In yesterday’s Advisor, best-selling author Dan Pink showed how every manager is a salesperson. Today, more of his tips for influencing others, plus an introduction to the all-HR-in-one website, HR.BLR.com®.
Pink’s best-selling titles include Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us and To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others. Pink’s remarks came at SHRM’s Annual Conference and Exposition held recently in Chicago.
[Go here for takeaways 1 and 2.]
#3. Don’t forget the importance of context.
To illustrate the importance of context, Pink told the story of a food drive at a university. First, the researchers identified, by peer evaluation, those students least likely to donate and those most likely to donate. Then the students were divided into two groups.
Group 1 got a general letter announcing the drive. Group 2 got a personally addressed letter, with specific suggestions of what to donate, a map, and a follow-up phone call. Here’s how the study worked out:
|
|
Least Likely to Donate |
Most Likely to Donate |
|
General Notice |
0% |
8% |
|
Personalized Notice |
25% |
44% |
Looking at the results, Pink says that we underestimate the importance of context. As can be seen, there is a dramatic difference in results.
Pink’s other context recommendation is to be sure that you provide an “off-ramp.” That is, make it easy for people to act.
An HR example of an easy off-ramp, says Pink, is related to saving for retirement. Companies tried for years to get employees to save with no luck, until they provided the off-ramp—automatic enrollment.
#4. Learn how to motivate yourself.
Self-talk to pump yourself before you go in to sell is important and helpful. “Declarative” pumping—“I can do this”—is better than neutral behavior, but what is most helpful is “interrogative” self-talk—”Can I do this?”
Interrogative self-talk helps because it elicits active responses, like “Gotta remember to mention this.” You’re preparing and rehearsing.
HR budget cuts? Let us help. HR.BLR.com is your one-stop solution for all your HR compliance and training needs. Take a no-cost, no-obligation trial and get a complimentary copy of our special report Critical HR Recordkeeping—From Hiring to Termination. It’s yours—no matter what you decide.
#5. Make it personal.
Pink tells the story of a study of radiologists in Israel. Their jobs were to read scans on computers. The radiologists were divided into two groups. The first group read scans as usual. The second group also read scans as usual, but they were given a photo of the patient for each scan.
The latter group—those furnished with pictures—wrote longer, more meticulous reports. That was interesting, says Pink, but further into the study, it got really interesting. After a period of time, the researchers went back to the group who had been given the pictures of the patients and without them being aware, had them read the same scans as before but without the pictures.
The stunning finding was that about 80 percent of the previous findings were not reported! Make it personal, he says.
Pink also told of visiting a pizza restaurant in D.C. with his family. There was a sign: “I need your help. If anything is less than perfect, call my cell.” It was signed by the store manager and he gave the cell number. That’s making it personal both ways, says Pink. Put yourself on the line.
Selling your ideas—one of what, a dozen challenges on your desk? In HR, if it’s not one thing, it’s another. Like FMLA intermittent leave, overtime hassles, ADA accommodation, and then on top of that, whatever the agencies and courts throw in your way.
You need a go-to resource, and our editors recommend the “everything-HR-in-one website,” HR.BLR.com. As an example of what you will find, here are some policy recommendations concerning e-mail, excerpted from a sample policy on the website:
Privacy. The director of information services can override any individual password and thus has access to all e-mail messages in order to ensure compliance with company policy. This means that employees do not have an expectation of privacy in their company e-mail or any other information stored or accessed on company computers.
Find out what the buzz is all about. Take a no-cost look at HR.BLR.com, solve your top problem, and get a complimentary gift.
E-mail review. All e-mail is subject to review by management. Your use of the e-mail system grants consent to the review of any of the messages to or from you in the system in printed form or in any other medium.
Solicitation. In line with our general policy, e-mail must not be used to solicit for outside business ventures, personal parties, social meetings, charities, membership in any organization, political causes, religious causes, or other matters not connected to the company’s business.
We should point out that this is just one of hundreds of sample policies on the site. (You’ll also find analyses of laws and issues, job descriptions, and complete training materials for hundreds of HR topics.)
You can examine the entire HR.BLR.com program free of any cost or commitment. It’s quite remarkable—30 years of accumulated HR knowledge, tools, and skills gathered in one place and accessible at the click of a mouse.
What’s more, we’ll supply a free downloadable copy of our special report, Critical HR Recordkeeping—From Hiring to Termination, just for looking at HR.BLR.com. If you’d like to try it at absolutely no cost or obligation to continue (and get the special report, no matter what you decide), go here.