Note to Facilitators: Italicized “Facilitator Instructions” provide extra instruction beyond what is included in the script.
<<Specific questions for reviewers are typeset in underlined Italics like this. Please provide your insights and expertise. Thank you!>>
PRESENT:
Now we are going to close our laptops for a fun activity which can help you work as positive influencers. Why is this important? We are seeing Protiviti evolve in several ways, not the least of which is bringing about a robust strategic commitment to our resources’ career development.
How do you help people on engagement teams see the benefits of new priorities like this, then act on it? We find ourselves having to influence others to see the value of thinking out of the box. To help, we can turn to six tools of influence that work effortlessly and without pressure.
PRESENT:
The ideas are distilled from the research of Professor Robert Cialdini at Arizona State University and can shed some light on shortcuts and tips you can put into effect to influence an outcome. He is a social scientist and internationally recognized psychologist whose work uncovered some groundbreaking rules for ethical influence. His book, INFLUENCE: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PERSUASION, has sold over 3 million copies and is based on 60 years of psychological research.
PRESENT:
As mentioned, Prof. Cialdini identified six tools of influence that can help you work with others to influence outcomes of a conversation in positive ways. Most important, they are “soft,” ethical tools and not rooted in gimmicks or techniques. Both parties in the exchange win.
The six tools are: Liking, Authority, Consistency, Reciprocity, Scarcity, and Consensus. We’ll go over each tool separately, then break into an activity that helps build your skills as a budding master of influence.
PRESENT:
The first principle of influence is the principle of Liking. People are more likely to say yes to someone they know, like and share common interests with. There are three factors:
We like people who are similar to us
We like those who pay us compliments
We appreciate people who cooperate with us on common goals.
In a study of university business students involved in a negotiation, 90% came to an positive agreement by following a direction to exchange personal information prior to getting down to business. Compare this to a figure of only 55% positive outcomes for a group who was told to cut to the chase and talk business right away.
Before getting down to business, you apply the liking tool by looking for areas of common interest and offering genuine compliments to those you work with.
PRESENT:
Authority is the next principle of influence. The science of influence tells us that people are more likely to give credence to your ideas if they believe you are a knowledgeable specialist or expert. For example, studies show that physical therapists are more likely to get their patients to stick to exercise programs if they display their medical diplomas on the wall in their office. People are more likely to give parking meter change to a complete stranger if he or she is wearing a uniform.
The problem: how do you let others know about your expertise? It would be awkward to tell teammates on an engagement how knowledgeable you are. The solution is to ask others do the work for you. Keep a list of your successes on Protiviti projects and stay in touch with your contacts on the project teams. When you work on a new Engagement Team, you can point them to these satisfied individuals as a reference.
Other sources of credibility include the people who support you at your Protiviti office. Be sure coordinators understand the years of experience you bring to the company and have an understanding of degrees and other licenses. You never know when a mention in a brief conversation, email or text can make a difference.
PRESENT:
How do you influence people to make a big decision you are asking them to make? The answer is to ask for a small initial commitment prior to the larger decision. This is the principle of influence called consistency. People like to be consistent with the things they have said or done already, so a seemingly minor commitment paves the way by activating the need for consistency with a later decision. Influencers look for voluntary and active initial commitments, and ideally get these in writing.
A well-known research study shows that missed appointments at health centers dropped by 18% when the centers changed the appointment policy. Instead of filling out appointment cards for their patients, they asked the patients, rather than the staff, to write down appointment details on the future appointment card.
How does consistency work for resource managers? Look for small points of agreement early on in a project – often something as simple as a nod or a positive response in an email or text. You can build on these when you ask for a bigger decision.
PRESENT:
The next tool is the principle of Reciprocity. It recognizes that people have a powerful sense of obligation to return a favor or repay a gift or service.
A study of the service industry shows powerful evidence of the impact of reciprocity on getting people to say yes to your ideas. If waiters provide a mint at the end of the meal, tips increase 14%. If they make a special effort to say, “Here is an extra mint for you nice customers,” tipping increases a full 23%. Similarly, did you ever wonder why food markets hand out free samples to their customers? Of course, it gives you an idea of an item you might enjoy. On a deeper psychological level, receiving something for free creates in us an obligation to buy from that establishment.
How does this work in the resource manager’s world? You should be the first to give, and be sure the item or service you are giving is personalized and unexpected. For example, you may be working with an EM who expresses a desire to increase his or her client portfolio to include more companies in a particular Industry Proficiency, such as Energy & Utilities. Apply the principle of reciprocity by creating a custom perspective of resources serving this solution segment in their Dept. ID. Offer to set up regular meetings to discuss your findings.
<<Team: Are there other applications in which RMs give unexpected advice or help that can create an obligation to return the favor?>>
PRESENT:
The next tool of influence is Scarcity, the idea that opportunities seem more valuable when they are limited. In other words, people want more things they can have less of. In 2003 British Airways announced that the Concorde supersonic flights between London and New York were no longer to be offered. Sales of tickets for the SST increased dramatically. Likewise, companies like Apple promoted the long lines in front of their Apple Stores when the iPhone 6 launched. We all know the results of this – sales reached unprecedented levels.
You can apply the principle of scarcity when offering a solution to a staffing challenge. Besides presenting the benefits of your proposition, you should also present what is unique about the solution and what they stand to lose if they do not consider it. For example, when working on projects that require resources with a limited supply -- SCs for example – you can use People Planner to identify scarcity and stress the importance of acting on an available resource.
PRESENT:
The final influence tool is Consensus, which is the principle that people look to the behaviors and opinions of others to help make up their minds about what they think. In the hospitality industry, a large hotel chain was interested in encouraging their guests to reuse their towels to help conserve energy. Displaying messages in each room that mention the benefits resulted in about 35% compliance.
Is there a better way to influence guests to comply?
The hotel displayed a new message stating that 75% of their guests reused their towels at some time during their stay. This step resulted in a 33% increase in towel reuse – guests were influenced by the behavior of a majority of other guests.
Resource managers can apply this principle by keeping a record of trends and successes using People Planner and our Scheduled Reports to document them. Having these handy will help you influence others with the principle of consensus. For example, keeping data on the increasing number of Protiviti projects using resource cross-fertilization (assigning resources to projects allowing them to grow a new expertise) can show other teams the popularity of this solution.
PRESENT:
Cialdini’s six influence tactics – Liking, Authority, Consistency, Reciprocity, Scarcity, and Consensus – are powerful tools for helping others see the value of your ideas.
Next, let’s look at ways to apply these in your work day.
Read the steps of the activity aloud.
PRESENT:
Your Participant’s Guide contains space to make notes next to each of the six influence tools. If you need help, reach out to one of the experts in the room.