“If you aren’t getting pushback you probably aren’t pioneering.” – Eric Qualman***
Pushback. ˈpo͝oSHˌbak. Def. a negative or unfavorable reaction or response to something.
Jon, a new senior executive stood before a group of nursing directors and managers and proceeded to negate much of what they had worked hard to establish with the previous executives in the areas of policies, procedures, patient care, overall structure and general leadership practice. He used this as his foundation for change, as he had single-handedly decided the formulas and structures that were in place in his previous place or places of employment were better options for this organization as well. Though most would not argue the fact that improvements were in order, no one was willing to eradicate everything they had in place in exchange for the new and different, without collaborative deliberation and discussion. Several on the management team asked him why he would consider making such changes without first listening to the thoughts and suggestions of those affected. His response? He didn’t need to.
I was given the charge of presenting multiple methods and levels of diversity and inclusion education to staff and leadership. The D&I Education Committee I coordinated worked hard to develop material and approaches to attract people to these sessions. They were all well attended and scheduled regularly but there were still quite a number of leaders at all levels who had not attended any of the voluntary education or training. When we were given the go ahead to make education mandatory for leaders, we were thrilled. We did not need to apologize nor massage the minds of leaders to persuade them to attend the session, since it was not optional. Despite this reality, we chose to address the pushback we knew we would receive, head on. This would help to enable the greatest experience for and best participation from, all attendees. It may not have been a requirement to do so but we believed it was a necessity to eliminate the pushback that could get in the way of learning. The ultimate goal of D&I education is to change thinking and behavior. This cannot be done without the persuading people that change is necessary.
Pushback. ˈpo͝oSHˌbak. Def. a negative or unfavorable reaction or response to something.
Which of these scenarios do you think had the better outcome? The former was met with a great deal of animosity and resistance. As much as people had resisted the idea of mandatory D&I education (second scenario), in the long run, we got very little, if any, negative feedback from leadership. On the contrary, we heard a number of comments that shared how positively surprised they were that the time went quickly, the content was engaging and they felt comfortable in the sessions. All of these were initial reasons that people feared making sessions mandatory in the first place. I could be egotistical and think that this positive response was completely based on the excellent content presented in the sessions but I know that the psychological disposition of the individuals going into these sessions was just as important as the content received. We laid the groundwork for weeks, maybe months, before getting them in the sessions. They were prepared for something in advance which gave way to a positive experience.
Great Ideas Meet Resistance
No matter how great ideas may be, one will still encounter resistance from others. Why? Because we are creatures of habit and change is rarely easy for any of us. No matter what the new venture, leaders are likely to be met with suspicion, disdain and doubt at the fear of doing something different. Even if it is welcome, change is still met with resistance. Someone will still utter those seven deadly words, “We’ve – never – done – it – that – way – before!”
Look at it this way, someone resisted the invention of the automobile; someone balked at the idea of consumer airline travel; someone most likely frowned at the idea of an indoor supermarket and someone doubted the success of manufacturing pants for women! Good ideas take time and development for buy in and success. When properly planned and executed, leaders can garner the support and contribution of every necessary constituent to make every idea fruitful.
The Importance of Persuasion
Persuasion is the process of influencing someone to change their thinking or their behavior to something other than how they are thinking or behaving. The process of accomplishing this task can be multifaceted and as complicated or as simplified as the persuader needs it to be… or should I reframe that and say it can be as complicated or as simplified as the one being persuaded needs it to be.
The manifold nature of persuasion is what makes the successful progression of it an art. If a leader can master the art of persuasion, there may be little that they are unable to achieve with the partnership of the right team.
There is much to learn about the art of persuasion. There are some negative connotations about it, as it is sometimes referenced as a manipulation of the thoughts and behaviors of others for one’s own purposes. It is however, most generally thought of as simply a realistic approach to winning the support of others in order to achieve or master a particular action or goal. This, clearly is beneficial in leadership, given the fact that a leader cannot achieve anything great or meaningful without persuading others to join them. An example is getting others to catch on to the vision of an organization. How do you get someone to buy into your vision if you cannot persuade them that the vision is worth catching?
I would love to give a full lesson on the subject but my guess is, the post would be way too long for me to retain your attention. So I won’t say all there is to say. I will, however, give a basic blogging overview…just enough to help you and maybe peak your interest enough to do a bit more investigation as you sharpen your own persuasive skills.
Here are 7 Tips for Persuading Others
1. Be Clear on Your Message
What is it you wish to convey about the subject you need others to understand? In persuading others, know what it is you want them to do or believe. Once you have that determined, figure out what you want them to do. Ultimately, the message will be formed by what you want and what you want done with it. For example, what you want might be a better flow of new employee training; what you want done with this new way of thinking, once everyone is in agreement that this would be the ideal, might be an entirely new way of orientating and training new comers.
2. Be Realistic About Other People’s Viewpoints
Don’t be naïve. Someone who is good in the art of persuasion is honest with themselves about those who they are trying to persuade. They know that some will be in full agreement, some will be in full opposition and some won’t know what to think. Never assume that everyone will fall into one or two categories. If you are in the middle of your first presentation on the subject and you are blindsided or you actually get upset with a group of opposers, you are admittedly one of the naïve and have a ways to go to conquer the art of persuasion. I would say, you are still at the introductory process of it all, if you have that reaction. Why? Because you were not prepared for all three categories, agreement, opposition and undecided/confused. Again, be prepared. That means do your homework!
3. Do Your Homework
Doing your homework means, you must do your research. You should have a small group of trusted individuals whom you can meet with and discuss the new concept(s) with and who can give you honest feedback about their thoughts that include questions, comments and concerns. This should be able to occur without any intimidation from you. You can also do research by talking to others who have accomplished what you are attempting to do, finding out what worked, what didn’t and how they mitigated problems before or after the fact. The internet is a treasure chest of information if you use it responsibly, just note the sources of the information you are gathering and use only credible websites, noting for yourself where you obtained information from and the dates the information was posted. Use this information to prepare for presenting to others.
4. Use Back Up
Part of your persuasion could and should include others whom you have already convinced to get on board with this new venture or idea. When you do this, however, make sure these are respected, credible people that others would appreciate hearing from. If you tend to surround yourself with Yes People and they get up chanting “Yes” to your every thought and idea, you will probably experience more pushback than you bargained for. These individuals can help share the message and answer questions, even after the meetings have ended. These are people who can answer the challenging questions that you might not hear but that still need to be answered…accurately. This makes your research and documentation of your messaging ESSENTIAL!
5. Use Multiple Methods to Spread Your Message
There are multiple ways to get a message out. Think of it as marketing, because that is exactly what it is. People may absolutely love and adore you but that does not mean they truly agree with every word and every action you conjure up. To help people get on the same page that you need everyone to land on, persuade through Common Sense messaging, Imagine a Better State of Things messaging and a Let’s Solve the Problem messaging.
Then there are various mediums of communication that can be used: Face to face, video, audio and written. Use as many as possible if not all. Communicate multiple ways with multiple methods; eight times eight ways, was what I was taught. Research shows that messages are best comprehended and recalled when written, therefore, if the message is complicated, written is a better method of communicating it.
6. Listen
As always, as leaders, in everything, listen. Listen to the thoughts, oppositions, fears and excitement of the people involved. If they have ideas to tweak or improve the plan or behavior, hear them out and take heed to what could have a positive impact on the outcome of your goals. Think of it as a team project, not just your project. If you lose sight of the team’s involvement, you will be on your own and the process will be much harder to implement and maintain because the key people charged with giving it life, will not be positively engaged. You must let their input be included.
7. Be Subtle
It is not necessary for you to bully your way into the thoughts of the people you are trying to persuade. If you do this, you have not persuaded them, you have harassed them into doing what you want and eventually, this will come back to haunt you. Again, your team will be needed to keep the vision alive. You cannot be all things to all people and in all places at the same time. Others will need to be included to be your eyes, ears and facilitators as things unfold and manifest. Gently share your perspective and bring people to your way of thinking without being the bull in the china shop. You need the china!
Now gather your tools and resources and get started, making sure that you are using worthwhile plans and honest methods.
Closing Thoughts
The art of persuasion can be a positive thing as long as it is being used for a good purpose. If your goal is manipulation or selfish ambition then the art of persuasion is not a good thing. So keep it focused on the positive and what is best for business… for vision… for customer service… and for everything that makes leadership necessary and worthwhile. It’s not about manipulation, it’s about good leadership. No good leader can get away with the title of good leadership when they cannot get anyone to follow them… that’s the art of persuasion.