Catalyst Flashcards
Generating change isn’t about ______ or ______ or _______. It’s about being a ______. Changing minds by removing the roadblocks and lowering the barriers that keep people from taking action.
pushing harder
being more convincing
a better persuader
catalyst
We are so focused on our ________ that we’re consumed with how we can push people in that direction. But along the way, we tend to forget about ____________. And what’s stopping them.
desired outcome
the person whose mind we’re trying to change
Rather than asking what might convince someone to change, catalysts start with a more basic question: (2 things)
Why hasn’t that person changed already?
What’s blocking them?
The 5 key roadblocks that hinder or inhibit change are:
Reactance
endowment
distance
uncertainty
corroborating evidence
Catalysts change minds and incite action by ____________.
reducing barriers to change.
People have a need for ______ and ________. To feel that their lives and actions are within their personal control that rather than driven by randomness or subject to the whims of others they get to choose
freedom
autonomy
Choice is so important that people prefer it, even when it makes them ________ or ________.
worse off
less happy
Restriction generates a psychological phenomenon called _______.
reactance
_______ an unpleasant state that occurs when people feel their freedom is lost or threatened.
Reactance
Reactants happens even when ________ rather than telling them not to
asking people to do something
Any effort is often unintentionally seen as impinging on ___________. It interferes with their ability to see their behavior is driven by themselves.
peoples freedom
Pushing, telling, or just encouraging people to do something often makes them _____ likely to do it.
less
People are constantly scanning the environment for ________, and when they detect one they deploy a set of countermeasures.
influence attempts
The simplest countermeasure is _____ or just ________.
avoidance
ignoring the message
To avoid reactants catalysts allow for ______. They stop trying to persuade an instead get people to persuade themselves.
agency
The four key ways to reduce reactants are…
provide a menu
ask don’t tell
highlighted gap
start with understanding
One way to allow for agency is to let people pick the path by ________. Let them choose how they get where you are hoping they’ll go.
providing a menu
When you provide a menu, you give them a choice between _______.
two or more options
________ give people a sense of freedom and control while helping you reach your desired outcome.
Guided choices
When you try to convince people to do something, they spend a lot of time __________.
counter arguing
When you give people _______, rather than thinking about what is wrong with whatever was suggested, they think about which one is best for them.
multiple options
One way to allow for agency is to _______ rather than make statements.
ask questions
Rather than tell people what to do, ________ help them make those realizations on their own.
questions
_______ shift the listeners role. Rather than counter arguing or thinking about all the reasons they disagree with this statement, listeners are occupied with a different task: figuring out an answer to the question. How they feel about it or their opinion. Something most people are more than happy to do.
Questions
Questions increase ______. Because while people may not want to follow someone else’s lead, they’re much more likely to follow their own. Because it’s their own personal answer that answer is much more likely to drive to action.
buy-in
Questions encourage listeners to _______. To behave consistently with whatever answer they gave.
commit to the conclusion
You can ______ knowing that the answers will guide people to where you want them to go.
pick questions
One route to self persuasion is to _______—a disconnect between someone’s thoughts and actions for a disparity between what they might recommend for others versus do themselves.
highlight a gap
People strive for internal _______. They want their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to align.
consistency
When attitudes and behaviors conflict, people get uncomfortable. To reduce this discomfort, or what scientists call _______, people take steps to bring things back in line.
cognitive dissonance
Seasoned negotiators don’t start with _______; they start with _________. Working to gain insight into where that person is coming from. Comprehending and appreciating that person’s situation, feelings, and motives, and showing them that someone else understands.
what they want
whom they want to change
By asking the right questions, you show that you’re _____ and that ______.
listening
you care
In addition to showing compassion and understanding, questions also help you ________.
gather valuable information
When people feel like someone is truly listening and cares about their well-being, a sense of _____ begins to form.
trust
Rather than trying to persuade, start by __________.
understanding
_________ are the financial, psychological, or procedural (time and effort) impediments to switching from one thing to another.
Switching costs
To help overcome _______, surfacing the cost of inaction helps make people realize that sticking with the status quo isn’t as costless as it seems.
status quo bias
Rather than focusing on how much better the new thing is than the old, or the personal gain of action, catalysts do the opposite. They highlight how much people are ____________.
losing by doing nothing
Catalyzing change isn’t just about making people more comfortable with new things. It’s about helping them ___________.
let go of old ones
Agreeing to a ______ moves people in the right direction. Which means that the final ask, which once would have been too far away, is now within the zone of acceptance.
small, related ask
Having a tough time changing someone’s mind? Try ______ rather than ______. Dial down the size of the initial request so that it falls within the zone of acceptance. Not only will that make the initial request more successful it also makes big changes more likely overall.
asking for less
pushing for more
When trying to change minds, the tendency is to go big. We want to shift peoples perspective right away. We’re looking for the silver bullet pitch that will immediately get someone to quit drinking soda or switch political parties overnight. But look closer at big changes, and they’re rarely that abrupt. Instead, they’re often more of a process. A slow and steady shift with many stages along the way. ________ is about committing to that process. It’s really about chunking the change. Breaking big tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. Starting with one and building from there. Moving 10 or 15 yards at a time, rather than tossing a Hail Mary and hoping for the best.
Asking for less
Finding the unsticking point means _________ and pivoting from there to switch the field. Connecting to parallel directions to move them enough to see the initial topic differently.
starting with a place of agreement
