Binding: Digital
Format: Download: PDF
Label: Harvard Business Review
Manufacturer: Harvard Business Review
Number Of Pages: 15
Publication Date: 2000-02-01
Publisher: Harvard Business Review
Release Date: 2008-10-25
Studio: Harvard Business Review

This article defines and explains the four essential elements of persuasion. Business today is largely run by teams and populated by authority-averse baby boomers and Generation Xers. That makes persuasion more important than ever as a managerial tool. But contrary to popular belief, author Jay Conger (director of the University of Southern California's Marshall Business School's Leadership Institute) asserts, persuasion is not the same as selling an idea or convincing opponents to see things your way. It is instead a process of learning from others and negotiating a shared solution. To that end, persuasion consists of these essential elements: establishing credibility, framing to find common ground, providing vivid evidence, and connecting emotionally. Persuasion can be a force for enormous good in an organization, but people must understand it for what it is: an often painstaking process that requires insight, planning, and compromise.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Essential Reading for All Professionals
Comment: Simply put: this is the best article on applied persuasion that I have read in years.

Conger takes a slightly different approach to persuasion than most authors. In a sense, I would suggest he is talking about how professionals can build and exercise influence. Based on his observations of many professionals, Conger delivers essential advice such as "persuasion is not a one-shot effort" and "persuasion is not about who has the best technical arguments." Instead, Conger talks about the reasons why we allow ourselves to be influenced by others. In my own words, these reasons are relationships and credibility.

When delivering an executive session on influence, this article is always the first that I select. I....

My advice is to skip the more recent influence articles from HBR and read this article instead. .... In a short period of time, you will get solid advice about influencing others that will serve you well inside the office and out.

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