The
most successful leaders all have one thing in common: They've read How to
Win Friends and Influence People.
As a salesman at one point in his life, author Dale
Carnegie made his sales territory the national leader for the firm he worked
for.
Carnegie eventually ended his sales career and taught
public speaking, earning up to $500 every week -- the equivalent of $11,800
today. Even Warren Buffet, one of the most successful investors of the
20th century, took Carnegie's course at age 20.
Fortunately for us, all the same lessons were packaged
into the now famous book, How to Win Friends and Influence People.
But how do we find time to read and remember all 214
pages?
Most of us don't. The book becomes another item on that
backlog of to-dos we never seem to go to. That's why we summarized the entire
book for you. In fact, here is a quick snapshot of all 30 principles.
To capture the full lessons behind each of Carnegie's
principles (which are listed below), jump or scroll down for quick summaries,
tweet-worthy quotes, and practice exercises.
Fundamental
Techniques in Handling People
PART ONE
Principle Overview:
World famous psychologist B.F. Skinner proved that an
animal rewarded for good behavior will learn much faster and retain what it
learns far more effectively than an animal punished for bad behavior.
Since then, further studies have shown that this same
principle applies to humans as well: Criticizing others doesn’t yield
anything positive.
We aren’t able to make real changes by criticizing
people, and we’re instead often met with resentment. It’s important to remember
that when dealing with people, we’re dealing not with creatures of logic, but
with creatures of emotion, who are motivated by pride and ego.
Criticism is futile because it puts a
person on the defensive and usually makes them strive to justify themselves.
DALE CARNEGIE
Practice Principle 1:
Do you know someone you would like to change in some way?
When you find yourself getting caught up in other people’s annoying habits or
behaviors, think of a few reasons they might be acting the way they are.
Say to yourself, “I should forgive them for this because
…” and conclude this sentence with an open mind. You’ll be in a much better
position to hold back from criticizing.
HBR Resource: Candor, Criticism, Teamwork
Principle Overview:
The only way we can get a person to do anything is by
giving them what they want. What do most people want?
Health, food, sleep, money, sex. Most of these wants are
usually gratified, but there is one longing, almost as deep and ingrained as
the desire for food or sleep, that is seldom gratified: the desire to be
important.
The deepest principle in human nature is
the craving to be appreciated.
WILLIAM JAMES
We tend to take the people in our lives for granted so
often that we neglect to let them know that we appreciate them. We must be
careful to keep in mind the difference between appreciation and flattery, which
seldom works with discerning people, as it is shallow, selfish and insincere.
Flattery comes from the tongue; appreciation comes from
the heart.
Day in and day out, we spend most of our time thinking
about ourselves. But if we stop thinking about ourselves for a bit and start
thinking about other people’s strengths, we wouldn’t have to resort to cheap
flattery and we could offer honest, sincere appreciation.
With words of true appreciation, we have the power to
completely change another person’s perception of themselves, improve their
motivation, and be a driving force behind their success. When you think about
it like that - when we have nothing to lose and only positive outcomes to gain
- why wouldn’t we offer genuine appreciation more often?
Since implementing HubSpot's software and
inbound marketing methodology, we have grown organic traffic by 450%.
Kathleen Knapp
SEO Guru
Principle Overview:
Perhaps your favorite dessert is strawberry cheesecake.
Excellent choice! Now, if you were to go fishing, would you bait your hook with
cheesecake? Of course not -- that’s what you like, but fish prefer worms.
Lloyd George, Great Britain’s Prime Minister during World
War I, who stayed in power long after the other wartime leaders had been
forgotten, was asked how he managed to remain on top. His response: He had learned
that it is necessary to “bait the hook to suit the fish.”
In other words, give people what they want, not
what you want.
"Of course, you are interested in what
you want. But no one else is. The rest of us are just like you: we are
interested in what we want."
Dale Carnegie
This principle is absolutely key in influencing others.
To convince someone to do something, we have to frame it
in terms of what motivates them. And in order to do that, we have to be able to
see things from their point of view as well as our own.
Most salespeople spend a lifetime selling without seeing
things from the customer’s angle, wondering why they’re not successful as they
completely ignore the customer’s needs.
If we can put aside our own thoughts, opinions, and
wants, and truly see things from another person’s perspective, we will be able
to convince them that it is in their best interest to do whatever it is
we’re after.
"The world is full of people who are
grabbing and self-seeking. So the rare individual who unselfishly tries to
serve others has an enormous advantage. He has little competition."
Dale Carnegie
Practice Principle 3:
Next time you want to persuade someone to do something,
before you speak, pause and ask yourself, “How can I make this person want to
do it? How can I frame this in terms of her wants?”
When you’re writing an email that contains a request, try
replacing “I” and “my” with “you” and “your” as much as possible. Craft your
language to make it about them.
Entrepreneur Resource: 9 Habits of Persuasive Business LeadersSix-Ways-to-Make-People-Like-You
Six
Ways to Make People Like You
PART TWO
We are often tempted to argue with others, especially
when we are absolutely convinced that we’re right about something. But even if
we are right, what does arguing about it yield? Why prove someone else wrong?
Is that going to make the person like us? Why not just let him save face, if we
have nothing to gain from it but “feeling” superior?
Not to mention, nine times out of 10, arguing just
results in the other person even more firmly convinced that he is right.
According to Carnegie, it’s impossible to win an
argument. If we lose the argument, we lose; if we win the argument, we have
made the other person feel inferior, hurt his pride, and made him resent us. In
other words, we still lose.
"There is only one way under high
heaven to get the best of an argument - and that is to avoid it."
Dale Carnegie
What if, instead of arguing with someone, we admit their
importance through appreciation? This can expand the other person’s ego so he
can then become sympathetic and kind.
To keep a disagreement from becoming an argument, we can:
·
Welcome
the disagreement. If the other person is
raising a point we haven’t considered, we can be thankful it’s brought to our
attention. It may save us from making a mistake.
·
Distrust
our first instinctive impression. Our
natural reaction to a disagreeable situation is to become defensive. We should
keep calm and watch out for how we first react.
·
Control
our temper. Only negative outcomes result from a bad
temper.
·
Listen
first. We can give our opponents a chance to talk
without interrupting, and let them finish without resisting, defending, or
debating.
·
Look
for areas of agreement.
Surface those first.
·
Be
honest. Look for areas where we can admit error
and apologize for our mistakes. This helps reduce defensiveness.
·
Promise
to think over our opponents’ ideas and study them carefully. And mean it. Thank our opponents sincerely for their
interest. If they’re taking the time to argue with us, they’re interested in
the same things we are.
·
Postpone
action to give both sides time to think through the problem. In the meantime, ask ourselves honestly if our opponents
might be right, or partly right.
Next time you find yourself in a disagreement with
someone, don’t respond with criticism or a negative email. Instead, sleep on
it. You’d be surprised how much perspective you can gain by giving yourself a
bit of time to think the situation over.
Grammar Resource: Negative Words to Avoid in Writing
Along similar lines of not engaging in arguments, we
should also avoid telling someone that they’re plain wrong. If we begin by
announcing that we’re going to prove something to someone, we’re essentially
telling them that we are smarter than they are and we’re going to teach them a
thing or two.
This comes off as a challenge. It arouses opposition and
incites in the other person a desire to battle with us.
"If you are going to prove anything,
don’t let anybody know it. Do it so subtly, so adroitly, that no one will feel
you are doing it."
Dale Carnegie
Even when we’re talking on the phone, our smile
comes through in our voices.
Carnegie tells a story of a computer department manager
who was desperately trying to recruit a PhD for his department. He finally
found the perfect candidate, but the boy also had offers from much larger and
better known companies. When the boy told the manager that he was choosing his company,
the manager asked why.
The boy explained: "I think it was because managers
in the other companies spoke on the phone in a cold business-like manner, which
made me feel like just another business transaction. Your voice sounded as if
you were glad to hear from me … that you really wanted me to be part of your
organization."
A simple smile can go a long way.
Practice Principle 2:
This one is simple: Challenge yourself to smile at
someone every hour of the day for a full week.
Since implementing HubSpot's software and
inbound marketing methodology, we have grown organic traffic by 450%.
Kathleen Knapp
SEO Guru
Principle Overview:
A person's name is a very powerful thing - it's an
embodiment of that person's identity. It's a reference to them. So remembering
and using someone's name is a great way to make that person feel important.
"The average person is more interested
in his or her own name than in all the other names on earth put together."
Dale Carnegie
Calling someone by their name is like paying them a very
subtle compliment. Conversely, forgetting or misspelling someone's name can have
the opposite effect and make it feel as though we are distant and disinterested
in them.
Remembering and using people's names is also a critical
component of good leadership. The executive who can't remember his employees'
names can't remember a significant part of his business, and is operating on
quicksand.
Yet, most people don't remember names for the simple
reason that they don't put in the effort to. We make excuses that we are too
busy. We are introduced to a stranger and forget his name only a few minutes
later.
"The information we are imparting or
the request we are making takes on a special importance when we approach the
situation with the name of the individual. From the waitress to the senior
executive, the name will work magic as we deal with others."
Dale Carnegie
Practice Principle 3:
Next time you meet someone new, make a sincere effort to
remember her name. Repeat her name several times and try to associate it in
your mind with her features or expression, or something you've learned about
her.
If it is an uncommon name, ask her to repeat it or spell
it for you. Then write it down later so you can visualize the name too.
Free Tool:
Just as asking someone to repeat their name for the fifth time can be taken as
frustrating, so can asking "have you seen my email yet?" With Sidekick, you can see when your emails are opened and avoid
having to irk recipients with continuous probing.
Principle Overview:
Carnegie explains that he once attended a dinner party
where he met a botanist whom he found to be absolutely fascinating. He listened
for hours with excitement as the botanist spoke of exotic plants and indoor
gardens, until the party ended and everyone left.
Before leaving, the botanist told the host of the dinner
party that Carnegie was a “most interesting conversationalist” and gave him
several compliments.
Of course, Carnegie had hardly said anything at all. What
he had done was listen intently. He listened because he was genuinely
interested.
“And so I had him thinking of me as a good conversationalist
when, in reality, I had been merely a good listener and had encouraged him to
talk,” Carnegie notes.
Even the most ill-tempered person, the most violent
critic, will often be subdued in the presence of a patient, sympathetic
listener.
Take for example, a store clerk. If the clerk constantly
interrupts and irritates customers, those customers are more likely to start
arguments and bring frustrations and complaints to the store manager. But a
clerk who is willing to listen could calm even a customer who storms in already
angry.
Most of us are so concerned with what we are going to say
next that we don’t truly listen when someone else is speaking. Yet, most people
would prefer a good listener to a good talker.
"If you want to know how to make
people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is
the recipe: Never listen to anyone for long. Talk incessantly about yourself.
If you have an idea while the other person is talking, don’t wait for him or
her to finish: bust right in and interrupt in the middle of a sentence."
Dale Carnegie
Remember that the people we are talking to are a hundred
times more interested in themselves and their own problems than they are in us
and our problems.
Practice Principle 4:
Next time you have a conversation, pay attention to how
much of the conversation is you talking vs. the other person talking. How much
listening are you doing?
Aim to do 75% listening and 25% talking.
As you practice this, pay attention to what causes you to
jump in with more talking. Are you filling awkward silences? Do you tend to get
carried away when you tell stories or share ideas? Think of some ways you can
encourage the other person to do more of the sharing.
Principle Overview:
We now understand that people like to talk about
themselves and have others be interested in them. The next best thing to
talking about themselves is talking about the things that they enjoy.
Whenever Theodore Roosevelt expected a visitor, he would
stay up late the night before, reading up on whatever subject he knew
particularly interested his guest. And that is because Roosevelt was keenly
aware of the following idea:
"The royal road to a person’s heart is
to talk about the things he or she treasures most."
Theodore Roosevelt
Carnegie describes a story from a man named Edward
Chalif, who was planning to ask the president of one of the largest
corporations in America to pay for his son to go on a Boy Scout trip.
Before Mr. Chalif went to see him, he had heard that this
man had drawn up a check for a million dollars, and that after it was canceled,
he had had it framed. Upon meeting the man, he mentioned how much he admired
the check and would love to see it.
The man was thrilled! He talked about the check for some
time, until he realized he hadn’t asked why Mr. Chalif was there to see him.
When Mr. Chalif mentioned his request, the man agreed without any questions and
even offered to fund the trip for several other boys as well.
Mr. Chalif later explained, “If I hadn’t found out what
he was interested in, and got him warmed up first, I wouldn’t have found him
one-tenth as easy to approach.”
Talking in terms of the other person’s interests benefits
both parties.
How often do we notice someone who looks very down, or
bored - perhaps someone whose job is very repetitive or someone whose boss
doesn’t give him or her much recognition? Maybe it’s a store clerk, or the
mailman, or our hair dresser. What could we say to that person to cheer them up?
We could think of something about them that we honestly
admire. This might sometimes be difficult with a stranger, but we should push
ourselves to think of something, and mention it to them.
When Carnegie describes having this type of interactions with
a stranger, he notes that many people have asked him what he was trying to get
out of the person. His response:
"If we are so contemptibly selfish
that we can’t radiate a little happiness and pass on a bit of honest
appreciation without trying to get something out of the other person in return
- if our souls are no bigger than sour crab apples, we shall meet with the
failure we so richly deserve."
Dale Carnegie
In other words, we should all be happy - and excited - to
do something for someone else when they can’t do anything for us in return. As
we’ve reiterated throughout each of these principles, the one all-important
law of human conduct is to always make the other person feel important.
And just as the Golden Rule states, “Do unto others as
you would have others do unto you.”
Practice Principle 6:
Find someone who doesn’t appear to be having a good day -
perhaps a demotivated colleague, an overworked waitress, or a man selling
newspapers on the corner. Go out of your way to offer words of kindness to that
person through a genuine compliment. Aim to do this at least once every day.
How
To Win People To Your Way of Thinking
PART THREE
We are often tempted to argue with others, especially
when we are absolutely convinced that we’re right about something. But even if
we are right, what does arguing about it yield? Why prove someone else wrong?
Is that going to make the person like us? Why not just let him save face, if we
have nothing to gain from it but “feeling” superior?
Not to mention, nine times out of 10, arguing just
results in the other person even more firmly convinced that he is right.
According to Carnegie, it’s impossible to win an
argument. If we lose the argument, we lose; if we win the argument, we have
made the other person feel inferior, hurt his pride, and made him resent us. In
other words, we still lose.
"There is only one way under high
heaven to get the best of an argument - and that is to avoid it."
Dale Carnegie
Instead of starting with “You’re wrong,” what if we were
to say, “Well now, I thought otherwise, but I may be wrong. If I am wrong, I
want to know why. Let’s examine the facts.”
The latter approach becomes disarming, and often causes
the other person to be much more reasonable, or even thank us for having an
understanding attitude. It also (hopefully) inspires our opponent to be just as
fair and open-minded as we are.
In fact, it’s really not the ideas themselves that are so
important to us, but our self-esteem, which is threatened when we are told that
we’re wrong. Without our egos threatened, we may become very open to exploring
new possibilities.
Practice Principle 2:
Next time you find yourself becoming frustrated or
disagreeing with another person’s perspective, stop yourself from shaking your
head, and adjust how you phrase your opinion:
“No,
you’re wrong.”
✓
“Why do you see it that way?”
“No, that’s the wrong way to tackle.”
✓
“Why do you think that’s the best option to pursue?”
You might even ask the other person for permission to
share your perspective on the matter, which readies the other person to listen
to your ideas in a less critical mindset.
Carnegie tells a story of taking his dog to the park
without a muzzle or a leash, and running into a police officer who scolded him,
as this was against the law. The next few times Carnegie took his dog out, he
kept him on a leash, but the dog didn’t like it. So the next time, Carnegie let
the dog run free. When he ran into that same police officer, he knew he would
be in trouble.
Instead of waiting for the police officer to start
reprimanding him, he spoke up, saying that the officer had caught him
red-handed, he was guilty and had no excuses, that the officer had already
warned him. The policeman responded in a soft tone, told Carnegie he was
overreacting, and that he should take his dog to the other side of the hill
where he wouldn’t see him.
If we know we’re going to be rebuked anyhow, isn’t it far
better to beat the other person to it and do it ourselves?
Through Carnegie’s quick and enthusiastic admission of
fault, he gave the police officer a feeling of importance. After that, the only
way the policeman could nourish his self-esteem was to take a forgiving
attitude and show mercy.
"Any fool can try to defend his or her
mistakes - and most fools do - but it raises one above the herd and gives one a
feeling of nobility and exultation to admit one’s mistakes."
Dale Carnegie
Practice Principle 3:
Next time you find yourself in the wrong, challenge
yourself to be the first to point it out. If you messed up on a work project,
approach your boss about it, or bring it up next time you meet with her. By
conveying that you not only acknowledge your mistakes but also that you’ve
thought about how to avoid making similar mistakes down the line, you show your
boss that you are responsible, honest, and diligent, and she is far more likely
to dismiss the issue and continue to trust you.
The Muse Resource: The "Just Right" Reaction When You Mess Up at Work
If we’re angry or frustrated at someone and we go to them
with our temper flaring, we’re sure to have a fine time unloading our feelings
toward them. But what about the other person? Will our belligerent tones and
hostility make it easy for them to agree with us?
If we approach the other person with our fists doubled,
this will only lead the other person to double his fists twice as fast. If instead
we come to him and say, “Why don’t we sit down and talk this through so we can
understand why we disagree,” we’re likely to find that we’re actually not so
far apart after all, that the points on which we differ are few and the ones on
which we agree are many.
When a person feels negatively about us, we can’t win him
to our way of thinking with all the logic in the world. We can’t force someone
to agree with us, but we can lead them in that direction if we are gentle and
friendly with them.
"A drop of honey catches more flies
than a gallon of gall."
Abraham Lincoln
Business executives have learned that it pays to be
friendly to strikers, that they are able to shift the strikers’ perspectives
and win their loyalty by addressing their needs as friends and peers, instead
of suppressing their voices and acting as dominants.
Practice Principle 4:
When you find yourself about to scold your children, act
as a domineering boss, or nag your husband or wife, try softening your approach
by opening with a friendly conversation and keeping a calm tone.
Ask how your husband’s work presentation went, or ask
your employee for her thoughts on your last team meeting. Have at least five
minutes of pleasant conversation before you bring up the issue at hand.
When talking with people, we should never begin with the
points on which we disagree. We should start by emphasizing the things on which
we agree, and be sure to convey that we’re both striving for the same result - our
differences are in method, but not purpose.
The key is to keep our opponent from saying “no,” as this
is a very difficult sentiment to overcome. As soon as someone says “no,” all of
her pride rests upon her being consistent with that “no.” When a person says
“no,” she immediately withdraws herself and guards against acceptance.
What we want to do instead is get the person saying “yes”
as soon as possible. This starts the person moving in the affirmative direction
where no withdrawal takes place. Our opponent now has a very accepting, open
attitude.
Socrates has become very famous for the “Socratic
method,” by which one asks another person questions with which they have to
agree.
"[Socrates] kept on asking questions
until finally, almost without realizing it, his opponents found themselves embracing
a conclusion they would have bitterly denied a few minutes previously."
Dale Carnegie
Practice Principle 5:
Next time you find yourself in disagreement with someone,
challenge yourself to get them to agree with you on at least two things before
you each share your perspectives.
For example, you could begin with:
“The goal of this meeting is to decide on the best way to
onboard new customers to minimize frustration with the product, correct?”
or
“We both want Johnny to feel comfortable in his social
environment at school, right?”
Pointing out early on that you share the same ultimate
goals will help start the conversation with a more agreeable tone.
Most people who try to get others to agree with
their perspective do too much of the talking. Instead, let the other people
talk themselves out. They know their problems better than we do. Let’s ask them
questions and let them tell us a few things.
We are often tempted to interrupt someone when we
disagree with them. But we shouldn’t interrupt - it’s very dangerous. They
won’t pay attention to our thoughts while they still have a number of their own
to express. We must listen patiently and with an open mind, and be sincere in
encouraging them to share their ideas fully.
This principle helps in both business and family
situations. Carnegie tells a story of a woman who couldn’t get her daughter to
do her chores. Instead of yelling at her for the hundredth time, the mother one
day simply asked her daughter sadly, “Why?”
Her daughter let loose the thoughts and feelings she had
been bottling up - her mother never listened to her and always interrupted her
with more orders. The mother realized all she had been doing was talking, not
listening. From then on, she let her daughter do all the talking she wanted and
their relationship improved significantly.
"If you want enemies, excel your
friends; but if you want friends, let your friends excel you."
La Rochefoucauld
Practice Principle 6:
Fight the urge to talk about yourself by learning to be
comfortable with short silences in conversation. We’re often tempted to jump in
and talk about ourselves when the other person stops talking, but if we stay
quiet and wait for them to keep talking, chances are they will have more to
say.
Life Hack Resource: How To Be A Good Listener That Others Want To Talk To
Don’t you feel much more strongly about ideas that
you came up with than ideas that are handed to you by others? If so, why should
we try to jam our ideas down other peoples’ throats? Isn’t it much wiser to
make suggestions and let the other person think out the conclusion?
No one likes to feel like they’re being told what to do.
We much prefer to think independently, have autonomy, and act on our own ideas.
We like to be consulted about what we think and what we want.
So how can we use this to our advantage? When we’re
trying to win someone to our way of thinking, we can guide them there - get
them halfway or so - and then step back and let them see the idea through to
completion.
Take the case of a man named Mr. Wesson, who sold
sketches for a design studio. He failed hundreds of times in getting one of the
leading New York stylists to buy his sketches. One day, he tried a new
approach. He took several incomplete sketches to the stylist and asked how he
could finish the designs in such a way that the stylist would find them useful.
The stylist offered his ideas, Mr. Wesson had the sketches completed according
to the buyer’s ideas, and they were all accepted.
If we’re truly only after the results, why care about the
credit? Why not let someone else take the spotlight, so long as we can achieve
what we’re out to get?
Practice Principle 7:
Let’s say you’re trying to convince your boss to let you
take the lead on a new project, or you’re trying to close a sale with a new
customer. Before going into that conversation, write out a list of questions
that would lead your boss or customer to the conclusion you’d like them to
draw.
For your boss, it might be:
- How big of a priority is getting
this project done in a timely manner?
- Would you trust this project to an entry-level employee or prefer
someone more senior?
- How does the priority of this project compare to the priorities of my
current projects?
For your customer, it might be:
- What goal are you trying to solve
by purchasing this type of product?
- How do you see our product helping you solve those goals?
One of the fundamental keys to successful human
relations is understanding that other people may be totally wrong, but they
don’t think they are.
Don’t condemn them; try to understand them.
"There is a reason why the other man
thinks and acts as he does. Ferret out that reason - and you have the key to
his actions, perhaps to his personality."
Dale Carnegie
If we ask ourselves, “how would I feel or react if I were
in his shoes?” we’ll save ourselves a lot of time and frustration, because
we’ll better understand his perspective. Success in dealing with people relies
on being able to have a clear grasp of the other person’s viewpoint.
Accept the other person’s viewpoint. Determine what you
say by what you’d want to hear if you were the listener. These skills will take
time to develop, but will help you avoid conflict and get better results.
Practice Principle 8:
Next time you’re about to ask someone to buy your product
or contribute to your favorite charity or do you a favor, pause first.
Make a list of reasons that you want them to do it, and a
list of reasons that they would want to do it. When you’re writing your email,
your website copy, or opening your conversation, only mention the reasons from
their list, and none of the ones from your list.
What if there were a magical phrase that would stop
arguments, create positive interactions, and make the other person listen to
you attentively? Well there is.
We can say, “I don’t blame you at all for feeling the
way you do. If I were you, I would undoubtedly feel the same way.”
The great thing about this phrase is that we can say it
and be 100% sincere, because if we were the other person, faced with her
situation, problems, needs, desires, etc., we would indeed see things just as
she does.
"Three-fourths of the people you will ever
meet are hungering and thirsting for sympathy. Give it to them, and they will
love you."
Dale Carnegie
If someone feels negatively toward us, once we begin
apologizing and sympathizing with their point of view, they will begin
apologizing and sympathizing with our point of view.
Everyone wants to feel understood and have their troubles
and opinions recognized. Use this to turn hostility into friendliness.
Practice Principle 9:
Next time you approach a disagreement with someone, take
a moment to imagine yourself in their shoes. If you were that person:
- What sort of pressures would you
be working under?
- What would your goals and
priorities be?
- What sort of relationships do you
have with the other people involved?
Show the other person that you genuinely understand their
perspective, by saying things like, “I completely understand why you see it
that way,” or, “I know it would be helpful for you if ...”
People usually have two reasons for doing things --
one that sounds good, and the real one. A person will recognize on his own the
real reason he does something. We don’t need to point it out. But all of us,
being idealists at heart, like to think of motives that sound good.
In order to change people, we must appeal to the nobler
motives.
Take, for example, a landlord who had a tenant that
decided he was going to break his lease four months early. The landlord could
have handled the situation by pointing to their contract and listing all the
consequences that would follow, but he instead had a talk with the tenant and
said:
“Mr. Doe, I have listened to your story and I still don’t
believe you intend to move. I sized you up when I first met you as being a man
of your word. Take a few days to think it over, and if you still intend to
move, I will accept your decision as final.”
The result? The tenant concluded that the only honorable
thing to do was to live up to his lease. By appealing to the tenant’s nobler
motives, the landlord was able to persuade him successfully.
Most people are honest and want to fulfill their
obligations. In most cases, people will react favorably if we make them feel
that we consider them honest, upright, and fair.
Practice Principle 10:
When you’re trying to convince someone to do something,
start by thinking of a few positive traits that that person tries hard to
embody (or conversely, would be ashamed to be told he does not have).
For example, most people aim to be responsible, fair,
wise, and diligent. Work these ideas in when you mention to your son that you
know he’s extremely responsible about his chores, so you were surprised to see
that he didn’t make his bed this morning or when you tell your boss that you
respect his fairness when it comes to deciding who deserves a promotion.
HBR Resource: Why Wise Leaders Root Themselves in Noble Purpose
To be effective in convincing someone of our ideas
or our argument, it’s not enough to merely state a truth. If we truly
want someone’s attention, we have to present that truth in a vivid,
interesting, dramatic way.
We get down on one knee when we propose as an act of
dramatization - we’re showing that words alone aren’t enough to express that
feeling.
We make games out of chores so our kids will play along
and find it fun to pick up their toys when they get to make a pretend train
around the playroom.
Carnegie tells a story of a salesman who walked into a
grocery store, told the owner that he was literally throwing away money on
every sale he was making, and threw a handful of coins on the floor. The sound
of the coins dropping got the attention of the owner and made his losses more
tangible, and the salesman was able to get an order from him.
Practice Principle 11:
Find creative ways to use showmanship in presenting your
ideas. When you’re designing your next meeting presentation or sales pitch,
think of some ways to engage other senses or appeal to deeper concerns. Could
you include a funny video in your presentation? Or begin with a dramatic
statistic to underscore the importance of your message?
HubSpot Resource: 7 Public Speaking Tips From the World's Best Presenters
Most people have an innate desire to achieve. Along
with that desire often comes a fierce sense of competition - everyone wants
to outdo others and be the best.
When nothing else works in winning people to your way of
thinking, throw down a challenge.
"The way to get things done is to
stimulate competition. I do not mean in a sordid, money-getting way, but in the
desire to excel."
Charles Schwab
Frederic Herzberg, one of the great behavioral
scientists, did a study of the work attitudes of thousands of people, ranging
from factory workers to senior executives. He discovered that the one major
factor that motivated people was the work itself. If the work was exciting or
interesting, the worker looked forward to doing it.
This is what every successful person loves: the game. We
seek a chance for self-expression, a chance to prove our worth, to excel, to
win.
Practice Principle 12:
When all else fails in motivating your employees or your
children to do something, turn it into a game! Offer a reward to incentivize your sales reps to bring in the most revenue for
the month, or tell your kids that whoever picks up the most toys gets to choose
the restaurant they go to for dinner.
Be a
Leader: How To Change People
PART FOUR
It’s much easier to listen to unpleasant things after
we’ve been praised for our good points. That’s why the first step to changing
people without offending them is to begin with appreciation for their strengths.
For example, if a colleague writes a speech for a
conference that we feel is too lengthy or inappropriate for that particular
audience, we might start by complimenting her speech and noting that it would
make for a great blog post.
We could point out a few reasons it would be better
suited for a written post than a speech, but chances are that even from our
first mention, she’ll come to realize our point. Because we told her it would
be a great fit for something else, she’s not offended that we thought it was a
bad fit for the conference.
"Beginning with praise is like the
dentist who begins his work with Novocain. The patient still gets a drilling,
but the Novocain kills the pain."
Dale Carnegie
Practice Principle 1:
The key is an age-old technique called a 'criticism
sandwich.' When you're going to offer negative feedback, start with a
compliment. Then segue into the meat and potatoes: the criticism. Finally, and
more importantly, part ways with another positive compliment.
As Jonah Berger, Wharton professor and New York Times
best-selling author, puts it, "It’s amazing what a little positive at the
beginning and end can do."
Most of us respond bitterly to direct criticism.
When we’re looking to change people without offending them or arousing
resentment, simply changing one three-letter word can be our key to success.
Many people begin their criticism with sincere praise
followed by the word “but” and their critical statement. For example, a parent
trying to convince her son to care more about his school work might say, “We’re
really proud of you, Billy, for getting better grades this semester. But
if you had worked harder in your math class, you would’ve done even better.”
In this case, Billy might feel encouraged right up until
he hears the word “but,” which leads him to question the sincerity of the
initial praise. The word “but” makes it seem like the praise was only a
contrived lead-in to his mother’s criticism.
However, this situation could easily be reversed by
changing the word “but” to “and.” See how different it sounds: “We’re really
proud of you, Billy, for getting better grades this semester, and if you
continue your efforts next semester, your math grade can be up with all the
others.”
Now it’s much easier for Billy to accept the praise,
because there was no follow-up with direct criticism.
Practice Principle 2:
Start swapping “but” for “and” when you deliver critical
feedback, to help you frame it in a positive and uplifting way, instead of
inferring failure and disapproval.
HubSpot Resource: How to Give
Negative Feedback Without Sounding Like a Jerk
The next step to changing people’s ways without
inflicting negative feelings is to admit that we are also susceptible to
mistakes.
It is much easier to listen to a description of our own
faults when the person criticizing begins by humbly saying that he is also far
from perfect.
Carnegie gives an example of hiring his niece, Josephine,
to be his secretary. Josephine made many mistakes on the job, and though
Carnegie was tempted to criticize her for her flaws, he took a step back and
realized that he is twice as old as Josephine and has ten thousand times her
business experience. How could he possibly expect her to have his same
viewpoint and judgment? He realized that Josephine was performing better than
he had been at her age.
When he approached Josephine, he told her that she had made
a mistake but goodness knows it was no worse than many that he himself had
made. He noted that she was not born with judgment, that it comes only with
experience, and that he had done many stupid things himself. “But don’t you
think it would have been wiser if you had done so and so?” he concluded.
"Admitting one’s own mistakes - even
when one hasn’t corrected them - can help convince somebody to change his
behavior."
Dale Carnegie
Practice Principle 3:
When you're about to criticize someone, ask yourself:
- "What was I like when I was that
age?"
- “What was I thinking when I was at
their level of experience?”
Your empathy wheels will start turning, and you'll
realize that you have an opportunity to be a great mentor to this person. Try
to be a positive influence. Think of yourself as your mentor instead off their
boss, their friends instead of their parent.
Forbes Resource: How to Be a
Great Mentor
No one likes to take orders. What if, instead of telling
people what to do, we gave them the opportunity to do things themselves, to
learn from their own mistakes?
Instead of saying “Do this” or “Don’t do that,” we should
more often say, “You might consider this,” or “Do you think that would work?”
We long remember brash orders we’ve been given, times
we’ve been screamed at - even if they were done to correct a bad error. But if
we ask questions that give people the opportunity to correct errors themselves,
we save their pride and give them a feeling of importance.
Asking questions also stimulates creativity, leading to
new ideas and better solutions.
"People are more likely to accept an order if
they have had a part in the decision that caused the order to be issued."
Dale Carnegie
Practice Principle 4:
Next time you are about to give an order to a child,
spouse, or employee, resist the temptation to simply tell them what to do. Ask
them questions that will help bring them to the conclusion that that is the
best action to take, and will make them want to do it.
Fast Company Resource: How To Ask
Better Questions
When we disagree with someone, even if we are right
and he is definitely wrong, we only destroy his ego by causing him to lose
face.
"I have no right to say or do anything that
diminishes a man in his own eyes. What matters is not what I think of him, but
what he thinks of himself. Hurting a man in his dignity is a crime."
antoine de
saint-exupery
Carnegie offers an example of an accountant whose
business was mostly seasonal. As a result, every year he had to let a lot of
employees go once the tax rush was over. He began by sitting each down and
explaining, “Of course, you understood you were only employed for the busy season…”
but naturally, he was met with disappointment.
He then decided to begin the conversation by instead
telling each employee how valuable he or she had been to the organization, and
pointing out specific qualities that he appreciated in them. The result? The
employees walked away knowing that if the business had been able to keep them
on, they would have, and they felt much better about themselves.
We are so quick to criticize that we seldom offer others
the opportunity to save face, especially when a considerate word or two and a
genuine understanding of the other person’s attitude is all it would take to
alleviate the sting.
Practice Principle 5:
When you have to deliver a decision or information that
will cause negative feelings, think about how you can make the person feel good
about himself first.
Avoid delivering negative feedback in front of others or setting up a situation that will be embarrassing for
the person. Think to yourself, “If I were him, how would I like to hear this
news?” and design your environment and your approach accordingly.
Take a brief look back on your own life to this point.
Can you think of a time when a few words of praise have had a hand in shaping
the person you've become?
One of the most powerful abilities we have is helping
others realize their potential. We can do this by praising their strengths.
Yet, this is something we do so infrequently. It's much easier to point out
someone's faults. Even when it's tough to find things to praise, try hard to
find something.
We should also praise often. By noting even small steps
and minor improvements, we encourage the other person to keep improving.
"Praise is like sunlight to the warm human
spirit - we cannot flower and grow without it. And yet, while most of us are
only too ready to apply to others the cold wind of criticism, we are somehow
reluctant to give our fellow the warm praise of sunshine."
Jess Lair
We should also be specific in our praise. When praise is
specific, it comes across as more sincere, not something we're saying just to
make the other person feel good.
Practice Principle 6:
If you’re looking to inspire change in a child or
employee, write out a list of the milestones he or she will have to hit in
order to achieve the ultimate goal. As they hit each milestone, or even as they
put in the effort to make progress, offer specific and sincere praise on each
gradual step they take.
Help them feel the small successes as they go to
keep them motivated.
Similar to appealing to people’s nobler motives, giving the
other person a lofty reputation to live up to incites in them a desire to meet
those expectations.
"If you want to improve a person in a certain
aspect, act as though that particular trait were already one of his or her
outstanding characteristics."
Dale Carnegie
Carnegie offers an example of a mechanic named Bill
whose work had become unsatisfactory. Instead of berating or threatening Bill,
his manager simply called Bill into his office and told him:
“You are a fine mechanic, you have been in the business
for many years, and we’ve had a number of compliments on the good work you have
done. But lately, your work has not been up to your own old standards, and I
thought you’d want to know since you’ve been such an outstanding mechanic in
the past.”
The result? Bill once again became a fast and thorough
mechanic. With the reputation his manager had given him to live up to, how
could he not?
Practice Principle 7:
When you’re trying to change someone’s mind, give them a
reputation to live up to by saying something like:
“I respect the fact that you’re always willing to listen
and are big enough to change your mind when the facts warrant a change.”
Appeal to their nobler motives of responsibility,
fairness, openness, diligence, etc.
If we tell our children, spouses, or employees that they
are stupid or bad at a certain thing, have no gift for it, and are doing it all
wrong, we strip them of any motivation to improve. If instead, we use the
opposite technique and openly encourage them as they take steps toward
improvement, we’ll inspire a much higher level of motivation to continue.
"Be liberal with your encouragement,
make the thing seem easy to do, let the other person know that you have faith
in his ability to do it, that he has an undeveloped flair for it - and he will
practice until the dawn comes in the window in order to excel."
Dale Carnegie
Carnegie offers an example of a boy who was
struggling with algebra. His father made flashcards for him, and every night
his father would time him on how long it took for him to get all of the cards
right. Their goal was to do it in under eight minutes.
The first night, it took 52 minutes. The boy thought he’d
never get there! But every time he knocked off a few minutes - 48, then 45, 44,
41 - they would call in his mother and the three would celebrate and dance a
little jig. This gave the boy the motivation to keep improving, and even made
it fun, until he got so good that he hit his goal and did it in eight minutes.
Practice Principle 8:
Rather than simply telling someone they’re goal is out of
reach, find ways to encourage small victories when possible. These smaller
compliments can help make room for sharing guidance while keeping them
inspired.
Whether these small victories come in the form of eating reese’s pieces every time a work task is complete or
dancing a jig when your song gets a math, recognizing progress can go a long
way.
The final key to being a leader and changing people
without arousing resentment is to make the person happy about doing what we
want them to do.
If you’re having a hard time convincing your child
to do a chore, offer to pay her a dollar for every time she does it, and take
away a dollar for every time she doesn’t.
If you choose another internal candidate for the job,
tell the one who didn’t get the job that you felt he was too important to the
organization in his current role to reassign him.
If you have an employee who struggles with a certain
task, appoint her to be the supervisor for that task, and watch as she improves
immediately.
Offering incentives, praise, and authority are all great
ways to make a person happily accept our decisions and do what we want them to
do.
Practice Principle 9:
To be an effective leader, keep these guidelines in mind
when it is necessary to change attitudes or behavior:
1. Be
sincere. Don’t promise anything you can’t deliver.
2. Know exactly what you want the other person to do.
3. Be empathetic. Ask yourself what it is the other person
really wants.
4. Consider the benefits that person will receive from
doing what you suggest.
5. Match those benefits to the person’s wants.
6. When you make your request, put it in a form that will
convey to the other person the idea that he personally will benefit.
It is naive to think that by implementing these
techniques, we'll always get the outcome we desire. But the experience of most
people shows that we are more likely to change attitudes with these approaches
than by not using these principles. Even if we increase our success by a mere
10%, we have become 10% more effective as leaders than we were before.
With practice, it will become even more natural to apply
these principles every day, and soon we will be masters of the art of human
relations.
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