Monthly Archives: October 2021

(feature image credit: scientips.com)

“Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?”

“Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I’m in a rush”

In this case, where someone stands behind another person in a queue to use the photocopy machine.

The first question worked 60% of the time compared to the second question, which worked 94% of the time. People like to have a reason for what they do. Give them a reason and they’ll more likely comply with your request

This is called the “Weapons of Influence” where  Showing potential customers the most expensive item first then working downwards in price leads to an increase in the amount spent (as the next products seem cheaper in comparison).

Says the most cited social psychologist, Robert Cialdini who has explained how people use psychological weapons to influence orders in their day-to-day life through his book: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

Have you ever wondered about the Psychology, when people say “Yes” – and how to apply these understandings?

Influence is all about human psychology and how we, as humans, can be persuaded to do different things based on different stimuli and information.

Cialdini has identified six core principles that affect these decision making short cuts, particularly in relation to purchasing and consumption decisions. The main message that he delivers is that if you understand these six principles, then you can use them to your advantage when trying to persuade others to take a specific action or buy a specific product.

These principles are so powerful that they generate substantial change in a wide range of circumstances. Some of these principles you are probably aware of, while other principles of persuasion you might be learning for the first time.

Now, let’s understand each of the 6 universal principles of persuasion identified by Cialdini:

1. Reciprocity

The first universal principle of persuasion is reciprocity.

People are more willing to comply with requests (for favors, services, information, concessions, etc.) from those who have provided such things first. The rule of reciprocity is essentially, I do something for you, and in return, you do something for me. If you receive a gift, a service, a free sample or a favour from someone else, then you are more likely to give something back to that person.

We as humans naturally hate being in debt to someone else, and so even a small gift or favor can lead to larger reciprocation.

Companies offering you a higher price then follow up with a lower price by making this concession, it seems like they are doing you a favor! – It’s another way reciprocation works to persuade you

Give and you shall receive! That’s the power of reciprocity.

2. Scarcity

The second universal principle of persuasion is Scarcity.

“only 5 seats left at this price”

“limited edition shoes”

“All flats are sold, only 2 are left, they are filling fast”

The less of something there is, the more people tend to want it. This holds true for experiences as well as for material products. There’s not really much more to say about this one.

From a persuasion and influence perspective this means that to increase interest in your product or service, you may benefit from reducing its availability (or at least creating a sense of scarcity).

In the world of work it may be possible to create a sense of scarcity around your own availability. This may lead to an increase in desire for what you have to offer. Of course, not everyone is in a position to do this, only those with power. Doing so when you don’t have that power may simply lead others to tell you you’re inefficient.

3. Authority

The third universal principle of persuasion is Authority.

This principle of persuasion is something we usually learn early on.

The principle of authority is that the greater the perceived authority of the person, the more likely you are to comply with their demands and comments. People are more willing to follow the directions or recommendations of a communicator to whom they attribute relevant authority or expertise. These authorities include doctors, lawyers, businesspersons, police officers, etc.

We generally trust people with credentials and a lot of education.

Authority is very powerful and should be used carefully.

4. Commitment and consistency

The fourth universal principle of persuasion is Commitment and Consistency

This principle is about our “…desire to be (and to appear) consistent with what we have already done. Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment. Those pressures will cause us to respond in ways that justify our earlier decision.”

e.g You tell everyone you’re launching a product in 3 months. The public announcement, or what I call “forced accountability,” will motivate you to be more consistent in your execution so you hit your goal.

5. Liking

The fifth universal principle of persuasion is Liking.

Do you like Cricket? Me too…

Simply what it means is, we prefer to say yes to the request of those we like over those we don’t. There are several key properties that determine our view of people: Attractiveness, similarity, compliments, contact & co-operation, conditioning and association. Studies found we automatically attribute traits such as talent, kindness, honesty and intelligence to attractive people. It is no co-incidence that ‘attractive’ political candidates received two and a half times the votes of unattractive rivals.

We like people who are similar to us, with the same views, interests, beliefs and values. We therefore need to find areas of shared interest to increase rapport and connection.

6. Consensus (or social proof)

The sixth and last universal principle of persuasion is Consensus or Social Proof.

“best-selling products”

“117989 People has already bought it”

“ 5 rating by 9 out of 10 people”

What does it reflect?

Humans are social by nature and generally feel that it’s important to conform to the norms of a social group. This means that when it comes to decision making, we often look around us to see what others are doing, before making our mind up.

Interestingly, the more socially specific communications of this type are, the more effective they are.

REFLECTIONS…

The Psychology of Persuasion is all about“how you communicate” and “how you use your words”

One side, now that You’ve learned about these six principles of persuasions, you will be able to have a better understanding on how to use it at work and in your professional environment

On the other side, you’ll also be able to get the skill of handling people who are trying to make a quick buck through deceitful techniques.

About Author: Dr Cialdini is Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University. Dr. Cialdini received his PhD from University of North Carolina and post-doctoral training from Columbia University. He holds honorary doctoral degrees (Doctor Honoris Causa) from Georgetown University, University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Wroclaw, Poland and University of Basil in Switzerland. He has held Visiting Scholar appointments at Ohio State University, the University of California, the Annenberg School of Communications, and the Graduate School of Business of Stanford University. Dr. Robert Cialdini has spent his entire career conducting scientific research on what leads people to say “Yes” to requests. The results of his research, his ensuing articles, and New York Times bestselling books have earned him an acclaimed reputation as a respected scientist and engaging storyteller. His books, including “Influence” and “Pre-Suasion”, have sold more than five-million copies in 41 different languages.

(Feature image credit: www.gse.harvard.edu)

Critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information, and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve problems or make decisions.

We know that critical thinking is necessary and crucial for our work, but how do we get to the

 “Oh! I know!” or

“Hmmm, what if we…” moments?

Those “aha” moments don’t always come quickly enough and some specific steps and questions can help us get there

The question is ,What is critical thinking?

It is Simply “Thinking about thinking”

Thus making us able to take charge of our own thinking

Leading researchers defines critical thinking as:

Robert Ennis’s classic definition:

Critical thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do

Matthew Lipman’s definition:

Critical thinking is skillful,responsible thinking that is conducive to good judgment because it is sensitive to context, relies on criteria, and is self-correcting

Richard Paul definition:

Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking, while you’re thinking, in order to make your thinking better

Ultimately all the definitions point towards : An art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a view to improving it.

As leaders, we use critical thinking to help us make well thought-out evaluations and judgements in tasks such as strategic planning, project management, evaluating business processes, listening to co-workers, mediating conflicts and solving complex problems.

What could be the possible Characteristics of a critical thinker?

• Consider your interactions at work
• Can you answer yes to the following statements?
• I can work with someone new by making a logical plan.
• I can tell the difference between facts and opinions.
• I evaluate evidence to decide whether an opinion is reasonable.
• I change my mind when I find evidence that shows I may not be correct.
• I can look at a problem from different angles.
• I can ask relevant and probative questions.
• I recognize preconceptions, bias, and values in myself and others.
• I can question the bases for my own beliefs and opinions.

Critical thinking processes are most often used with ill-defined problems, i.e., problems that are complex and do not have clear outcomes or an expected solution.

There is no “correct” answer for these problems. However, there are better ways to approach the problem in order to produce the desired results. These types of problems are adaptive and require a systematic approach. Without it the team may fail to reach its strategic goals.

How can you use this systematic process for critical thinking to achieve the best results?

To achieve the best results, it is recommended that you complete the entire process following the steps in order, while diving deeply into the questions provided in the chart below.

All steps are necessary to ensure your team members systematically creates a thoroughly considered solution for the problem.

• PRESENTATION – Team Lead presents the facts of the challenge, problem or situation to the team. Provide previous solutions that have been tried

• INTERPRETATION – Ask Questions, to clarify the problem What is happening?, What is the significance and who is involved?

• ANALYSIS – Discuss the problem, explore each person’s judgement, arguments, opinions, and conclusions. What evidence is provided to backup the team’s experiences, beliefs and opinions shaping the ideas?

• INFERENCE – Brainstorm possible solutions using all data and information available. What facts are used to draw reasonable conclusions? What are the possible alternatives?What are the consequences of these outcomes?

• SLEEPING OVER – Take a break, reflects on it, gather as much additional data possible

• EVALUATION – Have a Recap from previous meeting and lead to ask questions about their reasoning and conclusions. Team members evaluate the validity of their argument or solution

• EXPLAINATION – Formally verbalize and outline their explanation of their proposed decision or solution       

• SELF REGULATION – Lead now questions, confirms, validates and connects the proposed decision or solution to ensure a complete process and conclusion

• ACTION PLAN – Lead now outlines specific action steps and assigns a team member to each task with expected deadlines

It can be helpful to use roles during the process and highly recommended to set a time limit for each section. Consider roles like Team Leader, Facilitator, Time keeper, Note-taker etc. to facilitate the best possible outcome during the critical thinking process.

Using this process will not only aid your team in making well thought-out decisions on complex and ill-defined problems, but it will also provide a foundation for your team members to practice their critical thinking skills.

When asking for feedback on any project, your team will learn to pose a series of questions first rather than stating their opinion. This is a reflective practice that creates deeper thinking and a meaningful conversation about the work. Consider this process for strategic planning, project management, evaluating business processes, listening to co-workers, mediating conflicts and solving complex problems. Find the root cause, make informed decisions, and be sure to execute with trackable action steps!

Sources: (Sources: ; http://cdavisengl.weebly.com/ ; https://www.pearsonhighered.com/ ; http://assets.cambridge.org/ ; http://leadership.hr.ufl.edu/ ; http://www.edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ ; https://facultycenter.ischool.syr.edu/ ; https://www.thoughtco.com/)

The strategy we use for raising children, teaching students, and workers can be rephrased as:

“Do this and you’ll get that”

While manipulating people with incentives may seem to work in the short run, it is a strategy that ultimately fails and does lasting harm.

Drawing from hundreds of studies, Alfie Kohn – the author of the book “Punished by rewards”, demonstrates that people do inferior work when enticed with money or other incentives. Programs that use rewards to change people’s behavior are similarly ineffective over the long run.

“Do rewards motivate people?” asks Kohn. ”Yes. They motivate people to get rewards.”

Does it mean that rewards are just as undesirable as punishment?

By virtue of being controlling, they’re likely to be experienced as disgusting in the long run. The reason is that while students would certainly like to have goody itself – the gift or money – none of us enjoys having the things we desire used as levers to control our behavior. Rewards are most damaging to the interest when the task is already intrinsically motivating. That may be simply because there is that much more interest to lose when extrinsic rewards are introduced; If you are doing something boring, your interest level may be at rock bottom

There are at least 70 studies showing that extrinsic motivators – including A+ grade, sometimes praise, and other rewards-are merely ineffective over the long haul but counterproductive with respect to the things that concerns us most like desire to learn, commitment to good values and so on.

Another group of studies shows that when people are offered a reward for doing s task that involves some degree of problem solving or creativity-or for doing it well-they will tend to do lower quality work than those offered with no reward

That seems so contrary to our everyday experience right?

Everybody is used to getting rewards and giving them. Educators think it’s only right to give rewards; kids who do good things deserve rewards

However, Alfie Kohn, presents an argument unsettling to hear but impossible to dismiss.

Now the question is…

How can we expect all kids will find all the curriculum intrinsically motivating?

Though it is not realistic to expect intrinsic motivation from all kids.The author says, a given child is likely to be more interested in some things than others, but we’re not talking about putting something on the chalkboard and expecting kids to jump up and down and say,”I can’t wait to get this!”

Skillful teaching involves facilitating the process by which kids come to handle complex ideas – and those ideas have to emerge organically from the real-life interests and concerns of the kids. ”Which is bigger, 5/7 or 9/11?” Kids will say, “who cares?” But kids care very much about how fast they are growing. Within that context, the skills necessary to figure it out become interesting to most kids

What about praise? Because it’s not a tangible reward.

If you tell one of your staff members that he or she did a terrific job on something, are you giving a reward at that point? Positive feedback that is perceived as information is not in itself destructive and indeed can be and encouragement –helping people feel acknowledged so that their interest in a task is redoubled- is not a bad thing.

However, most praise given to children takes the form of a verbal reward, which can have the same destructive impact as other rewards: it feels controlling, it distorts the relationship between the adult and the child-and between the child and his peers-and it undermines interest in the task itself.

So what author is suggesting instead of rewards and praises?

There are three Cs of Motivation:

• CONTENT –  Our school environment also provided the content of the tasks that the children could do by having a three-year progression of lessons for the three-to six-year old displayed on low shelves. The work at school was meaningful to the children with practical activities such as sweeping, buttoning, cutting an apple, as well as learning letter sounds and shapes, reading, writing, spelling, number work, geography, music and more. Kohn quotes Herzberg, ”’If you want people to do a good job, give them a good job to do.”’ The classroom content was full of interesting and challenging work.

• COLLABORATION – Our classroom provided for collaboration, as children were free to observe each other at work, free to ask questions and free to move around. The children also knew they were at school to learn to do new things and be with their friends. The children were given basic rules of behavior on how to treat each other and the materials in the classroom and the consequences for not following those rules. Children understood they were at school to learn and work together.

• CHOICE – The element of choice in the classroom was a critical factor in creating an environment of achievement, thus leading to the children’s motivation to learn and challenge themselves. The children knew they were free to choose activities a teacher had presented. The children recognized they could work with their chosen activity all day if desired, without being interrupted or told to ”share” the activity with another child. Children were also allowed to ask for a new or challenging lesson. Kohn cites 47 studies that show that the higher the level of decision-making, the higher productivity and job satisfaction in a work environment. Choice created powerful learning in our classroom.

You show me a school that really has those three Cs in place-where students are working with one another in a caring environment to engage with interesting tasks that they have some say in choosing-and I’ll show you a place where you don’t need to use punishment or rewards

About Author: Alfie Kohn writes and speaks widely on human behavior, education, and parenting. The author of fourteen books and hundreds of articles, he lectures at education conferences and universities as well as to parent groups and corporations. Kohn’s criticisms of competition and rewards have been widely discussed and debated, and he has been described in Time magazine as “perhaps the country’s most outspoken critic of education’s fixation on grades and test scores.”

Working for the sake of working is irrational. The best way to get more meaningful work done is by working deeply – working in a state of high concentration without distractions on a single task

Deep work by Cal Newport, is a book about science of productivity which explains two important aspects of:

• Why deep work maximizes productivity and why only few people practice it?
• How to make deep work a regular practice in our lives

What is Deep Work?

Deep work refers to distraction-free, high concentration work that improves your skills creates a lot of value in little time, and is very hard to replicate

It is also important to understand, what we are doing, when we are not doing the Deep Work?

Cal says, Work referring to non-cognitively demanding tasks with little focus or a distracted ones is called Shallow Work. This type of work is easily replicated like checking emails every few minutes, giving into distractions of social media push notifications etc.

The Four Rules of Deep Work

Rule 1: Work Deeply

Working deeply due to its effortful nature is very thing most of us don’t want to do. Add this to an environment and culture that makes deep work difficult, and a finite amount of willpower that gets depleted as we use it. To make deep work a staple in our day-to-day lives, we need to create rituals and routines that make things easier and more automatic for us

Rule 2: Embrace Boredom

Try not to fill every single empty space in your day. Allow your mind to wander and create for itself, rather than relying on devices and keep checking your inbox or looking at your smartphone at every opportunity you get. Train your ability to resist distractions

Rule 3: Quit Social Media

Social Media is the prime example for shallow living .Think of social media as a tool. If spending time on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram is a useful means to an end for either your work or personal life, then go ahead and schedule time to participate. But if it’s a drain on your energy, and doesn’t serve any true purpose, cut your ties and find a new social outlet that fulfils your needs.

Rule 4: Drain the Shallows

Shallow work, as you see is all about answering emails, making phone calls, attending to meetings, and other inevitable but ultimately low-value tasks. If you are serious about working deeply, you need to drain the shallows, Squeeze the unnecessary meetings and chores out of your workweek. Schedule the time for deep work and don’t let shallow work get in the way of deep work

Four Approaches to systematically carving out time for deep work

1. Monastic Philosophy – This involves cutting yourself from distractions completely, like a monk in a monastery
2. Bimodal Philosophy – This modes alternates between a normally engaged life and a monastic approach.
3. Rhythmic Philosophy – This involves a fixed time for deep work every day, such as 5-7 am or a fixed time for deep work in a week such as Wednesday and Friday
4. Journalistic Philosophy – It’s Cal’s main approach, where you can fit deep work into your schedule whenever you can, like a journalist, who writes on situations with a deadline

Whatever works for you, the goal is to make deep work a core in your life…

About Author: Cal Newport is a computer science professor at Georgetown University who is also a New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including, A World without Email, Digital Minimalism, and Deep Work, which have been published in over 35 languages

(feature Image credit: Alfonso de la Rocha)