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Almost everyone aspires to be influential and to persuade others to act according to their wishes. However, it's crucial to recognise that the ability to influence yourself is equally influential. This involves persuading yourself to undertake actions that, though initially reluctant, are both correct and crucial for your growth.
These situations highlight the importance of being able to influence yourself effectively. Mastering the art of self-influence, as well as learning how to persuade others, follows specific principles and patterns. Becoming an influential leader means mastering these principles to motivate yourself and others in alignment with your goals.
This book clearly outlines six psychological factors that make people say "YES!": reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. Here are three compelling reasons to read this book:
1) Learn How to Persuade Yourself: Discover techniques to influence your own behaviour and make better decisions.
2) Learn How to Persuade Others: Gain insights into effective strategies for convincing others and enhancing your influence.
3) Recognise How Others Persuade You: Understand the subtle psychological tactics others use to influence your decisions.
Among these six elements, I believe that commitment and consistency (Cialdini, 2007)are particularly effective in fostering personal growth. Understanding these principles can significantly enhance your ability to lead yourself and others, making you a more influential and effective leader.
The principle of commitment and consistency reveals how powerful the need to maintain a consistent self-image can be. People are highly motivated to uphold their commitments once they make them publicly (Cialdini, 2007). By making a public commitment, you can significantly influence yourself and others. This principle not only helps persuade yourself but can also be used to persuade others effectively.
For example, if you publicly commit to completing a challenging project, the social pressure to adhere to your promise will strongly persuade you to follow through. Similarly, making public commitments can be a powerful way to influence others, as they, too, will feel the psychological pressure to align their actions with their stated goals.
I recently used this influential principle to motivate myself to create content. The day before I was supposed to start writing, I felt unmotivated and unsure if I would meet the deadline. To overcome this, I made a public pledge in my company's communication group, stating, "I will submit the draft by tomorrow morning, so we can start on the article production right after." The next day, the first thing I did upon returning to the office was to sit down and write the draft.
This experience shows that making a public commitment is one of the most effective ways to persuade yourself and ensure you follow through on your tasks.
Making a public commitment is an influential way to clarify your intentions and goals. However, it's important to be cautious because even an unwilling promise can still persuade our mindset. Deep down, we dislike being seen as inconsistent. Once we make a promise, we will gradually adjust our position to align with it, thereby eliminating the psychological pressure of inconsistency.
When others ask us to commit, we should recognise the psychological weight of promises. A promise is not just a casual statement; it carries significant psychological influence. If you realise that you have already broken some promises, the best approach is to remind yourself of the psychological mechanism behind them. It’s better to endure a small amount of psychological discomfort from feeling inconsistent than to completely betray yourself. Being aware of this psychological mechanism can help you avoid being unconsciously persuaded by past promises.
If you want to influence others, getting them to make commitments early on can be very effective.
For example, in a workplace setting, imagine you're leading a team and want to ensure everyone meets an upcoming project deadline. By having team members publicly commit to specific tasks and deadlines during a team meeting, you leverage social pressure to drive them to fulfil their promises. When individuals publicly declare their commitments, they are more motivated to follow through to maintain their consistency and reputation.
People are inherently social beings, and when they see everyone around them making commitments, it becomes challenging for them to act differently on their own. In everyday life, there are many similar examples where social pressure plays a crucial role.
If you're interested in learning how to be influential and persuade others, and protect yourself from being manipulated by these psychological principles, remember to check out the book "Influence" by Robert Cialdini.
Becoming influential and effectively persuading others are essential skills in both personal and professional life. MindForest can help you master these skills:
1) Goal Setting and Tracking: Define your personal and professional goals with MindForest. By setting clear objectives and tracking your progress, you can maintain a consistent approach in your interactions. The app will prompt you to reassess your strategies, helping you to stay aligned with your goals and enhance your ability to persuade others effectively.
2) AI-Driven Scenario Analysis: Use our AI coach for simulations that mimic real-life situations. These practical exercises will challenge your decision-making and persuasion techniques. Whether you need to influence a team decision or negotiate with clients, MindForest helps you practice and refine your skills, making you a more influential leader.
3) Reflective Insight Journal: Utilise MindForest’s journal to analyse your decisions and interaction with others. This feature helps you identify and understand the psychological principles behind persuasion and influence. By reflecting on your experiences, you can improve your ability to persuade others and become a more effective leader.
Download MindForest today to boost your influence and persuasion skills, and to become a more effective and influential leader.
Reference
Cialdini, R. B. (2007).Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. New York: Harper Collins.
