Persuade the Unpersuadable

I really enjoyed this quick read from Adam Grant in HBR that outlines tactics to persuade the unpersuadable.  You know the type...big personalities loaded with conviction and confidence paired with entrenched opinions.  They can be seen as immovable, as Steve Jobs was often described as he transformed our lives with the strength and tenacity of his vision.  But in reality, these are exactly the type of people you need to influence to drive the impact and success of your ideas.  Organizational psychologist Adam Grant summarizes the approach that the team at Apple used to change Steve Job’s mind.  It’s a great way to think about setting your own ideas and influence up for success.  

Here’s the quick cheat sheet...

Ask a know-it-all to explain how things work:

It’s one thing to think you know exactly how something works, it’s another thing altogether to try and explain it.  This is a great way to get people to self-discover the gaps in their knowledge and create an opening to engage in a discussion.  It’s not about calling someone out directly, which can often backfire, but the humbling experience of trying to explain something directly opens people up to influence.

Lead with questions versus direct statements: 

People love to create and see themselves as part of an idea.  Invite them into the process with the seed of an idea paired with a provocative question.  You’re not telling someone what to think or do; you’re giving them some control over the conversation by inviting them to share their thoughts.  Illuminate the path forward, so they too can discover the destination.  The research reinforces that asking questions instead of giving answers can overcome people’s defensiveness.  

Increase security through recognizing strengths in other areas: 

We all have our own unique strengths and weaknesses.  Recognizing and acknowledging one’s area of strength will often allow one to better approach and engage in areas of weakness.   The key is to praise people in an area different from the one in which you hope to change their minds.  And always be authentic in your recognition of strength or risk being seen as manipulative.

If you want to change the world, you have to start by changing peoples’ minds. 

Adapted from "Persuading the Unpersuadable," by Adam Grant. Access the full article here.