“If they’re not doing what you want them to do kiddo, you need to find a way to persuade them.” – The Colonel
Early in my first supervisory position, I was deep into a “Lauren whining to her father” session. The subject was how my staff was not doing what I wanted them to do, or performing up to my expectations, or something along that general theme.
Dad kept saying, “If they’re not doing what you want them to do, you need to find a way to persuade them.”
I balked at that. I, like most people, was uncomfortable with the concept of persuasion because we tend to equate it with manipulation. The Colonel explained the difference in the simplest, most profound manner: Manipulation is selfish. Persuasion is benevolent. I manipulate you to benefit me. I persuade you to benefit you or a greater good. And here is your primary key to persuasion: what’s in it for them? How will it benefit them to improve their performance? How will it benefit them to make the change you want them to make? How will it benefit them to buy into your idea or do things exactly the way you want them done? Frankly, they don’t care how it’s going to benefit you. Often, they don’t care how it will benefit the company. How will it benefit them? Let them know what’s in it for them.
Folks, you can’t be the leader your team deserves without a level of influence – and you can’t have influence if you can’t at some level be persuasive. Develop the art of persuasion for the benefit of your employees, your team, and your organization.
Read Lauren’s Whitepaper on The Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership.