Facts don’t move people—peers do
In a data-driven world, it’s tempting to believe that providing rock‑solid facts will prompt people to change their attitudes and behaviors. But research tells a different story: people change because of people—especially peers, friends, and colleagues.
The Tom Sawyer Method
In Mark Twain’s classic, Tom Sawyer convinces his friends to help him paint the fence—in fact, they beg Tom for the privilege of painting the fence—while he relaxes and eats an apple. Tom uses several influence strategies to influence his friends. To get someone to do what you want, find ways to increase value, decrease risk, and/or reduce cost from their perspective.
I Will—The Power of Public Commitments
You can influence a person’s future behavior by asking for a commitment and then waiting for them to give it. Making a commitment, however small, puts “skin in the game.” People want to act in ways that are consistent with what they have already said or done.
Keeping Stakeholder Relationships On Course, Part 2
In Part 1 of Keeping Stakeholder Relationship on Course you identified your stakeholders, analyzed their impact and set an influence strategy. Here I will discuss how to implement your influence strategy.
Keeping Stakeholder Relationships On Course
Managing stakeholder expectations can feel like steering a boat through rough seas. The “seascape” around the project is constantly changing. In this article I introduce an approach for managing stakeholders to maximize support and minimize interference.