Monthly Archives: June 2010

Better experiences, better stories, better brand

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Three years ago, I had a conversation with one of our internal recruiters around the TVP (talent value proposition – like an EVP for a particular talent segment) for his area. He was recruiting IT people for an engineering firm, and attrition was high in that team. People weren’t staying for more than 6 months, and we were looking for a solution.

We sat down and read the ads that had been used in the past, looking for clues. They were pretty standard ads – list of skills, what you’ll be doing here, the usual jazz. There wasn’t much to inspire there, not a lot of cultural discussion. So we started writing new copy for all the ads to talk about the team from a human perspective.

And we hit a snag.

We were looking at recruiting into a team with an obvious problem around staff performance and culture. We were looking at recruiting into a team that suffered such quick turnover that only the staff who didn’t leave became the culture. We were recruiting fast moving fish into a stagnant pond, and watching them jump out straight away.

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What is Perusasiveness?

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What is persuasiveness?

Persuasive \Per*sua”sive\, n.

                That which persuades; an inducement;
an incitement; an exhortation. — Per*sua”sive*ly,
adv. —

Per*sua”sive*ness,
n.

the power to induce the taking of a course of action
or the embracing of a point of view by means of argument or entreaty; “the
strength of his argument settled the matter”

The
literature usually instructs us to follow two parallel streams of logic. First,
we are taught to frame the message based on the other party’s needs and the
specifics of the situation. Sadly, this advice is tantamount to telling an
insomniac that the best cure for his problem is a good night’s sleep. ‘Framing’
your message should be based on the needs and the situation.  ADDIN EN.CITE
<EndNote><Cite><Author>Sussman</Author><Year>1999</Year><RecNum>50</RecNum><MDL><REFERENCE_TYPE>0</REFERENCE_TYPE><AUTHORS><AUTHOR>Lyle
Sussman</AUTHOR></AUTHORS><YEAR>1999</YEAR><TITLE>How
to frame a message: the art of persuasion and
negotiation</TITLE><SECONDARY_TITLE>Business Horizons</SECONDARY_TITLE><VOLUME>42</VOLUME><NUMBER>4</NUMBER><PAGES>2-7</PAGES><DATE>July-August
1999</DATE><REVIEWED_ITEM>Infotrac Web: General File
ASAP&#xD;Electronic collection
A55542112</REVIEWED_ITEM><ACCESSION_NUMBER>RN:
A55542112</ACCESSION_NUMBER><KEYWORDS><KEYWORD>Persuaaion</KEYWORD><KEYWORD>Negotiation</KEYWORD></KEYWORDS></MDL></Cite></EndNote>(Sussman 1999).

Secondly,
the message should be constructed such that the recipient perceives it with an
overarching theme, either evaluative or descriptive. For example, we may want
the recipient to interpret the message through a filter of “good-bad”,
“profit-loss”, or “cost-benefit”.

Framing messages

A frame
orients the recipient to examine a message with a certain disposition or
inclination. Framing a message focuses recipient’s attention on data and
premises within the frame – i.e. attempts to reduce ‘noise’ and external
environment influences that may detract from the intended message.

By framing
a message we achieve three interrelated goals. First, we select an evaluative
theme or perspective believed to be the most credible, compelling and
appropriate to our intent. This perspective provides a filter through which we
want the recipient to assess our position and supporting evidence. Secondly, we
select specific evidence that best supports the perspective. Finally, we create
a structure for organizing the evidence. Thus, the frame provides the recipient
with a focus of perspective and rational supporting evidence presented in a
clear sequential pattern.

Sussman
(1999) presents four practical steps to creating a frame.

Determine
your specific objective. What specifically do you want the decision-maker to
do?

  1. Conduct a focused SWOT analysis on the
    other party’s current status. This enables you to develop strategies that
    either make the most of the recipient’s strengths and external
    opportunities or minimize internal weaknesses and external threats.
    Sussman’s advice is to focus attention on the most significant element in
    each of the four quadrants rather than being exhaustive.
  2. Determine the recipient’s core values. Values
    reflect character, motives and behaviour. For some individuals and groups,
    the values are implicit and must be inferred. One useful technique for
    developing a frame based on analyzing core values is to demonstrate any
    inconsistency between what other party’s espouse and how they actually
    behave. This technique is an application of Festinger’s      ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite
    ExcludeAuth="1"><Author>Festinger</Author><Year>1957</Year><RecNum>53</RecNum><MDL><REFERENCE_TYPE>1</REFERENCE_TYPE><AUTHORS><AUTHOR>A.
    Festinger</AUTHOR></AUTHORS><YEAR>1957</YEAR><TITLE>Theory
    of Cognitive
    Dissonance</TITLE><PLACE_PUBLISHED>Stanford</PLACE_PUBLISHED><PUBLISHER>Stnaford
    University Press</PUBLISHER></MDL></Cite></EndNote>    (1957) cognitive dissonance theory.
    If you are able to frame your message by demonstrating a contradiction
    between stated values and actual behaviour, you have tapped into a
    powerful persuasive technique.
  3. Write a simple, vivid, evaluative
    statement that links steps 1 and 2.
  4. The statement should be simple and short
    to convey the message quickly. Use of ‘emotional’ words makes the
    statement vivid. The frame created by the statement must orient the
    decision-maker from the specific perspective that casts the most
    favourable light on the proposal. This prepares the recipient to judge the
    subsequent arguments and evidence as being on either end of the following
    value dichotomies: good-bad, right-wrong, smart-stupid,
    risky-conservative.

 

Williams
and Miller  ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite
ExcludeAuth="1"><Author>Williams</Author><Year>2002</Year><RecNum>54</RecNum><MDL><REFERENCE_TYPE>0</REFERENCE_TYPE><AUTHORS><AUTHOR>Gary
A. Williams</AUTHOR><AUTHOR>Robert B. Miller</AUTHOR></AUTHORS><YEAR>2002</YEAR><TITLE>Change
the way you persuade</TITLE><SECONDARY_TITLE>Harvard Business
Review</SECONDARY_TITLE><VOLUME>May
2002</VOLUME><KEYWORDS><KEYWORD>Persuasion</KEYWORD><KEYWORD>Persusiveness</KEYWORD></KEYWORDS></MDL></Cite></EndNote>(2002) identify five styles of
decision-making and the ways to influence each. Their study of over 1600
executives across a wide range of industries identified the different styles of
decision-making exhibited by senior executives in a purchasing decision. Whilst
recognizing that executives may not exhibit only one style exclusively, they
suggest that they will typically show a default style. The five styles are:

1.       Charismatics – enthusiastic, captivating,
talkative and dominant characteristics – they are easily intrigued by a new
idea but experience has taught them to decide based on balanced information.

2.       Thinkers – cerebral, intelligent, logical and academic
characteristics – impressed with arguments supported by data, tending to be
risk averse.

3.       Skeptics – demanding, disruptive, disagreeable and
rebellious characteristics – tend to be highly suspicious of every data
especially anything challenging their own worldview – often aggressive and
combative.

4.       Followers – responsible, cautious,
brand-driven and bargain conscious characteristics – make decisions based on
similar choices in the past or how others have made them.

5.       Controllers – logical, unemotional, sensible,
detail-oriented, accurate and analytical characteristics – abhor uncertainty
and ambiguity – tend to focus on the pure facts of an argument.

Williams
and Miller suggest tactics for dealing with each style fitting with the way in
which decisions are made.

In
practice, the styles are useful guides but it is especially difficult to
pigeonhole a decision-maker in a short period of time. Questioning and probing
skills may reveal underlying characteristics as discussions unfold, though this
may be too late to change tactics mid-stream or indeed prepare for a different
decision-making style. However, preparing in advance for each of the different
styles makes for thorough preparation and the persuader’s art is in choosing
the approach that instinctively feels right given their current understanding.

 ADDIN EN.REFLIST Festinger, A. (1957). Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Stanford, Stanford
University Press.

Heiman, S.
E. and D. Sanchez (1998). The New Strategic Selling. London, Kogan Page.

                Selling
techniques

Sussman, L.
(1999). “How to frame a message: the art of persuasion and
negotiation.” Business Horizons 42(4): 2-7.

Williams,
G. A. and R. B. Miller (2002). “Change the way you persuade.” Harvard
Business Review May 2002.

The 9C's of leadership paradigm style #6 – Shifting your Paradigm

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Each of us in reality possess aspects of each of these styles in our game and in our leadership.

Underneath the situational style we may have developed though, lies a core style that suits us best. A style in which we are truly ‘playing with ourselves’ – a place where we are at ease with our game, and feel confident that we will achieve what we set out to achieve.

  • Knowing your pre-disposition for a preferred style means that you know where, when the pressure is on, you are going to play naturally and with least effort.
  • Knowing yourself and trusting in the strengths of a particular style will enable you to actively reduce your golf score and pro-actively lead your people.

One of the best ways to develop your golf game is to go take some lessons from a professional golf coach. You can of course learn from books, your mates, watching others and practicing. The benefits of finding a professional golf coach is that you will learn the correct way to play. The magazines and books you can learn from are full of some of the most contradictory advice you will ever read. But a good, professionally qualified coach is the best investment.

Oh, and by the way… you need clubs that fit for you but you do not need the latest titanium supple headed mega driver! It ain’t the tools friend…

Developing your leadership is the same… just with many many more options.

There’s university courses aplenty including the MBA route (and remember, George W. went to Harvard, as did Enron’s Lay… just though I’d mention this 🙂 )

There’s leadership books galore (62,171 on Amazon.com today!) Some inform, some educate, others have gorgeous covers.

Like golf, the best way is to go find yourself a professional leadership coach. Well, of course I’d say that, I am one! 

A good leadership coach will challenge you, guide you, teach you, empathize, debate, support and above all, work for you and with you. But are you ready?

Find out using our little quiz below if you are ready for coaching and, if so, what coaching approach is most appropriate for you right now:

The 9C's of leadership paradigm style #5 – The Cunning, Conductors and Chess Players

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Cavalier leaders who continue to develop their soft skills and neglect to develop their technical aptitiude may find themselves becoming increasingly “Cunning”.

riding on the backs of othersThe Cunning Leader

Unable to DO leadership and management technically as well as others, those highly adept in the softer skills of influencing fellow humans resort to other methods to maintain their leadership.

On the golf course, this is the player who moves just as you concentrate on that long out to take the hole. They remind you of the times you bunkered the ball and how much you really dislike shots over water. Essentially, the cunning golfer deliberately twists your mind and thinking to gain the upper hand. Cunning golfers use the rule book when it suits them, and some have been known to use the foot wedge in the rough.

Cunning leaders abound throughout the world. These are often the leaders who ‘play politics’ very well. They know who is key to their future and will easily use their skills to ‘shmooze’ and persuade. If left on their own, they would flounder, yet they seem to do more than survive, even thrive in many organizations. If the Conqueror is the home of the despots then Cunning is the home of nepotism.

•    Cunning golfers include: None famous here, more than enough at your own club I suspect.
•    Cunning leaders include: Several politicians fit this category and a large proportion of people in high level leadership positions that you know. Often the ‘Chairman’s son.’

Conjuror leaders who learn to focus on improving their soft leadership side – most often because they need to get some real balance back to their life – become Conductors.

conductor leadersThe Conductor

These are the players who pull the others together as much as play for themselves. Often, the unsung heroes of the regular round with friends, these players organise, cajole and hustle. More concerned for everyone’s enjoyment than just their own, they thrive on playing with others. Taking part is more important than winning, they can glory in other’s success. Few of the world’s top golfers fit this style, yet without them, the amateur game and local competitions would not exist for long. Disciplined and organised, these players like to keep accurate scores and seldom show-off.

Most leaders would like to be considered as conductors, concentrating their efforts on bringing the symphony together in perfect harmony towards a particular goal. These leaders empower others and seldom take centre-stage in public view (like an orchestral conductor, they have their back to the audience and their guidance focused on their team.)

  • Players who are conductors include: Tony Jacklin, Colin Montgomerie
  • Leaders: Charles Heimbold, Carol Bartz, Elizabeth Dole, Ralph Larsen, Bill Marriot

Leaders who develop both their technical leadership aptitude and the attributes of great leadership become “Chess Player” leaders.

Knowing what right and when and who and howThe Chess player

These are the strategists of the game. These players plot their way around a course from point a to point b to point c. Positional golf is their forte and they are content to hit fairways and greens and two-put all day with an occasional birdie. They know that consistent, planned performance will win most of the time against all other styles. The Chess player gets the most from their game when they are thinking clearly, and using their minds throughout the round. Nothing flashy about their game for the most part, these players are good in all aspects of each hole and tend to strike the ball cleanly and well. These are the scorers of the game – they may appear to showing-off but that is due to their considerable skill and focus.

All leaders would like to consider themselves to be chess players, understanding the ‘art of war’ and the plethora of books on strategic management. But that’s just it, the vast majority of strategists are managers, not leaders (except by title). These leaders understand the environment, the context, the shifting positions of the competition and play a solid game along known successful routes, not too greedy and with contingencies for rough times. They understand foremost, who they are and what drives them, secondly they know their people and leverage their strengths and deploy all their resources to best effect.

  • Golfing chess players include: Ben Hogan, Bernard Langer, David Toms and Tiger Woods (an ex-conquerer turned strategist)
  • Leadership chess players are most exemplified by Jack Welch, Walter Shipley, Howard Schultz, Tony Blair