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Improve your Persuasive Power with the Three Greeks

Paul Sloane — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:11:30 +0000

We often find ourselves in a position where we need to influence other people. We might want to change their mind, to sell them on an idea or to secure their agreement to a proposal. A fruitful way to approach these situations is to use the three Greeks, ancient concepts that are proven to work. In my experience most people use only one of the three Greeks and they would be much more effective if they used all three.

The three Greeks are Ethos, Pathos and Logos. Ethos refers to values and standing, authority and credibility. The word ethics derives from the Greek word ethos. Pathos in this context means feelings and emotions. The words empathy and sympathy are derived from the greek word pathos. Logos means logic, reason, and analysis. When we try to persuade people using facts, statistics, deduction and reasoning we are using logos.

How can you use all three Greeks to increase your effectiveness? Let’s start with ethos. Why should someone listen to you? What authority do you have? When you hear a speaker introduced at a conference there is often a short description given of the speaker’s achievements and credentials – this establishes their ethos. It gives the audience a reason to listen and believe. If you are meeting someone for the first time it pays to establish your credentials and expertise – preferably before the meeting but otherwise early in the meeting. The trick is to do this without sounding as though you are boastful. In a preliminary email you might say something like ‘I have worked in this field for 7 years and have helped XXX and YYY to successfully accomplish ZZZ.’ Or you might insert a link and say ‘I thought you might possibly be interested to read this article I published on the subject. The purpose is to establish some level of standing and authority before the meeting. If you are expert it is important to communicate your expertise.

Pathos involves appealing to the feelings of the person or people you are meeting. If you listen to the speeches of Martin Luther King or to the pre-election addresses of Barack Obama you will observe they appeal heavily to emotion rather than logic. They paint a vision of a better future in which people can have hope and pride. These speeches were highly effective in changing people’s minds yet in everyday conversation we tend to shun emotional appeals. But people’s feelings are powerful forces. If we can appeal to pride, excitement, altruism or hope then we can inspire people to change. We can also talk about fear, disappointment, anger and frustration as emotions that can be overcome.

The third Greek is the one that most of us use most of the time. We appeal to facts, rational arguments, logic and reason to advance our case. ‘The reason we should do this is because it will save money and increase sales.’ These might well be good arguments and we should certainly deploy logos to advance our cause. However it we can first establish our credibility with ethos and then also appeal to pathos by painting a picture of a better future in which we can be happy and take pride then we are much more likely to persuade. If we can convince with logic and emotion then we will be doubly effective. Don’t take just one Greek to your next meeting or presentation – take all three.

Paul Sloane

Ask Childish Questions

Paul Sloane — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 11:42:44 +0000

Edwin Land (1909 – 1991) was an American inventor who had studied Chemistry. On holiday he took a photograph of his three year old daughter. She asked why she could not see the result straight away and she kept asking why. Land pondered this question and an idea formed in his mind. He went on to develop the Polaroid camera, a revolutionary product which sold over 150 million units and made Land into a celebrity. His daughter’s naive question had led him to challenge the assumptions that the whole photography industry took for granted.

One of the problem analysis exercises that I run on my Creative Leadership workshops is called Why, Why? You state the problem or challenge and then ask the group why. You write down their answers and for each one you ask why. You keep asking why – just like a little child. This carries on and in the process you gradually reach deeper and deeper into the underlying issues. The object of the exercise is not to solve the problem but to unpack it and to reach a fuller understanding of the causes. You then prioritise the causes and brainstorm to find solutions for the most pressing.

At work we tend to ask one or two questions and then plunge into ideas and discussion. But by asking more questions, and more basic even childish questions, we can discover insights that challenge our assumptions and allow us to reach deeper issues and better solutions – just as Edwin Land did.

Paul Sloane

Nine Tips to help you get Approval from your Boss for your Innovative Idea

Paul Sloane — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 19:21:21 +0000

A common complaint that I hear when I run innovation workshops is this, ‘I have plenty of really creative ideas but my boss just isn’t interested in trying anything new. What can I do?’ Let’s leave aside the possibility that this view is itself distorted and take it at face value. It is a tricky situation that most of us will experience at some time. What can be done? Here are some approaches that can prove helpful:

Understand his objectives and motivations.

Selling an idea is like selling any other product. You have to understand the needs, motives and priorities of the customer. What are your boss’s ‘hot buttons’? What are the issues that really worry him? Is he motivated by pride, ego, money, career advancement, power, recognition or does he want an easy life? If you can discover his goals and his motivations then you can try to present your idea in a way that plays to them. Stress the outcomes of the idea that will help him in one or more of these fields. (Of course your boss can be male or female but for simplicity the boss is referred to as ‘he’ rather than ‘he or she’).

Understand his decision making style.

How does your boss make decisions? Does he prefer numbers, reference from trusted sources, evidence of proof elsewhere, avoidance of risk, logic or emotion? Does he make quick decisions or does he like to chew things over for a while? A recent article in Harvard Business Review by Williams and Miller identified five different styles of decision maker. If you know which style fits your boss then you can tailor your message to give it the best chance of success.

Align your idea with corporate objectives.

It will help if you can show that your idea fits with current corporate objectives. Show clearly that the suggestion will benefit the larger organization.

Choose the right time.

Don’t barge into your boss’s office at the end of a hectic day and buttonhole him with your great idea. Chances are he will simply say no. Instead ask him for some time to discuss an important issue and mention the benefit. ‘Can you spare 20 minutes first thing tomorrow morning to review an idea to significantly improve departmental productivity?’ Don’t give the idea away now – you need his full attention to cover it properly.

If he is risk averse sell risk avoidance.

Sell the benefits of the idea and try to match them to his needs and priorities. Show that you have thought about the risks, costs and downsides. If your boss if risk averse then stress the risks of not implementing the idea. ‘If we don’t seize this opportunity now, other departments could step in ahead of us and gain an advantage.’

Don’t ask for approval, ask for suggestions.

With some bosses it is better not to present a fully formed plan but simply to introduce the concept and ask for his input and advice. Do this if he prefers to discuss things and shape them rather than review and approve. This way you can let him form his version of the idea and claim the credit. You will have the quiet satisfaction of knowing that it came from you.

Build a coalition of supporters.

With some ideas it is better to gain some initial support before asking for approval. Who do you need on your side to help push the idea through? Have a chat with them first. ‘I checked with Betty in IT and with Bob in HR and they agreed that we can resource this if it is approved.’

Try the company suggestions scheme.

If your boss shows no interest (and probably never will) then you can always try the official suggestions scheme. The evaluator may see the merit of the idea. In any event it is registered and that means it can be discussed in the open.

Build it anyway.

This is the ultimate act of confidence and bravado. Do it in your own time as a ‘skunk works’ project and then you can demonstrate the prototype to garner support. Present it as a fait accompli and boldly shrug off any notions that it needed prior approval.

There is considerable evidence that middle managers block innovations. So if you want your idea to succeed you will need a clever way of gaining approval. Don’t give up; your organization needs innovators!

Paul Sloane

Ideas Jam – How it works

Paul Sloane — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:28:31 +0000

We ran the Ideas Jam meeting yesterday and it went well. It was an intensive idea generation session. There were 18 participants from various companies who each brought a challenge from their business – e.g. How can we communicate our new strategy to thousands of people? The morning worked like this:

After an initial ice-breaker we had 45 minutes of ‘speed dating.’ Each person met another person for 3 minutes and acted as a consultant for their challenge. The consultant asked questions and made suggestions (which could not be rejected or criticised). Then the roles were reversed. After the six minute date people moved on to their next date.

Next we divided into three groups of six. Each group choose one challenge and then used the ‘nominal’ brainstorming method to quickly generate 60 ideas. We used the Novel, Attractive, Feasible criteria to select the best ideas from each group and then presented back.

We formed new groups of six and used ‘Reverse the problem’ to generate ideas for another challenge. Finally we used Pass the Parcel to come up with really radical ideas for a further challenge.

Each delegate then chose the best idea(s) for their challenge and identified the benefits and next steps.

The feedback showed that the participants went away with great ideas and some powerful new tools to improve idea generation and implementation in their businesses.

Paul Sloane

Come to an Ideas Jam on July 13 in London

Paul Sloane — Thu, 13 May 2010 08:13:59 +0000

Author: Franek, Wikimedia Commons

The next meeting of the BQF Innovation Unit will consist of an Ideas Jam to be held in central London on the morning of Tuesday July 13.

This is a highly interactive workshop style meeting in which people generate creative ideas for challenges which have been brought to the meeting.

It works like this:

The meeting starts with an intensive speed dating session where every delegate meets every other delegate and discusses business opportunities and challenges. They are encouraged to find collaboration opportunities.
We divide into small teams and use various advanced brainstorming methods to quickly generate creative ideas for different challenges submitted by the participants.
Delegates select the best ideas and commit to feedback on progress against them.

You can bring your challenges with you but you are also encouraged to participate before the event via this blog and to submit your own business challenges as ‘How can we ….?’ questions. You can also email them directly to me.

There is a small charge to cover lunch. To book please contact Pat Myles on 020 7654 5013 or E: pat.myles@bqf.org.uk.

More details and booking.

It will be an exciting morning where you will meet great people and learn powerful creativity methods.

Paul Sloane

‘Your Concerto is Worthless and Unplayable, Mr Tchaikovsky.’

Paul Sloane — Sat, 08 May 2010 08:25:47 +0000

The Russian composer Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893) dedicated his brilliant first piano concerto to the eminent pianist Nikolai Rubinstein. When it was completed in February, 1875, he played the piece for Rubinstein.

Not one word was said – absolute silence… I got up from the piano. ‘Well?’ I said. Then a torrent burst from Rubinstein, my concerto was worthless and unplayable. Bad, trivial, vulgar, only one or two pages had any value.

Rubinstein hated the piece. He wanted Tchaikovsky to make significant changes, but was refused.

I shan’t alter a note. I shall publish it as it stands.

Tchaikovsky crossed out the dedication to Rubinstein from the top of the page. He then rededicated it to Hans von Bülow who played it to great acclaim on his concert tour of the USA. Eventually, Rubinstein changed his opinions about the piece and learned and performed it himself.

Hostile reactions to new creative ideas are not unusual – they are normal. Listening now to Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece, we struggle to see how Rubinstein could have failed to be impressed by it. The lesson is that we all have a built-in resistance to unorthodox innovations that displace us from our comfort zones. We can all be as deaf to brilliant new things as Rubinstein.

Paul Sloane

Let Suggestions bypass the Line Manager

Paul Sloane — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:22:19 +0000

Whatever suggestion scheme or idea initiation events you implement, it is important to ensure that there is a facility for individuals to bypass their line manager if necessary.

Line managers can be resistant to ideas from their own people for a variety of reasons. They might fear that the person making the suggestion might be taken away from them to implement it. They might think that the idea does not reflect well on their department. They might see some implicit criticism of themselves in the suggestion. They might have political agendas or prejudices that lead them to block ideas coming from their team. If all ideas require initial sign-off by the first line manager then the flow of ideas will be inhibited in some areas.

When Lou Gerstner first took over the reins as CEO of IBM one of his first actions was to allow anyone, anywhere in the company to email him with ideas and suggestions. He received a flood of input – much of which gave him useful information on what the real problems were at the grass roots.

Sir Richard Branson has long had a policy that employees can bypass formal idea submission procedures and come straight to him with a business proposal if they are convinced it is the best route.

Allowing people to bypass the normal chain of command provides an essential safety valve that enables radical ideas to be viewed dispassionately at some distance from their source.

Suggestion Schemes are the engine for your Innovation

Paul Sloane — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:35:38 +0000

Does your organisation have an effective employee suggestions scheme? An increasing number of organisations in the both private and public sectors are finding that they can drive innovation and reduce cost by moving their suggestion box from the office wall to the intranet.

Siemens Automation and Drives is a good example. They employ 400 people in Congleton, Cheshire making electric motor drives. Their scheme is called Ideas Unlimited and it generates over 4000 suggestions per year of which some 3000 are implemented. The total savings are around $1.5m per year. Howard Ball administers the scheme part-time. The key is simplicity he explained when he addressed the national conference of ideasUK, a non-commercial association dedicated to employee suggestion schemes and recognition processes.

There are no forms and no paperwork. The intranet application has just four screens – entering the idea, evaluating, accepting or rejecting and implementing. Every manager acts as an evaluator. Payments are made in the form of vouchers to a value of around $80 on acceptance of the idea. They have found that small rewards and recognition on acceptance are a better incentive than larger rewards delayed until implementation.

Another interesting aspect of the Siemens scheme is that they publish league tables of ideas implemented by department with awards for the most successful departments. Managers are incentivised to accept and implement ideas.

Emma Akerman at Siemens suggested that a component be made out of galvanised steel instead of stainless steel. The idea was accepted and will save around £60,000 a year. She says, ‘The fact that you can put in suggestions on-line makes it easier, and knowing you can contribute ideas means you take more interest in your work.’

The main problem that had to be overcome was getting factory workers to use computers. They were not regular PC users so a training and help programme was put in place. Another thing to watch out for is evaluator overload – you have to give time and recognition to those who assess the suggestions. Ideas Unlimited has been a big success with thousands of employee ideas implemented each year. It is a powerhouse of innovation.

Paul Sloane

100 Ways to get Ideas

Paul Sloane — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:13:30 +0000

Ideas are the seedcorn of innovation. We need a large supply of them. Are you sometimes stuck for ideas? Here is an interesting blog by Steve Aitchison in which he gives 100 ways to generate ideas for articles for a blog. The principles work for almost any other requirement to generate ideas. So the next time you need to kick start innovation you now have 100 ways to get going!

Paul Sloane

Innovation in Local Government

Paul Sloane — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:58:18 +0000

Jonathan Kestenbaum

Today I attended a lunchtime discussion on the hot topic of innovation in local government. It was held at NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. It was on the launch of a booklet, More than Good Ideas; the power of innovation in local government. The speakers were:

Jonathan Kestenbaum, CEO, NESTA
Cllr David Parsons, Chair, Local Government Improvement Board
Lucy de Groot, Executive Director of IDEA
Kim Ryley, CEO, Hull City Council

The talks were concise and direct – here are some of the key messages that I noted:

JK – Risks are needed for radical innovations but innovation has become just another buzzword. We are in a perfect storm in local government with increased demands, rising expectations and financial contstraints. The antidote to the storm is bottoms up innovation. There is risk capital available from NESTA for innovative initiatives.

DP – Local government is the most effective part of the whole public sector. It faces severe and diverse challenges such as youth crime, obesity, social housing and climate change. Regional improvement and efficiency partnerships and the public sector innovation laboratory (at NESTA) can be part of the innovation solution.

LDG – We need to be less afraid and more confident about innovating in the public sector. We must fight the ‘not invented here’ syndrome. The unfavourable economic climate makes the need for fresh thinking imperative. If we do not become more innovative we will fail our stakeholders. We need to find better ways to share ideas. We have find new ways to explain to citizens about choices and risks.

KR – We need to move away from the obsession with data and targets towards intelligent risk taking. We should expand our networks of innovators – horizontally and vertically. The goal in local government should be quality of life – not quality of service delivery, which is what is currently measured. We need to find new ways to prioritise since we will not be able to provide all the services that are requested.

A couple of other comments I heard in the discussions were:

We have watered the tree for some time, now we will have to prune the branches.
The inspection regime in local government inhibits innovation and leads to uniform mediocrity.

The booklet makes interesting reading and it is available as a download from the IDEA site here.

Paul Sloane