Archive for "Leadership"
The Science of Influence
Posted on February 10, 2010 by Ching under Leadership.
We had a great speaker, Dan Norris, at the PACS meeting today. Mr. Norris is a Cialdini Method Certified Trainer (CMCT), personally trained by Dr. Robert Cialdini and Dr. Gregory Neidert. He specializes in the science of ethical influence, which is the main topic of his presentation at today’s meeting.
Mr. Norris shared with our group the six principles of persuasion: reciprocity, consensus, authority, consistency, scarcity and liking. Being a sleuth (see below), I naturally found all of this interesting.
SIDE NOTE: Most professionals fall into three groups: bunglers (clueless people who fumble opportunities to influence others), smugglers (those who apply the principles unethically) and sleuths (detectives of influence who are more effective than bunglers and more ethical than smugglers, and more successful than either of the other two types).
I see myself as a sleuth, anyhow. That’s the group that I seem to identify with most. I’m not a smuggler and, while I may miss out on some opportunities, I don’t really identify with bunglers because I am aware of the importance of influence and I am trying to get better at it.
The first principle that Mr. Norris talked about is the principle of reciprocity. Simply put, people are obliged to give back to others who have given to them. This principle reminds me of the emotional bank account because it’s all about building relationships.
He then talked about the principle of consensus. Basically, people determine appropriate behavior by examining the behavior of others. Consensus is activated by evidence of how others are thinking, feeling, doing (social proof). People are followers who are heavily influenced by the actions of others, especially if these others are similar to them.
Speaking of social proof and being a follower, people rely on those with superior knowledge or wisdom for guidance on how to respond or behave. This is the principle of authority at work. Authority or credibility comes from expertise (or being perceived as an expert) and/or trustworthiness. For example, doctors and dentists prominently display their diplomas and certificates on their walls to establish credibility. How can our employees introduce their expertise to customers and earn credibility? I also pondered, how can I do this myself?
Consistency is another principle of persuasion. Basically, once people make a choice they feel pressure to behave consistently with what they’ve previously done. Then he talked about commitments and how they should be active and public because public goals/commitments are more likely to be achieved. Another thing that’s important to remember is that commitments should be voluntary.
There the Samuel Butler quote, “He who complies against his will is of the same opinion still.” It relates to the idea of buy in. If it’s not voluntary then there’s no buy in, and when there’s no buy in then people are less likely to keep their commitments.
Then there’s the concept of scarcity. Opportunities appear more valuable when they are less available. Darcy and I talked about this a bit in terms of dating. You know the old saying, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” I think that is a romance/dating application of the scarcity concept. In some instances, women who are less available or maybe even unattainable seem more desirable to men. On the flip side of that, women who are very available get a reputation of being easy.
Liking is another principle of persuasion. People prefer to say yes to those they know and like. Some of the keys to this principle are similarity (a technique that Isaac uses a lot without even knowing it), praise and cooperation. I think that is how Isaac gets me to agree to all the stuff he wants to implement at work. He is a tricky one. (Just kidding, Isaac. I know he’s not being manipulative about it.)
I was completely fascinated by influence and persuasion and the principles Mr. Norris shared. Darcy and I had joked about how all of the principles can be applied to dating (reciprocity for instance is where the woman pays sometimes and the man pays sometimes). However, in reality the principles apply to everything. Whether at home or at work, we’re exercising influence every moment of our lives. If we don’t realize this, then we’re probably a bungler. LOL.
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Obama’s Education Speech and Ignorant Educators
Posted on September 13, 2009 by Brian under Leadership, News, School, Videos.
Lately I have been hearing a lot about this Obama video to the students of America. Today my wife pulled it up and we watched it. First let me tell you that I have no allegiance to one party or the other. To be honest, I have never voted. I am 35 years old and I have not ever voted. I have my reasons and at this point in my life I choose to just observe and report. In my opinion this gives me a unique perspective on politics, I am not swayed to one side or the other. I kind of consider myself to be Switzerland when it comes to the politics of the United States.
What I keep hearing about this video is that schools across America would not allow their students to watch it. As a matter of fact, I have read a few articles that claim that some schools advised their students to not watch it at all, not even on their own time. I don’t understand this. I watched it and it sounds to me like Obama just told the children of America to get off there lazy fat asses and learn something. It sounded to me like he told the students of America that if they don’t make something of themselves then they have no one to blame but themselves. It sounded to me like he put the burden of self-improvement solely on the students of America. Personally, I have no problem with this. I have been preaching this to people for years. I look around at the youth off America and I fear for the future. Now let me tell you, I am no supporter of Obama. I don’t agree with many things that he has planned for the future. I applaud him for wanting to change many things that are broke in the country. He is one of the first to try to correct some of the problems instead of just talking about it. However, I think he is going about it all the wrong way, but that’s a conversation for another blog.
Back to the subject, this video. I listened to the video waiting for this “Call to the Hitler Youth” tone that I had been hearing everyone talk about, it never came. When the video was done I just looked to my wife and said “It’s about dammed time.” To sum it up, he basically went on TV and told the children that they need to get off their asses, get out from in front of the XBOX, PlayStation and Television and learn something. Make something of themselves by bettering their education. He even provided examples of other people their age (some older)how that have overcome adversity and have made something of themselves by applying effort and hard work to learning. He even pointed out that it is not easy, they will have to work at it and at times they may not like it. But the reward will outweigh the struggle. I only wish I had listened to my parents when they told me this years ago. I never liked school, all I wanted to do was draw and watch TV and movies. I was one of those students who said “I’ll never use this stuff in the real world” and never spent the time or effort to learn beyond what the teachers gave us. Hell, I barely learned what the teachers gave us. Now I struggle in life, I have had to learn everything that I need to get along in the real world on my own. Math, English, Grammar all of these things that I slacked off on in school I am finding that I need in order to do things in life. If I had listened to my parents, or had someone speak to the students of America like Obama did then maybe I would have turned out differently.
However, I had a choice. I was given this kind of speech from my folks and I CHOSE to ignore it. Most of the students of America had this choice removed. They were not given the opportunity to make up their own minds, they were not given the opportunity to think for themselves. A person within each of these schools decided that he or she did not want the students to think for themselves. These educators wanted them to continue to trudge along in life and not be something other than what they currently are. What if a student who is currently being pressured by gangs watched this video and decided that he had another option, then went on to create the cure for cancer. That option has been removed from his life now. He may now join that gang and not live past 25. What if another student is struggling with family hardships that are causing her to loose interest in school? Maybe this would have given her the strength to pull her head up and move past this and become the next President of the United States, maybe the first female President. That option is now taken from her because of someone else’s selfish actions.
Personally, I don’t see a problem with this video. I actually applaud it. I do now blame the teachers, principals and parents who kept their children from watching this video. The future that is going to be for your children is your making and I feel that by preventing them from watching this video you just darkened their future. Again, I am in no political organization. I lean towards no political party. I just feel that this was a powerful message that should have been heard and it’s an injustice to the children of this nation that the opportunity was taken from them.
Thank God for YouTube.
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Brian Cleans Up Well
Posted on August 29, 2009 by Ching under Flickr, Leadership, Life.
Brian looked dashing last night in his suit. He was the perfect date to the the LW graduation banquet. He said that sitting next to Jerl and Peggy made him nervous so he tended to get a little too chatty. I think he was probably picking up on my nerves, too. I am the exact opposite, though. I tend to get quiet when I am nervous. Hopefully, between the two of us, we balanced each other out.
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Fourth Leadership Westar Class Wraps Up
Posted on August 22, 2009 by Ching under Leadership.
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The Cold Within
Posted on June 11, 2009 by Ching under Leadership.
Our speaker Judge Tommy Webb shared an enlightening poem by James Patrick Kinney with us this afternoon. The message is an important one so I thought I should share it with everyone.
The Cold Within
by James Patrick KinneySix humans trapped by happenstance
In dark and bitter cold
Each possessed a stick of wood–
Or so the story’s told.Their dying fire in need of logs,
But the first one held hers back,
For, of the faces around the fire,
She noticed one was black.The next one looked cross the way
Saw one not of his church,
And could not bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.The third one sat in tattered clothes
He gave his coat a hitch,
Why should his log be put to use
To warm the idle rich?The rich man just sat back and thought
Of wealth he had in store,
And keeping all that he had earned
From the lazy, shiftless poor.The black man’s face bespoke revenge
As the fire passed from his sight,
For he saw in his stick of wood
A chance to spite the white.And the last man of this forlorn group
Did nought except for gain,
Giving just to those who gave
Was how he played the game,Their sticks held tight in death’s stilled hands
Was proof enough of sin;
They did not die from cold without–
They died from cold within.
The presentation this afternoon was an excellent recharge of the concepts we learned and developed in Diversity Champions.
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