INFLUENCING CHANGE

Plead Your Case

In psychological terms, set describes a person’s tendency to see things in a certain way, to do things in a certain way, and to stick to the familiar because it’s more comfortable than changing. A person’s psychological set determines his or her subjective interpretation of an external situation. In order to get others to change their sets and accept what you are offering in terms of service or products, you may need to incorporate a bit of persuasion.

Such influence helps get people to want to do what you propose them to do.

Facts to Remember

• You need to understand the other person’s set—do not challenge it.

• Arguing will not change someone’s set, only threaten it, which will cause the other individual to dig in harder.

• If you stay mired in your own set, you will get nowhere in moving toward change.

• If you can see things the way the other person sees them, you have a chance to build trust and change his or her set.

• If others show resistance to your attempts at persuasion, determine which of the following causes may be to blame. This may help you change their sets.

Possible Causes of Resistance:

• Not readily forsaking the old for the new and untried

• Not breaking established habits unless absolutely required to

• Not taking initiative easily if doing so can be avoided

• Not sacrificing present security for possible future advantage

• Not acting on anything unless prodded

• Not giving up prejudices easily

• Not openly admitting ignorance or incompetence

• Not trusting the new information or the person representing it

Remedies:

• Alignment. What you propose must be consistent with your past words and actions.

• Association. Connect what is already accepted with what you want to be accepted.

Connect people with their needs and wants.

• Confidence. If you are confident, then others can be confident.

• Evidence. People cannot deny what they see with their own eyes.

• Framing. Meaning depends on context, so give broad details about other contributory factors before making your major point, and reframe others’ objections into benefits.

• Logic. Understand the real logic of both your and others’ arguments within the social and emotional situation.

• Objectivity. Stand back to decrease emotion and increase rational, logical thinking.

• Perception.Work from what people believe by fitting what you say into their mental models and by using their language.

• Trust. If you are trustworthy, people will be more likely to accept what you have to say.