to sit silent and actively listen to others allows leaders to successfully navigate conflict. The most influential students find a way to demonstrate vulnerability without oversharing.
Vulnerability, when appropriately balanced, forges connections and builds trust. People who are unable to share in an open way struggle to build close relationships and win allies. We found that other leaders get things done by encouragement, support, and going above and beyond the call of duty. Transformational influence is rooted in empathy. It is typically utilized in workplaces with a flat structure.
Unlike top-down organizations, in which people at the top retain the most information and power, those with flat structures encourage team problem-solving and collaboration by removing hierarchical layers within the organization, which means fewer direct reports and less leaders.
Karen Penney, a vice president at Western Union, prefers to take a more compassionate approach. Though many of us are taught that showing vulnerability is a weakness, Karen believes that letting people know your fears, hopes, and genuine feelings is the first step to building the kind of emotional connection that drives action.
Leaders like her, who are comfortable being transparent with their people, often form a deeper and more personal bond with them. As a result, a deeper level of trust is established, and that trust, Karen told us, is the foundation of influence. For leaders of the future, who will likely be working within increasingly flat structures , our research suggests that transformational influence is more important to master than transactional — and it is easy to see why those who aspire to lead would be more inclined toward it.
The very notion of leadership is becoming extinct as the world moves toward more agile, participative ways of working, and traditional, top-down organizations flatten and dissolve. You have 2 free article s left this month. You are reading your last free article for this month.
Subscribe for unlimited access. Create an account to read 2 more. Managing yourself. Strengthen Your Ability to Influence People.
0コメント