Today I attended a breakfast where Peter Thompson shared some of his extensive knowledge around how Persuasion skills contribute to the successful (or otherwise) process of change in organisations. Peter’s list of credentials is long:

• presenter of ABC TV’s “Talking Heads.
• presented ABC Radio National’s Breakfast and AM for 14 years
• a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand School of Government, where he teaches executive programs on strategic communication, and
• an Adjunct Professor at Macquarie University

….so he knows what he’s talking about. Here are the high points I picked up today, along with my “So What” comment in brackets:

Being persuasive is a big part of the work of leaders. The more skilled you are, the more you can successfully influence others.

If you are persuasive, you can help people to confirm a view they already have. But being persuasive is rarely enough to change someone’s mind if they hold a different view from you [So being persuasive isn't enough to effect change. Just talking to people, however persuasively, doesn't get them to change their minds]

There are 3 essential components to Successful Persuasion (and Aristotle thought of them first):

1. Ethos (Values and Virtues) - a persuasive speaker can tap into the values people aready hold to engage their attention
2. Pathos (Emotions) - a persuasive leader has the ability to arouse emotions and seeks to be the catalyst for others to take their first step
3. Logos (the facts) - a persuasive leader is able to articulate the facts of thr matter clearly and concisely.

[So all those people who love a good business case and present the facts and nothing but the facts - be aware that you won't change anyone's mind by doing this. You also need to address their values and emotions]

People cling to their existing attitudes even more strongly when challenged. [Ever had that political debate that just gets hotter and hotter as people refuse to give ground or listen to others views'? It's a lost cause so give it up.]

A change in attitude doesn’t necessarily lead to a change in behaviour - who was moved by “An Inconvenient Truth”, but hasn’t traded in their as guzzler yet? For behaviour to change, we also need to make changes to the environment. [Telling people to behave in certain ways is unlikely to be successful on its own, unless you add in an environmental modifier - like assessing behaviours as part of the performance management process.]

To create change, leaders need to balance Ethos, Pathos and Logos. [Speak to people's values, connect with their emotions, and back up your argument with relevant facts]

And here endeth the lesson…..

Books recommended by Peter:

Leadership for the Disillusioned

Eager Sellers - Stony Buyers