Tag Archives: persuasion

03/27/24

CEO Shoptalk: Perception, Perspective, Persuasion

One of the mean tricks of Father Time is he arms us with useful skills late in life that we needed when we were in our twenties and then laughs as we try to share that experience and wisdom with others.

Pro tip: given the choice of discovering wisdom at full tuition or renting it — RENT IT.

Today we discuss the linkage amongst perception, perspective, and persuasion — a lesson I wish I had had when I was a 22-year old platoon leader some 51 years ago or a deflowered entrepreneur a decade later. I, unfortunately, paid full tuition. Continue reading →

10/24/21

CEO Shoptalk — Persuasion

If you are a CEO, a manager, a leader you will of necessity order persons who are your subordinates to do things that need to be done. It is the nature of a senior-subordinate relationship, an employer-employee relationship. It is an every day action in the workplace.

How can you ensure that these things you require to be done are, in fact, done?

There are essentially three ways:

 1. You can mandate that they be done under pain of punishment. Discipline in the work place is always lurking just below the surface.

Taken to an extreme, if you fail to follow the mandate, you will be fired.

In 33 years as a CEO and 5 years an Army officer, I never had anyone defy my orders or found it necessary to discipline anybody for willfully not following my direction.

I had plenty of times when someone did not do something I had ordered to be done well, but that is not what we are talking of today.

 2. You can reward persons for the accomplishment of the task.

Whatever behaviors you reward will be observed by others and duplicated.

Feed the good angels; starve the bad angels. Get more good angels. Money talks.

 3. You can persuade them of the necessity and wisdom that the thing be done.

Persuasion requires education, communication, salesmanship, a bit of cajolery, and the willingness to engage in calm debate wherein the titular power of the CEO is put aside for a second as he/she deploys the power of logic. Continue reading →

01/20/20

Persuasion

I read and listen to a lot of current events, news, sports, and I am interested in politics. There is a trend that I am concerned with — the total lack of persuasion in the message.

I see this in, of course, politics, but also such things as the climate debate and the discussion of world terrorism or Texas v North Carolina BBQ.

I found LSU’s thrashing of Clemson very persuasive.

Persuasion is that seductive, inveigling bit of cajoling that entices one to adopt a specific view of things, or a matter of policy, or an opinion. In its most pure form, it is the noble art of information. In is basest form it is a kissing cousin of propaganda.

I find persuasion to be a skill of smart people.

If you are a traditional Aristotelian devotee, you may be tempted to blurt out: ethos, logos, pathos. I am with you, brother and sister.

Continue reading →