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You can have a positive affect on people’s behaviour simply by getting them to think about the traits and behaviours associated with a particular label or type of person. The study carried out by behavioural specialist Ap Dijksterhuis and his colleague Ad Van Knippenberg at Radbound University Nijmegen in the Netherlands discovered that if you spend 5 minutes scribbling down the behaviours, lifestyle and appearance of a top professor before answering a set of questions, you are more likely to get more right than if you sat and write down the behaviours of a football hooligan 5 minutes before answering the same set of questions. This activity could help you before sitting an exam or before going in to a big presentation or interview. By thinking about a specific type of person will encourage you to perform like that person.
You could use this activity to influence people’s behaviour and performance in a number of ways:
- Before important meetings or a big presentation, think about the most confident person you know. Write down how that person behaves, what they look like, the gestures they make and the way they sound. Write these down prior to the meeting or presentation and then re-read them 5 minutes before going in and mentally become this person.
- Before tests and exams, think about the traits and behaviours you associate with a top performing professor and write them down. 5 minutes before sitting the exam read these again and put yourself in their mind-set.
- If you encounter a tricky discussion with a troublesome person, candidate or client, think about the most empathetic person you know or put yourself in the shoes of a selfless humanitarian aid worker to calm yourself down and get into the right state of mind to deal with them.
- In sports games think of a sporting hero. Describe how the champion plays, how they look as they give their best and how they may feel. Before taking part in any game or sport remember these things and put yourself in their shoes.
Next week I will be talking about using active commitment to secure action.
This blog has been inspired by reading Rob Yeung’s book ‘i is for Influence’.
To receive a FREE copy of ‘7 key tips to being a top recruiter’ 16 page eBooklet go to http://www.firebirdtraining.com/Pages/default.aspx
Email: alison@firebirdtraining.co.uk
