4. Influence & Communication

Question 1

What are the 6 principles of persuasion?

Answer 1

1. RECIPROCITY (we feel obligated to return favours to people who have done favours for us in the past)
2. SCARCITY (we value scarce information and commodities > things that are in abundance)
3. AUTHORITY (believe what trusted/credible experts say)
4. COMMITMENT (most likely to do what is consistent with what we did in past)
5. CONSENSUS (trust power of crowd and like to be associated with popular things)
6. LIKABILITY (say yes to people that we like, also compliments and cooperative effort)

Question 2

“Environment deserves our respect. You can show your respect for nature and help save the environment by re-using towels during your stay”

What type of approach is this?

Answer 2

Environmental focus

Question 3

“If you re-use your towels, we will donate a % of the energy savings to a non-profit environmental protection organisation. Environment deserves our respect. You can show your respect for nature and help save the environment by re-using towels during your stay”

What type of approach is this?

Answer 3

Cooperation focus

Question 4

“Almost 75% of guests who are asked to participate in our new resource savings program do help by using their towels more than once. You can join your fellow guests in this program to help save the environment by re-using your towels during your stay.”

What type of approach is this?

Answer 4

Descriptive norm

Question 5

Which approach was most successful (environmental, cooperation or descriptive norm)?

Answer 5

1. Descriptive norm/injunctive approach (most successful)
2. Environmental
3. Cooperation (least successful).

Question 6

Aside from the 6 principles, how can we communicate persuasively?

Answer 6

N.B. “We do” is often more persuasive than “you should”

Telling someone something negative, e.g. “most people are doing [x] wrong” gives the impression to the subordinate individual that the action is right.

Principle consistency and commitment: People are likely to say yes to what they have committed to do. So, if something is important, ask them a question that leads them to commit?

Question 7

What are reciprocal concessions?

Answer 7

Tendency to respond to changes in bargaining position –

“You gave me a concession, I make one concession in return…” If the second proposition seems smaller in contrast to the first, the person is most likely to do it (even if they would not do so standalone)

Contrast effect: 2nd request seems small

Question 8

What is the-door-in-the-face phenomenon?

Answer 8

A strategy for gaining a concession. After someone first turns down a large request (the door-in-the-face), the same requester counter-offers with a more reasonable request.

Question 9

What are 3 “myths” that people think show a poor leader?

these are actually important for leadership

Answer 9

1. Powerful vs powerless communication
2. Showing vulnerability
3. Asking for advice

Question 10

Explain the powerful vs powerless communication myth

Answer 10

Communication is more powerful if reflection is invited e.g. questions, and opinions are put across more gently.

This REDUCES RESISTANCE and PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTANCE - gets people to ask themselves the question

Question 11

Explain the showing vulnerability myth

Answer 11

The Pratfall Effect: tendency for attractiveness to ↑ or ↓ after individual makes a mistake, depending on their perceived ability to perform well in a general sense. A “vulnerability” helped the expert appear human and approachable – instead of superior and distant.

Inspirational leaders selectively show their weaknesses. By exposing some vulnerability, they reveal their approachability and humanity.

Question 12

Explain the asking for advice myth

Answer 12

Advice means acknowledging you do not have all the answers

Advisers have to look at the problem or dilemma from our point of view

It engenders commitment (people are more committed to their own ideas)

People love to be asked for advice!

Question 13

Due to the three myths, what are some beneficial characteristics for leadership?

Answer 13

1. More inclined towards asking questions than offering answers
2. Talking tentatively rather than boldly
3. Admitting their weaknesses rather than displaying their strengths (It works if together with signs of competence: be an expert and the regular guy )
4. Seeking advice rather than imposing on others (Encourages cooperation and info sharing- communicators that are ‘too’ assertive can stifle info sharing, preventing others from communicating good ideas)

Question 14

What are the effects of influence disablers?

Answer 14

They activate threat mechanisms in the brain

Losing status, uncertainty, lack of authority, poor relatedness, unfairness: perceived as THREATS

Gaining status, certainty, good relatedness, fairness: perceived as REWARDS

Question 15

What happens when threat mechanisms are activated?

Answer 15

Amygdala hijack: amygdala overrides rational self (emotions take over)

Reduced resources available for overall executive functions in prefrontal cortex

Less resources available for complex problem solving = harder to find smart answers

More likely to react defensively to stimuli

Once aroused, the limbic system makes accidental connections and thinks pessimistically

Question 16

In situations of failure, how may the person responsible respond?

Answer 16

They may be primed to see only what they have done right → defence rather than solutions.

Question 17

In situations of failure, how can difficult conversations be improved?

Answer 17

Overcome automatic tendency to tell others how it is and what to do – let them think

ALSO: overcome own loss of status and threat levels (reappraise)

Question 18

In reality, how do we usually behave in difficult conversations surrounding situations of failure?

Answer 18

Arguing, debating, running away: we don’t know how to share meaning

Play silly and costly games: sometimes we rely on hints, sarcasm, caustic humor, innuendo, and looks of disgust to make our points

We try to force our meaning into the pool: from subtle manipulation to verbal attacks. e.g.: act like we know everything, discredit others, make hurtful comments.

Question 19

What should we beware of when having difficult conversations about situations of failure? (6 things)

Answer 19

1. MASKING: understating or selectively showing our true opinions: sarcasm, sugarcoating, and couching
2. AVOIDING: steering completely away from sensitive subjects (we talk, but without addressing the real issue).
3. WITHDRAWING: pulling out of a conversation altogether
4. CONTROLLING: coercing others to your way of thinking e.g. dominating conversation, cutting others off, overstating facts, speaking in absolutes (“everybody thinks like me”, “you always do this”)
5. LABELLING: put a label on people or ideas so we can dismiss them under a general stereotype or category.
6. ATTACKING: you’ve moved from winning the argument to making the other person suffer. Belittling and threatening

Question 20

If masking, avoiding, withdrawing, controlling, labelling and attacking occurs, how should you handle the situation?

Answer 20

Step out of content of conversation, make it safe, then step back in. It’s not the content but the conditions of the message: do others believe I care about their goals in this conversation? do they trust my motives? There must be:

MUTAL PURPOSE: We must really care about the interests of others not just our own

MUTUAL RESPECT: Can you respect people you don’t respect? Find something!

CONTRAST: to fix misunderstanding: clarify what you don’t want (I don’t want to tell you what to do, etc….)

*Apologise if experiencing a real change in heart. Emotions have power to move people, most effective ads invoke both reasons (e.g. whiter whites with Detergent X) and emotions (e.g. children will be happier with Detergent X).

Question 21

What are some causes of resistance/reactance, and how can we reduce these?

Answer 21

Causes:

• giving advice/instructions
• giving critical feedback
• reducing power in their role

Reduce by:

• giving positive public feedback
• asking people to self-assess their performance

Question 22

Approach for getting people to see new things?

Answer 22

First: overcome people’s natural resistance. People go into automatic defensive mode when somebody tries to persuade them

Then: Prompting people to ask themselves the question rather than forcing them to think in a certain way.

Question 23

What are three things that multipliers do?

Answer 23

1. Ask questions rather than give answers
2. Listen: want to learn from others
3. Facilitate people‘s thinking: summarize their problem in a few words (lower their arousal, bring clarity) → let self-persuasion take place

(Diminishers: tell others what to do – don‘t trust others‘ opinions)

Question 24

Qualities of smart leaders?

Answer 24

Know how to make others smart - solve puzzles by knowing that each person has some information that is unique and essential

Create norms that encourage others to speak out (“What do you think?“)

Encourage constructive conflict

Motivates and gets them involved

Each contributes to building new arguments – allows them to solve the puzzle

Allows you to get more complete information & avoid tunnel vision

Question 25

Additionally…

Answer 25

Additionally,
Adaptation is key: use different strategies subtly – Customise styles for different members – No “one-size-fits-all” solution

Persuasion vs. manipulation: discerning the difference between getting others to think as you do, an obnoxious and risky use of power, and getting others to investigate themselves to discover common truths and facts.

Influence starts with yourself: The real beginning of influence comes as others sense you are being influenced by them – when they feel understood by you - that you have listened deeply and sincerely, and that you are open.
But most people are too vulnerable emotionally to listen deeply – to suspend their agenda long enough to focus on understanding before they communicate their own ideas.