PDF Summary:Influencer, by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, et al.

What is the key to accomplishing seemingly impossible goals? According to the authors of Influencer, it’s all about knowing how to change human behavior. Drawing on their background in social science and organizational change, Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler break down the complex task of influencing people into a simple three-step process: To get things done, you have to be able to set a clear goal, know what people need to change, and motivate them to make it happen. Armed with this advice, the authors say that you have everything you need to meet any goal.

In this guide, we’ll show how the authors’ arguments about influencing human behavior are rooted in psychology, touching on multiple theories of behavior change. We’ll also supplement the author’s recommendations with advice from other behavior change books like Atomic Habits by James Clear, Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins, and High Performance Habits by Brendan Burchard.

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The authors offer several strategies that influencers use to address these challenges and help people see the purpose and value in adopting a critical practice:

First, they recommend avoiding coercion. As an influencer, you must first honor personal agency by not mandating behavior, which could decrease motivation and increase resistance. Instead of dictating behavior, the authors recommend providing the opportunity to opt into the critical practice. Offer the new practice as an invitation rather than a directive. People will more willingly come aboard if they feel they have a choice.

(Shortform note: In psychology, our resistance to being told what to do is called “psychological reactance,” and occurs when something happens that we perceive as a threat to our freedom. People who tend to see themselves as unique and distinct from other people are more likely to perceive demands on them as a threat to their identity, so offering the new practice as an invitation rather than a demand may be even more impactful for these individualists.)

Next, ground the behavior in reality. Help people see the importance of putting critical practices into action by providing experiences and stories, so that behaviors that might seem unappealing at first glance begin to resonate.

(Shortform note: First-hand experiences and stories are powerful tools because they touch on human emotions. Psychologists and rhetoricians agree that logic alone rarely wins arguments, so influencers must deploy emotions strategically to persuade people to change their behavior. According to research, different emotions can have different impacts depending on the situation. For example, one study showed that shame was more effective than pride in influencing voting behavior.)

People are also more likely to want to adopt critical practices if you make it fun. The authors suggest making the behavior a part of a game or competition, ensuring there are ongoing opportunities for improvement and recognition to sustain motivation. For example, when people compete to get the highest number of steps in a day, they're more likely to increase their step count.

(Shortform note: Turning a critical practice into a game is an example of gamification, a growing trend in which elements of game design (like competition, levels, rewards, or points) are incorporated into an experience. Gamification has become increasingly popular in large part due to its demonstrated ability to increase participant engagement. Evidence of gamification can be seen from brand marketing strategies to education to productivity apps. However, some studies have shown that the use of gamification strategies in the workplace actually has a negative impact on employee well-being, engagement, and job satisfaction.)

Collective Inspiration

The second area of impact influencers should focus on is collective inspiration. In this section we'll answer the question: How can you use the power of community connection to inspire people to adopt a critical practice?

Humans are social creatures, and therefore our social relationships are a powerful resource to exert influence. The authors offer the following strategies as tools for capitalizing on social connection as a tool of inspiration: (Shortform note: Humans’ innate desire to connect and build relationships isn't only emotionally beneficial, but is also a crucial variable in our evolutionary success. Our empathy has allowed us to build collaborative and mutually beneficial relationships that have contributed to our survival.)

Start by being a leader. If you're respected and trusted in your community, people are more likely to listen to your opinion and advice. The opposite is also true: If you lack the admiration and trust of the people you're trying to influence, there's very little you can do to persuade them to act. The authors suggest that selfless acts, like giving up time and money or apologizing when you make a mistake, are effective ways to build trust in your leadership.

(Shortform note: Brendan Burchard, author of High Performance Habits, also points to generosity as a fundamental tool to become an influential leader. He argues that the more you give to the people around you, the more they'll trust you. However, he adds that being able to ask for what you want and elevating people with words of encouragement and appreciation are also fundamental skills of influential leadership.)

Once you’ve established yourself as a leader, recruit other leaders. There are often a few people in any community others look to for guidance. The authors refer to these figures as “opinion leaders.” These community leaders often have a wealth of knowledge and a higher level of work or education experience than the general populace. Getting the unspoken leaders on board with your plans will have a disproportionately large impact on the larger community.

(Shortform note: Opinion leaders are a part of the “informal network” of a company or community— a web of social ties that can exert as much influence, or more, than the formal leadership structure. Some change management experts recommend a “network analysis,” a survey of client relationships and attitudes, as a tool to identify members of the informal network who exert a disproportionate amount of influence.)

However, even with leaders on board, you'll still likely have to transform the culture. One tool for changing culture is establishing widespread accountability. Each person should be responsible for themselves and for their team members to ensure that new cultural norms are followed. For example, the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign that was implemented after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York was an effort to shift the culture of public safety so that it became the responsibility of everyone instead of only the transit authority personnel.

(Shortform note: While many organizational leaders talk about the importance of accountability in the workplace, there are ways that a culture of accountability can go wrong. For example, conversations about being held accountable often focus on negative or undesirable behaviors. If people feel as if they're always being critiqued, they'll become increasingly demoralized. A healthy culture of accountability must grow out of a commitment to the collective good, which requires celebrating successes in addition to areas of growth.)

Environmental Inspiration

The third area of impact is environmental inspiration. In this section we'll answer the question: How can you use environmental structures and policies to inspire the adoption of a critical practice?

Environmental inspiration encompasses the use of rewards and punishments to inspire certain behaviors. The authors offer the following strategies for using these systems to reinforce internal and collective inspiration:

The first step is to remove roadblocks. Before implementing incentives, look closely to see if there are any structures in place that might be disincentivizing the desired critical practice. For example, if a floor manager wants assembly line workers to slow down to improve product quality, but she pays them based on the number of products produced per hour, she is incentivizing speed and disincentivizing slow, methodical work. This practice is a roadblock to the critical behavior she is trying to implement.

(Shortform note: In Atomic Habits, James Clear suggests using environmental design as a tool to remove roadblocks. He argues that visual cues are an especially strong trigger for habit formation, therefore removing visual cues that trigger negative behaviors will help facilitate behavior change. For example, removing alcohol from your direct sight line can help minimize consumption.)

The authors recommend that you use rewards sparingly because incentives can harm intrinsic motivation. Also, rewards don’t have to be big. Intentional symbolic rewards, like a companywide shout-out or thoughtfully written card can be just as powerful as monetary incentives.

Then use punishment as a last resort. There are times when punishment is necessary, but it’s the least effective of your influencer strategies. Sometimes a warning or the threat of punishment can be as effective as the punishment itself. However, when necessary, don’t be afraid to enact punishments. A strategic and timely punishment can have ripple effects throughout a community. For example, if a treatment program states that any kind of substance abuse will result in dismissal from the program and then follows through when a program participant is found under the influence, the message will be clear to the other members of the community that the behavior expectations of the program are taken seriously.

The Evolution of Motivation Strategies

In Drive, Daniel H. Pink argues that there was a time when rewards and punishments were a more effective tool of motivation. During the industrial era, most people were working in factories in jobs that required a concrete set of skills and little to no creativity. The tasks were simple and measurable. Extrinsic rewards worked well for this type of routine work.

However, the new economy, according to Pink, is characterized by jobs that require creativity, collaboration, and long-term thinking. The classic “carrot and stick” model no longer works as a motivational tool. In fact, it can have the exact opposite effect—rewards can decrease intrinsic motivation, while punishments often only lead to short-term results.

Instead, to increase motivation, Pink recommends giving people a sense of purpose and the opportunity for autonomy and mastery in their work.

Skill

Having addressed the three areas of impact that impact people’s inspiration to implement a critical practice, we'll now explore the three areas of impact that affect people’s ability to implement a critical practice: individual skill, collective skill, and environmental skill.

Individual Skill

The fourth area of impact influencers should focus on is individual skill. In this section we'll answer the question: How can you ensure that people have the skills necessary to perform the critical practice?

Most importantly, the authors argue that effective influencers must believe in what Carol Dweck refers to as a growth mindset—the understanding that you, and others, are capable of learning and getting better at something—because implementing critical practices almost always involves learning new skills. Instead of telling people what they need to do, effective influencers spend their time creating opportunities for people to learn and practice the skills they need.

The Debate Over Growth Mindset

There has been some debate about the impact of a growth mindset on skill development. After Carol Dweck published Mindset in 1998, the concept quickly became a part of the conversation about how to improve student outcomes in schools. However, some studies found that encouraging a growth mindset in students had little to no impact on their academic performance, while others demonstrated that students who had adopted a growth mindset received higher grades and showed increased motivation.

Dweck has gone on to clarify that in order for a growth mindset to be impactful, “the environment has to support the belief change and the behaviors that come with it.” In the context of exerting influence, believing in a growth mindset is less important than creating an environment that celebrates learning, mistakes, and failures as much as it does success.

The authors recommend using the following strategies to help people learn and practice critical behaviors:

To support skill development, provide opportunities for intense focus over short periods of time. This intentional practice requires deep concentration that cannot be sustained over long periods of time; therefore, it's best to practice skills for short periods of time before focus begins to fade.

(Shortform note: In Peak, Anders Ericsson elaborates on this idea of practice, arguing that not all forms of practice are created equal. He echoes the authors’ belief in the value of short, intense training sessions, but goes on to add that the highest form of practice is deliberate practice in which the learner’s work is measurable, competitive, time-tested, and observed by a teacher or coach. According to Ericsson, engaging in deliberate practice is the best way to become an expert at any skill.)

As people practice a skill, offer ongoing feedback based on clear expectations. According to the authors, consistent feedback is more important than the time spent developing a skill. Not only does frequent feedback help people improve their skills more quickly, but it's also motivating to observe ongoing progress and areas of growth.

(Shortform note: As you support others in learning a skill, be wary of “feedback fatigue,” emotional depletion caused by ongoing negative feedback. While people seek out opportunities to improve and grow, we also crave acceptance. Everyone’s threshold for constructive feedback is different. If you notice that someone is constantly second-guessing their work, is overly self-deprecating, or rejects positive feedback, it might be a sign they're experiencing feedback fatigue.)

Throughout the process, normalize setbacks. People will struggle to learn new skills if they lack the resilience to work through challenges. Learning something new isn't a smooth road, and you'll have more success if you normalize the challenges that will come along the way. (Shortform note: When learning a new skill, not only is it important to normalize setbacks, but also to accept failure as an integral part of the learning process. A 2019 study found that to achieve optimal learning, people need to fail about 15% of the time. When we reflect on failures, we have the opportunity to apply our learning again, increasing our rate and retention of knowledge.)

Finally, the authors say, don’t underestimate the importance of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, or “soft skills.” People’s ability to work effectively with others and manage their own emotions is critical to their long-term success and ability to persist through challenges. (Shortform note: While some people argue that soft skills cannot be taught, research has shown that coaching and mentoring programs have led to dramatic increases in participants’ resilience, focus, and self-regulation.)

Collective Skill

The fifth area of impact is collective skill. In this section we'll answer the question: How can you ensure that a community’s skills contribute to individual adoption of a critical practice?

Our communities have the power to enable critical behaviors or deter them. For example, studies have shown that if people see more garbage on the ground, they're more likely to litter themselves. (Shortform note: While we’re influenced by those around us, people also have the desire to be distinct from one another. Jonah Berger, author of Invisible Influence, calls this tension the Goldilocks Effect—the human desire to be “optimally distinct.” While being a part of a group provides a sense of community and belonging, differentiating ourselves from the group reminds us that we are also unique.)

The authors offer the following strategies to ensure that community members are working collectively to support the individual adoption of critical practices:

First, tap into the power of collective creativity and wisdom. Groups often hold more wisdom than any single individual. When confronting challenges and setbacks, individuals should know that they can rely on the collective wisdom of the people around them. For example, in the age of remote work, many workplaces have established Slack channels specifically for employees to use when they need help—allowing them to tap into the collective wisdom of colleagues to solve challenges at work.

The Wisdom of Crowds

In The Wisdom of Crowds, James Surowiecki clarifies that not all crowds are necessarily wise. For example, mob mentality or pack mentality describes how people can act against their better judgment when caught up in the emotions of a crowd.

Surowiecki points to five criteria necessary to create a “wise crowd:”

• Diversity of opinion: Each person is able to develop their own interpretation of the known facts.

• Independence: People’s opinions aren't determined by the opinions of others.

• Decentralization: Each person can draw on their own specific expertise and knowledge.

• Aggregation: The collective decision is determined by the accumulation of private decisions.

• Trust: Individuals trust the judgment and fairness of the group as a whole.

Next, provide an outside perspective. People can’t always see their own work clearly. Hearing the observations of other people and getting consistent specific feedback allow everyone to see their own progress more clearly, and become proficient more quickly. An outside perspective can be offered by a colleague, a friend, or someone outside the community. (Shortform note: Soliciting outsider feedback is important because people have a tendency toward confirmation bias—the cognitive bias that causes us to favor information that reinforces existing beliefs. External feedback provides a balance to our own subjective interpretation of our work and behaviors.)

Both the above strategies work to nurture a sense of solidarity, according to the authors. Influencers encourage everyone to act in ways that benefit the collective good rather than the individual. This not only cultivates community buy-in, but it also creates widespread accountability where everyone is looking out for each other.

(Shortform note: While the authors embrace the importance of nurturing solidarity, they don't offer specific strategies that influencers can use to cultivate a cohesive community. In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni outlines the five most common “dysfunctions'' that prevent a team from working collectively, and offers concrete steps to remedy dysfunctional teams: build trust, address conflict, get buy-in, hold everyone accountable, and celebrate group outcomes.)

Environmental Skill

The sixth and final area of impact is environmental skill. In this section we'll answer the question: How can you ensure that people’s environment encourages the adoption of a critical practice?

The authors note that our environment has a deceptively strong impact on our behavior, so it can be a powerful (and often underutilized) resource in influencing the adoption of critical practices. For example, many city planners are looking at ways to increase sustainable commuting practices, like biking, walking, or taking public transportation. Studies have shown that cities that invest in biking infrastructure see a significant rise in bike commuters. Changing the environment by adding more bike lanes or bike-friendly roadways results in a change in commuter behavior.

The challenge is that our environment is so much a part of our daily lives that it's often hard to see the way in which it shapes our everyday behaviors. Because of this, the authors suggest that the first step is to become more aware of our environment. After that, we can start to discern how aspects of our environment encourage or discourage certain behaviors.

The Power of Environment

Alexandra Horowitz explores the human challenge of “seeing” our environment in her 2013 book On Looking. Horowitz highlights two themes of environmental awareness. First, because of our evolved pattern recognition, we practice “efficient seeing,” meaning we filter out the information in our environment that we don't deem crucial. Therefore, we rarely see all the nuances of our surroundings. Second, we see our environment through our own personal lens, so no person experiences the same environment the same way.

Despite the challenge of looking at our environments holistically, it's a crucial skill. Studies in the field of environmental psychology have shown that our environment, natural or man-made, not only affects our behaviors, but also our physical and mental health. For example, poor housing quality has been shown to cause psychological distress, and the mental health of psychiatric in-patients is impacted by how furniture is arranged in common spaces. Becoming more aware of our environment is the first step in designing spaces that promote mental health and facilitate desirable behaviors.

The authors offer the following strategies to make sure the environment is conducive to the adoption of critical practices:

First, shine a spotlight on subconscious behaviors. For example, if you find yourself snacking mindlessly during the day, keep the wrappers for all your snacks in a clear container on your desk. In doing so, you'll draw attention to a previously unconscious behavior and give yourself more agency in controlling that behavior. (Shortform note: In The Power of your Subconscious Mind, Joseph Murray expands on the idea of drawing attention to our subconscious behaviors, suggesting that people have the power to use their conscious mind to change the habitual practices and patterns of thinking of their subconscious mind to create more frequent and positive experiences.)

As you’re thinking about the built environment, focus on creating relationship-centered spaces. The authors argue that relationships are built through proximity. If, as the authors suggest, relationships are crucial to ensuring that individuals have the ability and motivation to adopt a critical practice, then it's important to make sure your space facilitates community-building.

Relationship-Centered Design

What does a “relationship-centered space” look like? Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, many offices, particularly in Silicon Valley, were implementing open office floor plans. At first glance, it would seem that open offices would encourage interaction and collaboration. However, in reality, studies found that companies that shifted to open floor plans saw a 70% decline in employee interactions.

As work culture continues to evolve, people are trying to figure out how to facilitate relationship building with a combination of in-person, hybrid, and remote work arrangements in play. Some suggest that the “hub-and-spoke” model works for all of these work styles. The hub-and-spoke model includes a central “hub” where people can gather and collaborate in-person and “spokes” that offer a more individual space, which could include private offices, satellite offices, or someone’s home.

Finally, eliminate choice whenever possible. The authors encourage influencers to make adopting the critical practices as easy as possible. For example, if you’re trying to get your family to eat healthier food, keep some fruit or nuts as a snack on the counter so they don’t have to choose between healthy snacks and junk food.

(Shortform note: In Nudge, Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein refer to this option as the “default choice,” meaning the choice that’s automatically made if the chooser does nothing (for example, opting into a 401k by default). They recommend this strategy when attempting to get people to act in their own self-interest; however, the strategy could also be applied when thinking about how to get people to act in the best interest of a larger goal.)