Ashford Bus 600 Discussion 1 Week 4

A common misconception of persuasion is that it can only be used in sales scenarios and as a manipulation technique. While this is sometimes true, persuasion can also be a valuable tool in business to motivate employees, help teams come to consensus, and guide superiors into implementing your ideas. Jay Conger (1998) states that this can be done by creating credibility, framing goals to identify common ground, reinforcing positions with evidence, and connecting emotionally (p. 4-12). It is important to understand the different, but subtle, approaches to adapt these persuasion steps with bosses, peers, and subordinates.

“Our ability to successfully manage change and achieve results in business is dependent upon our ability to influence people” (Atkinson, 2012, para. 1). I have found this statement to be true in my interactions with peers and superiors throughout my professional career. When persuading superiors, I have found it best to create credibility by ensuring I have a positive reputation. I then pitch my ideas in a way that solves their problems and helps achieve their goals. A significantly higher amount of preparation is also needed in gathering solid evidence and feedback to support my case.

Persuading my peers is a bit easier, as I have likely won their trust in previous interactions. It is important to use “we” and “us” statements in these scenarios to build rapport and create a cooperative, team based environment. A successful technique I have used is to describe their success after following my plan and appealing to their desire to succeed. With little experience with subordinates, I feel as if adopting a servant leadership role is a strong tool when attempting to persuade this group. As a subordinate myself, I respond best to managers who provide insight into decisions, accepting and implementing feedback along the way.

Reference

Atkinson, P. E. (2012). Selling yourself magically: Persuasion strategies for personal and organisational change....