Building Leadership SkillsConvincing & Influencing

Instructor:

Marie L. Radford, Ph.D.

mradford@scils.rutgers.edu

An Infopeople Workshop

Summer 2009

This Workshop Is Brought to Youby the Infopeople Project

Infopeople is a federally-funded grant project supported by the California State Library. It provides a wide variety of training to California libraries. Infopeople workshops are offered around the state and are open registration on a first-come, first-served basis.

For a complete list of workshops, and for other information about the project, go to the Infopeople website at infopeople.org.

Introductions

• Instructor

• Participants– Name– Library– Position– Your Interests, Telling A (Convincing) Lie

Overview

• Influencing, Convincing, Persuading

- definitions, tactics, & ethics

• Resistance to Change

• Generating Compliance

• Strategies for Making a Persuasive Case

What’s the Difference?

Influencing

Convincing

Persuading

Strongly Opposed

Mod.Opposed

Slightly Opposed

Neutral Slightly in Favor

Mod. in Favor

Strongly in Favor

Degrees of Persuasion

Persuasion involves any movement by the other from left to right.

16 Tried & True Influence Tactics

• Marwell & Schmitt’s 1976 classic taxonomy

• See Tip Sheet!

Ethics of Influence & Persuasion• Define ethics?

• Right vs. wrong?

• What moral principles guide you?

• How do you usually strike a balance:– What you want?– What is ethical?– Desired outcome?

Exercise #2

I Was Appreciated – How Leaders Influence

Others Through Acknowledgement

For Discussion

• What did you learn?

• How do leaders spread positive

influence? Negativity?

• What impact does gratitude have on your performance? Self-esteem?

• How can you tell gratitude is sincere?

• Opportunities for using influence to motivate others?

11

BREAK TIME

• Please return on time, Thanks!

Types of Resistance to Change• General resistance

– I don’t want to– I’m too busy

• Specific resistance– It’s too expensive– It’ll take too much time

• Passive-aggressive resistance– Whatever

Exercise #3

“Clasp Your Hands”Resistance to Change

Exercise #4

“We don’t do that at our library”

Resistance to Change

Countering Resistance• Accept as part of process

• Uncover reasons

• Address resistance – Logic– Humor– Challenge– 9 Laws of Persuasion

9 Laws of Persuasion

• Hogan (2007)

• See Tip Sheet.

Exercise #5

Convincing OthersGetting to Yes

For Discussion

• What did you learn?

• More difficult to persuade, or

to resist? Why?

• How can you use win-win thinking to be persuasive?

Think & Act “Win-Win”

• Identify & satisfy underlying needs

• Look out for yourself & other

• Actively seek & create wins

Words that InfluenceBe positive

– Let me find out…– What I can do is…– Would you please…

Be curious– Please tell me more…

Beware influence destroyers– See Tip Sheet!

More Power Words

• Next time…

• Instead…

• Despite…

• Satisfy…

22

LUNCH TIME

• Please return on time, Thanks!

LEAPS for Voluntary ComplianceListen

Empathize

Ask

Paraphrase

Summarize

24

Effective Listening

DO’S• Pay attention• Listen actively• Invite talk• Open mind• Supportive • Show acceptance

& understanding• Note NV cues

DON’TS

• Rush to fill silences

• Be defensive

• Forget to listen for feelings

• Hesitate to clarify

• Glaze over

25

Active Listening Techniques

• Encouraging– “I see…”

• Restating– “If I understand, your idea is…”

• Reflecting– “You were pretty upset by…”

• Summarizing– “These seem to be key ideas you’ve expressed…”

Another Simple Compliance Technique

• Influence through expressions of gratitude & praise.

• Remember power of please & thank you

Exercise #6

Thank -You Notes

For Discussion• What did you learn?

• Was this easy or not, & why?

• What impact will notes have?

• How can writing thank-you notes inspire & motivate others?

• How can this become a habit?

Nonverbal Communication & Persuasion

• Types of NV communication (See Tip Sheet)

• Importance of congruence

• Messages of sincerity

• Remaining outwardly calm

Exercise #7

Analyzing Video Clips

Presenting Main Points to Convince Others

• Building credibility

• Using evidence

• Reasoning

• Appealing to emotions

Powerful Presentation Techniques

• Place strongest points…– First (primacy)– Last (recency)

• Deal with opposing arguments• 4 Elements - persuasive case• Strategic considerations

– See Tip Sheet on Persuasive Techniques & Leadership Principles

Exercise #8

Practicing Persuasion

For Discussion

• What did you learn?

• Characteristics of most persuasive speeches?

• What would you have done with more time? With Web access?

Conclusion & More Information

• Area of continuous improvement

• Well worth it!

• For more information, see bibliography