Do You Know the Difference Between Effective English and Error-free English?

An effective message is one that accomplishes its purpose. If you want to persuade your boss to buy something or to give your idea a full trial, your message is effective if he agrees to do it.

If your English has no mistakes, he may be impressed by your speaking (or may not even notice it). However, if he does not agree to what you suggested, your argument has failed. No one can win with every idea they propose, but if the idea matters, it’s worth learning how to be more persuasive. I believe that’s more important than focusing on perfecting your grammar!

I want to add here that grammar does matter. It’s worth taking the time to speak (and write) English as well as you can. But don't fret about learning every grammar rule before trying to speak. Most important: focus on your message!

That’s why you’re bothering to communicate at all, isn’t it?

Steve Jobs: a Case Study in Effective Persuasion

So, is there a secret to effective persuasion? Here’s a really obvious one. (I think it’s worth mentioning because it can be hard to remember when you’re excited about the potential of your idea.) Start planning how you’ll share it by considering what’s most important to the person or people you want to persuade.

I love a story in Adam Grant’s Harvard Business Review article on “Persuading the Unpersuadable.” Steve Jobs was well-known for not changing his mind once he had decided something. But a few people did manage to get him to change his perspective.

Grant suggests several techniques that can help stubborn people be more open to new ideas. One is to ask questions rather than just tell them what your company or team should do. “Questions like ‘What if?’ and ‘Could we?’” don’t challenge their authority but might arouse their interest.

When some engineers at Apple first suggested that Apple make a phone, Jobs was NOT interested. But they saw its potential and didn’t just give up. They kept playing with it, working together to refine it, and even testing some ideas for it on their own.

They appealed to Job’s rivalry with Microsoft. Why let their competitor get ahead of them when they could make one so much better?

They looked at every objection Jobs had, and found a way to get past it.

In the end, Jobs adopted the idea as his own.

Refining—and Sharing-- Your Own Persuasive Skills

The whole article is worth studying.  It recommends several ways to “encourage a know-it-all to recognize when there’s something to be learned, a stubborn colleague to make a U-turn... and a disagreeable boss to agree with you.”

I would love to hear about times you’ve succeeded in changing someone’s mind or getting your team to go along with an important project. I’m sure others would appreciate hearing about them too!

And if you have an experience (or idea) worth sharing, don’t forget—it’s valuable. Don’t keep it to yourself, even if you’re not sure how to express it perfectly in English.

#persuasion #effectivecommunication  #hints4clearenglish