Influence Archives | Klassen Performance Group

February 21, 2020 by Klassen Performance Group

You Can’t Do This! How Your Inner Dialogue Is Holding You Back

Imagine putting hours into preparing for a presentation, managing your nerves so you could deliver your message, and then getting the following feedback:

“You sucked!”
“You can’t do this.”
“That was awful!”

Most of us would be horrified if that happened and can’t imagine hearing those comments from their audience. The thing is, people I coach regularly make some version of these comments to themselves after practicing a presentation. These thoughts and comments are often automatic. When people aren’t aware that they say them, they certainly aren’t aware of how they hold themselves back.

I have multiple opportunities every session of Maximum Influence to point out something negative someone said about their presentation that they didn’t even realize they said. The typical response is surprise, followed by a sheepish grin when they understand what they did.

Pay attention to the “feedback” you give yourself. Comments like this are detrimental regardless of whether they come from you or someone else. Most of us would never let anyone talk to us the way we speak to ourselves. Why tolerate it just because it came from you?

I find that most people need help seeing how they create obstacles that keep them from presenting effectively. Once they see them, they can use strategies learned to remove them and get the results they need.

Three common self-imposed obstacles I see when working with clients:

1. An inner dialogue that sets people up for failure.
What we say to ourselves directly impacts our emotions and our performance. Even subconscious thoughts affect performance. We help people hear that dialogue and change the script, so it helps rather than hurts performance.

2. Overpreparation that wastes time, increases stress, and locks people into a rigid delivery.
Stress typically drives people to overprepare for presentations. What they don’t understand is that overpreparation is another obstacle that prevents them from influencing effectively. We help them see the negative impact overpreparation has and teach them a proven way to prepare that cuts their preparation time down by up to 75% while building their confidence, so they can deliver effectively and ultimately achieve their purpose.

3. Getting stuck in their head.
There is a tendency for people to get so wrapped up in their thoughts and saying the right thing that they miss the opportunity to connect with their listeners. They miss the subtle signs of piqued interest, disengagement, or disagreement, and then wonder why they weren’t effective. We help people get out of their heads and into the heads of their listeners so they can better understand and connect with them.

Imagine the impact you could have if the obstacles between your intended purpose and achieving your purpose were removed. People who think they can’t influence have created obstacles for themselves that slow or derail their ability to influence effectively.

We’ve been helping people remove obstacles and maximize their influence for over 30 years, and we’d love the opportunity to help you too. We will help you identify what is holding you back and give you specific, practical ways to become the influencer you need to be to succeed.

Take the first step and schedule a free consultation with Dr. Heather Johnson to determine how to maximize your influence.

February 18, 2020 by Klassen Performance Group

6 Ways Using Humor Can Help You Influence

Are Your Presentations Putting People To Sleep?

We’ve all sat through boring presentations that leave us tuning out or checking our devices. Humor is a powerful tool you can use to make sure people listen when you speak.

Some people tell me that they can’t use humor because their topic isn’t funny. I agree that there are certainly times humor would not be inappropriate, but it is too powerful not to find opportunities to use it.

Consider the following two situations that many of us automatically tune out, and how humor is used to get people to tune in:

Commercials
We all skip through commercials every chance we get, but we watch commercials that make us laugh. Need proof? Just watch the Super Bowl and commentary on commercials that follows. Another example are the commercials for Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin, they are so funny that my family searches for them and shares them.

Safety talks
Even those of us who fly so regularly that we could get up and do the safety talk ourselves before the flight pay attention when a funny flight attendant delivers the serious safety message. Here’s just one example of a flight attendant using humor to get people to listen to an important message.

6 ways humor will help people listen to and remember your message:

1. Humor engages
We are hard-wired to approach pleasure and avoid pain, so we are drawn to people who make us laugh. Humor engages people who would otherwise reach for their phones or tune out.

2. Humor Energizes
Laughter is like a shot of adrenaline. We know that energized people are more productive, creative, and positive. Each time you inject humor into your presentation, you have an opportunity to energize people and boost effectiveness.

3. Humor builds emotional connections
When people laugh with us, it provides a common ground that connects us. Remember, we buy from people we like and want to work with people who make us feel good. The stronger the emotional connection you make, the more approachable you’ll be. That means you’ll get more questions when you share ideas, you’ll hear about changes and concerns before anyone else, and you’ll hear “yes” more often than unapproachable people will.

4. Humor can build credibility
Humor is often associated with confidence and authenticity. Self-deprecating humor allows others to see our true selves and sends a message that we are confident enough to laugh at ourselves.

5. Humor cuts through tension
There are times when discussions get tense. When used correctly, humor cuts through that tension or an awkward situation and gets the conversation moving again. Well-timed humor gives people a different perspective that can lead to more creative thinking, elicit a positive emotion, and provide a physical release of tension.

6. Humor makes points memorable
The more emotional something is, the more memorable it is. A flight attendant telling you to keep your seatbelt low and snug “like the pink speedo he’ll be wearing at the pool tonight” creates a funny visual that you are more likely to remember than if he just told you to fasten your seatbelt low and snug.

Given the positive impact of humor, can you afford not to find a way to incorporate it?

As you consider adding humor and you wonder if it’s appropriate or if it might offend someone, err on the side of caution, and use something else. Keep your humor tasteful and suitable for your audience. You’re not trying to be a standup comedian, you’re trying to add some levity to help you influence.

Do you want to learn how and when to leverage humor to influence? Join us for Maximum Influence and learn how to make humor one of your most effective tools and how to avoid the biggest “humor mistake” that will derail your talk.

Schedule a free consultation with Dr. Heather Johnson to see all of the ways the skills taught in Maximum Influence could increase your effectiveness.

January 24, 2020 by Klassen Performance Group

The steep cost of “It’s not a good time”

“It’s not a good time.” This is a common response when it comes to personal development. It’s easy to put it off in favor of urgent tasks. The thing is, there will never be a good time.

Consider this scenario: You want to develop your ability to influence, and your peers recommended a powerful course that helped them organize their thoughts, and confidently and effectively share their ideas. It sounds fantastic, and you’d love to go, but it’s “not a good time”.

That statement can be very costly.

Michael, a Distributor Specialist, would agree. A couple of weeks after he attended Maximum Influence, Michael met with a customer who placed monthly orders with him. He used the tools he learned in Maximum Influence to adapt his message more specifically to this customer and to ask questions that got her thinking differently. Michael’s ability to influence more effectively led to an order that was $45,648 more than the standard monthly order for this customer! That would have been a big miss if Michael had decided it wasn’t a good time to go to Maximum Influence. Putting attending off just three months would have cost him $136,944.

Brian was a high potential individual contributor when he attended Maximum Influence. His goal was to develop the communication skills he needed to get him noticed, promoted, and ultimately lead a team. A month later, Brian had an opportunity for a promotion. He used the preparation methodology to prepare for the interview and organize his thoughts. He used the stress management and delivery skills taught to express himself confidently and clearly during the interview. Brian said he wouldn’t have gotten the promotion had he not attended Maximum Influence. Again, it shows that it pays to take the time to invest in yourself.

What opportunities will you miss in the next few months if you decide that this “isn’t a good time” for training?

Will your team continue to resist change?
Will you lose out on a promotion?
Will your request for funding be denied?

Prioritize your development and join us for Maximum Influence. Leaders influence all day every day. If you’re not using these tools, you may be missing out.

If you’re still not sure that whether this course would be valuable for you, schedule a free consultation with Dr. Heather Johnson to discuss the results you need to get and how Maximum Influence can help you get them.

January 10, 2020 by Klassen Performance Group

Tom Hanks: A Lesson in Influence

We see the world through the lens of influence at Klassen Performance Group. Whether polishing our own influence or helping our clients develop theirs, we focus on influence every day. I came across the video of Tom Hanks’ Golden Globes speech today. His speech and how he delivers it are a fantastic example of influence. Although Hanks uses multiple tools of influence throughout his speech, I’ll focus on just three here.

1. Make an emotional connection

Whether it’s a product, a service, or an idea, we buy from people we like. When you make an emotional connection with people, you are more likely to achieve your purpose. There are a variety of ways you can establish an emotional connection with your listeners, depending on the situation, the person, and their purpose.

Hanks clearly understands the value of making an emotional connection as he connected with his audience in multiple ways. For example, he used humor, stories, tone, and his body language to connect and deliver his message in a very genuine way that drew people in and made them want to listen. He even choked up a couple times, which only made him that much more authentic and compelling. Before you chalk it up to his acting skills, take a look at the countless actors who deliver monotone speeches that leave us waiting for the music to begin and end the speech. Tom Hanks could have talked twice as long without losing his listeners.

2. Understand and adapt to your audience

You will increase your impact substantially when you take the time to clearly understand your listeners. Consider things like what is important to them, why they would care about your message, and what they listen for. Understanding your listeners and adapting your message to deliver it in a way that meets their needs will ensure that they listen and that they get the information they need to buy in.

Tom Hanks’ speech was clearly written for the people in that room. His understanding of them enabled him to deliver an acceptance speech while also adding value to those in the room. He did this throughout, but a part that stands out was when he shared the “greatest lesson a young actor could possibly ever get”. His story described an important lesson that not only helped him become one of the best actors of our time, is was also beneficial to those in the room. He could have focused on anything during his speech; he chose to include the audience and add value to them.

3. Don’t get derailed by perfection

People often strive for perfection in a speech like this or in a presentation at work. They spend hours editing and rehearsing until it’s “just right”. The problem with that is that they lose their emotional connection with the audience and sound robotic. Over-preparing in search of perfection increases the likelihood that your listeners’ minds will wander and decreases the likelihood that you’ll achieve your desired purpose.

Hanks knew his main points and the flow of his speech but was comfortable enough to show imperfection. He stumbled, let a couple of filler words slip, teared up, and ad-libbed. All of those things made him relatable. While I’m not suggesting that you wing it, don’t let a desire for perfection derail you.

These are just three of the many ways Tom Hanks made his speech engaging and influential. You don’t have to be a professional actor or deliver a big speech to have the same impact.

We help people at all levels increase their ability to influence so they get their ideas heard in meetings, deliver high-impact presentations, and navigate high-stakes conversations like a pro.

Would you like to see how we can help you too? Schedule a free consultation with Dr. Heather Johnson and find out how to increase your ability to influence today.

January 7, 2020 by Klassen Performance Group

For effective influence, watch your tone

“Shut up!”

Would you be offended or excited if somebody yelled that to you? You may be thinking, “Well, it depends on how they said it.” Exactly!

Imagine these two scenarios:

Scenario 1: Two friends, Anika and Maria, are talking about the new job Maria just landed. Maria tells Anika that not only did she get the new job, but they also offered her more than she expected, and Anika’s eyes go wide as she giddily yells, “Shut up!”.
Scenario 2: A couple is having an argument, and one person rambles on and on about something he’s upset about, shutting down every attempt by his partner to speak. Fustration begins to mount until his partner finally yells, “Shut up!”

Tone impacts influence
Tone can dramatically change the meaning of our words. In this example, “Shut up!” can convey positive or negative emotions depending on the tone used when saying them. The absence of tone can also lead to communication problems.

You may have heard that people like to hear their name. That’s true to point. For example, if you smile and say, “It’s nice to meet you, Heather.” in a friendly tone, you are likely to make a positive emotional connection. The intention, in this case, would be to build a relationship, and the tone used helps make that happen. We can all also probably remember a time when a parent said our name in a tone that clearly conveyed that we were in trouble. No other words were needed.

I saw another example of how using a certain tone when saying someone’s name conveys an entirely different meaning. I watched an interview with a politician who was not a fan of the reporter. After the reporter asked the third question, the politician sighed and said, “John, the reason this is important is because…”. The tone he used to say, “John” was dripping with condescension, and I doubt the reporter was happy to hear his name said this way. In this case, the politician intentionally used a condescending tone as he said the reporter’s name as a power play to imply superiority and his exasperation with the line of questioning.

Tone conveys emotions, emphasizes important points, and keeps listeners engaged.

Changing the tone of a word or sentence can change the meaning significantly.

The examples above illustrate the importance of tone. The tone you use will keep people engaged or cause their minds to wander. Your tone will convey your emotion and elicit emotions in others. When you need to influence, be sure to consider how your tone can help you achieve your purpose. It may even be helpful to rehearse out loud so you can hear your tone and change it if needed. Also consider whether you can effectively convey your intended tone in an email or text, or if you should make a call so your tone and its intended message comes through clearly.

Challenge:

Pay attention to the impact of tone as you observe conversations or watch interviews. Like an actor rehearsing lines, imagine how the conversation would change if the same words were conveyed in a different tone. Once you’ve observed the impact with others, pay attention to how your tone impacts a conversation and, ultimately, your ability to influence.

September 10, 2019 by Klassen Performance Group

Big Goals Can Bring Big Growth

What was your last big goal that caused significant growth in you?

Big goals force us to venture into new territory, and we often learn something about ourselves and our teams along the way.

My big goal for this summer was to climb a mountain 14,000 feet or higher, known as a “14-er” in Colorado. My family and I chose Quandary Peak as our climb, which tops out at 14,265 feet.
Coming from Minnesota at 965 feet elevation, I was well aware that in addition the physical demands of the hike, getting enough oxygen at high altitude would be another significant challenge.

Our team of five faced many challenges and learned powerful lessons along the way that will guide us in the years to come. Here are just a few lessons I took away from Quandary Peak.

Identify your peak, but focus on manageable milestones

When we drove to the trailhead of Quandary Peak, I was in awe of the giant mountain in front of us. It was so high, and the air was already thin as we got out of the car! The summit was four steep miles up a very rocky trail. I was instantly overwhelmed and couldn’t help but wonder what I was thinking when I decided to do this.

I learned early on that focusing on one section at a time – getting to the top of the tree line, climbing up a steep rocky section, a very welcome moderate section, and the final push up the last punishing mile – instead of focusing on the whole mountain was the best way to keep from feeling overwhelmed. I looked at the peak occasionally to check my progress, but the majority of the time, I focused on the immediate objective. This was critical to effectively managing my emotions so I didn’t get so overwhelmed I’d give up.

Big goals at work can feel just as overwhelming. Once overwhelmed, people can procrastinate or even avoid challenges altogether because they don’t know where to start and have difficulty believing they can achieve the goal. Breaking those goals down into manageable chunks in terms of time or milestones is essential. As soon as you do so, you’ll find that your confidence and motivation increase, and you’ll be ready to move forward.

Don’t allow perfection to delay your launch

I knew when I set the goal that this was going to be a physically demanding climb. Online comments from other hikers made me question whether I was physically ready. Luckily, I had a few months to get in shape after setting the goal.

Unfortunately, when the time came to climb, I still didn’t have the strength and endurance I thought I needed to make it to the top. I had two choices. I could either postpone the climb or give it my best shot. It would have been easy to postpone and wait until I was in “perfect” shape, but there is also a good chance that I would never achieve what I considered perfect. I decided that 80% was good enough and that I would give the mountain everything I had. If I didn’t summit, I could always try again.

It’s common in business for people to delay a launch, a change, or a big project until everything is just right. I’ve worked with several people recently who delayed starting a business until they had the perfect website, product, or process in place, wasting valuable time and money. Don’t wait until everything is perfect. Take action when you’re 80% ready, and the rest will fall into place.

Surround yourself with supportive people

I’m grateful for these supportive people in our climbing team that helped me reach my goal.

There were many times during my climb when exhaustion, physical pain, or difficulty breathing had me wondering how I was going to make it. It seemed like just when I needed it most, one of the four people I climbed with that day said something encouraging that pushed me forward. We leaned on each other throughout the five-and-a-half-hour hike.

As someone who tends to be very self-reliant, it struck me how beneficial it was to tap into the strength of others. There were even a couple of people who passed us as they came down who offered words of encouragement. One woman said, “I’m not going to lie to you, you have a long way to go, but it’s worth it. You can do it.” Whether it came from strangers or our group, each offer of encouragement was like a shot of adrenaline.

We all encounter times when we wonder how we’ll find the energy to keep going. It may be after a significant setback or after spending weeks or even months on a project that seems to be going nowhere. It’s times like that when it’s invaluable to have people around you to encourage and support you. People with whom you can openly share challenges and struggles are a valuable asset when things get tough. Do you have a robust support system around you who will help you stay focused on your goal when the going gets tough?

Enjoy the journey

I often find myself so results-focused that I fail to appreciate the journey. I was determined not to let that happen climbing this 14er. A five-and-a-half-mile hike offers many rewarding opportunities in addition to the final summit, and I focused on finding them. Those efforts paid off in the form of beautiful wildflowers, noticing a mountain goat that others missed, and unique rock formations. Each thing I noticed and appreciated gave me a little burst of energy that helped me continue up the mountain.

It’s not an either-or when it comes to results and appreciation of the journey; you can have both. Some people naturally notice the “sights” along the way, and others need to make more of a conscious effort to do so. As someone who needs to make an effort, I can tell you it’s worth it. Pay attention to the people you meet, the progress you make, and the surprises along the way. When you do, you’ll have more to celebrate than the accomplishment of the goal.

Don’t avoid discomfort and adversity. Most growth requires it.

I encourage you to set a big goal for yourself and use it as an opportunity for growth and self-mastery. Break it into manageable chunks, then launch quickly toward the first milestone. Celebrate your smaller victories and build momentum toward the next milestone. Not only will you increase your chances of following through on your goal, you will also quickly gain valuable insights into yourself and how you respond to challenges.

If influence is your goal, join us for Maximum Influence. If improving your leadership skills is a goal of yours, join us for Superior Leadership. If you want to understand yourself and others better so you can lead and influence more effectively, join us for Increasing Your Emotional Intelligence. Remember, nothing accelerates growth like setting and pursuing a big goal!

August 20, 2019 by Klassen Performance Group

5 Myths To Bust For Maximum Impact & Maximum Influence

I’ve been helping leaders, sales people, and individual contributors develop and strengthen their ability to influence for 24 years. The motivations behind the companies and individuals that reach out to us for help with influence are varied — some people want to improve their ability to give presentations no matter their audience, others struggle with a confident delivery, and still others struggle with organizing their thoughts. They all know, however, that in order to effectively drive results and impact decisions, the ability to effectively influence is crucial to their success and growth.

Today, as I’m preparing for our next ‘Maximum Influence‘ public workshop, I’m reflecting on what I’ve observed over the years to be five common myths subscribed to by some portion of every incoming class that we are able to bust when they experience our proven process.

Myth 1:
‘I just need to give people the facts, and they’ll buy-in’

This myth is especially prevalent among the more analytical attendees. They initially resist the importance of making an emotional connection and the impact of tone and body language. It isn’t until they watch and evaluate other participants that they come to understand how important it is to go beyond presenting the data. They learn specific strategies to deliver their facts and data in an engaging and memorable way that ultimately gets buy-in.

Myth 2:
‘I know stories are important, but I don’t have any to tell’

There is ample research and countless articles on the power of story when influencing. People aren’t surprised to hear this when they attend, but I often find that they are intimidated by incorporating stories. They frequently say they don’t have any. That simply isn’t true. Everyone has stories; they just don’t think they are worthy of sharing. It isn’t until they experience Maximum Influence that they learn how to easily incorporate relevant short stories into business presentations. As they listen to others do the same, they always walk away saying that learning to tell stories is one of their biggest takeaways.

Myth 3:
‘I love presenting, so I know I’m good at it’

Loving presenting and being influential are two different things. We’ve all listened to people comfortably ramble on only to leave listeners struggling to find the point. Attendees who come in believing this myth are typically surprised to discover that they are less effective than they think they are. It is through the experience of constructive feedback that they come to learn that their message isn’t clear. These participants typically attend already possessing several strengths that make them look comfortable in front of a room, and they leave knowing how to add a clear, concise message to round out those strengths.

Myth 4:
‘I don’t know what to say’

This myth leads to people to waste a great deal of time preparing. The problem isn’t that they don’t know what to say; it’s that they don’t know how to say it. That’s why we teach a proven writing methodology to help people organize their thoughts clearly and concisely. Participants often stumble the first time they apply the methodology, and by the end of the session, they say they can’t imagine preparing any other way for presentations, meetings, and individual conversations. We regularly hear from Maximum Influence graduates that they cut their preparation time down by as much as 75%.

Myth 5:
‘I’m not naturally charismatic, so I can’t be a speaker’

Most people who attend Maximum Influence need to influence in a business environment; they don’t need to be a motivational speaker. It doesn’t matter how introverted someone is when they come to the workshop. They learn through this course experience how to increase their energy, conviction, and ability to keep people engaged while staying true to their natural style.

Whether you need to influence your team to get on board with a change, influence leadership to back an initiative, or even get funding for a project, we can help. Join us at one of our public workshops, where you’ll strengthen this important competency in a small group setting and gain insight from people outside of your company.

Are you looking to improve influence in your entire team? We will come to you and deliver a customized, tailored experience where everyone on your team will develop the ability to influence and drive results.

I’d love an opportunity to answer any questions on how we can help you or your team with Influence, Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Building High Performance Teams, or other ways we can help you succeed. Contact me here or call Dr. Heather Johnson at 651-322-7821.

January 22, 2019 by Klassen Performance Group

Neighborly Standoff

We all face highly emotional situations from time to time personally and professionally. Your approach impacts the communication throughout the situation, the relationships of the people involved, and long-term outcomes. Do you see yourself in either approach in the situation between these two neighbors?

The situation

Shortly after Trent moved into his dream home, he went next door to meet his new neighbor, Jack, who was also new to the neighborhood. During a friendly conversation, Jack explained to Trent that the construction materials in the yard were for a 2-story garage he planned to build with living space above it. As Trent listened to Jack’s plan, he became increasingly concerned that this new garage not only encroached on his border, but that it would negatively impact his view and the value of his house.

Trent went home that night and began looking into the ordinances to see if Jack was actually in violation, and if he was, what could be done. To save time, he called Steve, a close friend and neighbor who has had previous boundary disputes of his own. Steve was sure that Jack’s plans would violate the law and Jack would need to amend the plans for his garage. Trent planned to go back over and talk to Jack the following evening.

The escalation

In the meantime, Steve continued to ponder the situation and became more and more angry as he thought of the impact Jack’s garage would have not only on Trent’s property, but on the whole neighborhood. Steve hadn’t met Jack yet, but he pegged him as a selfish outsider who wasn’t going to follow the rules no matter what. Steve went to Jack’s house and began walking around the garage foundation and taking measurements. Jack came outside demanding to know what Steve was doing on his property and things escalated from there. Voices were raised, profanity was flying, and lawsuits were threatened. Two other neighbors heard the exchange and were drawn in as well. It ended with a call to the sheriff and everyone going back to their respective houses.

The response

Trent was disappointed when he heard that things had taken such an adversarial turn before he could talk with Jack personally. As Trent considered how to approach Jack, he thought about what he wanted to accomplish. Trent wanted to find a way that Jack could build his garage without negatively impacting Trent’s view or property value. He also wanted to preserve the relationship because he will live next door to Jack for the foreseeable future and their kids will likely play together.

When Trent saw Jack in his yard, he grabbed a bottle of bourbon, took a deep breath, and went to talk. As he approached, he said, “So, I hear you met Steve.” That broke the tension and Trent asked Jack if he’d like to talk about this over a drink. Trent spent most of the 90 minutes that followed listening. Jack shared details of his plans as well as his understanding of the ordinances. Trent began to realize that he wasn’t as “right” as he thought he was (and Steve was certain he was) and his perspective began to change. There was more to Jack’s plans than the garage, and Trent realized that this might actually increase, not decrease, the value of his property. He still had some concerns about the impact on his view that he shared with Jack. They made a lot of progress during their conversation, and agreed to keep talking.

The impact

While they didn’t resolve everything at once, two important things happened. First, Trent’s willingness to listen quickly diffused Jack’s anger over feeling attacked by Steve and calmed his natural reflex to attack when he feels threatened. Had Jack chosen a confrontational response, there would very likely be an ongoing battle long after the issue of the garage was behind them.

Second, Trent began laying a solid foundation for a good relationship for years to come that won’t involve attorneys. Trent demonstrated open, respectful communication and a desire to find a mutually beneficial solution. This enabled Jack to move from defending himself to a willingness to compromise. This foundation will pave the way to future conversations when there are disagreements.

Trent is a graduate of our Mastering High Stakes Conversations course and shared this experience as an example of how he applied the skills he learned during that course. If you’d like to learn how to diffuse situations like this and build long-term personal and professional relationships, we offer three courses that will help:

January 23, 2018 by Klassen Performance Group

Reviving your New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions fail 91% of the time. They are a great catalyst for change, but on their own they fall short of driving lasting results. If you are like most people, you probably have less excitement and commitment around your resolutions than you did when you first made them. However, you can harness your initial enthusiasm to establish consistent behaviors that deliver lasting change. The key to turning a resolution into reality is to build habits around your resolutions.

Resolutions fail 91% of the time because, without supporting habits, they drain mental energy, are vulnerable to distractions, and don’t provide consistent and timely reinforcement. Creating habits overcomes these shortcomings and transforms your enthusiasm into consistent, goal-oriented action.

Habits are highly efficient

Resolutions such as, “I will eat 5 servings of vegetables a day”, continuously drain precious mental resources because our brain must continuously evaluate options and make decisions about whether we will follow through and the best way to do so in that moment. For example, if you walk into your kitchen and ask yourself what you’re hungry for or how you will work 5 servings of vegetables into your meals that day, you have a lot more decisions to make before you eat breakfast. If you made it a habit to eat a smoothie for breakfast, doing so becomes automatic and you wouldn’t need to contemplate other options.

Fortunately, our brains are designed to form habits. In essence, a habit is a mental shortcut our brain takes to conserve energy and free attention by automating repeat behaviors. Habits are composed of a three-part structure: the cue, routine, and reward. Because habits automate your response to a cue, you have a much greater ability to follow through when energy is low and distractions abound.

Habits shield us from temptations

A resolution to eat five servings of vegetables does not shield you from the temptations of a donut. With a resolution, you need to actively use your willpower to refrain from eating the donut and make a smoothie instead. Frequently, new resolutions conflict with existing habits and our resolve is easily overwhelmed. Instead, if you are in the habit of eating a smoothie for breakfast, you are not likely to be distracted by the donut because you’re on automatic pilot.

In his book The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg cites a study that demonstrates how habits prevail against temptations. In this study, one group of Macaque monkeys developed a habit of completing a simple sequencing task with the reward of receiving a drop of their favorite fruit juice. The second group of monkeys were familiar with the task and reward but had not yet developed a habit. During the experiment, the experimenter opened a door leading to a play area where other monkeys are relaxing. The monkeys who had formed strong habits around completing the task stayed in the experiment room to finish their tasks while those who hadn’t formed strong habits left to play. The temptation of the play room did not affect the group of monkeys with the habit. As with the Macaques, humans use the same part of our brains to form and follow habitual behaviors as if on autopilot, which makes it easy to act consistently with our desires, even when we would rather do something else.

Habits Utilize Cravings

Cravings are how our brains motivate us into completing behaviors that provide us with a reward. When we repeat a habit cycle that leads to reward, our neurological cravings push us to continue acting on our habits. Cravings are what kept the monkeys, mentioned in Schultz’s study, working on their task while the other group left to play. There is a misconception that eliminating cravings is the most effective way to stop a habit you want to quit. Instead of eliminating your cravings, once you have clearly identified what they are, you can fill in a new routine to fulfill them. For example, craving hunger in the morning is currently being rewarded by the routine of driving to the coffee house to buy a donut. Instead, your new routine can be to order a smoothie at the coffee shop. As a reminder, resolutions alone don’t generate this craving and aren’t as effective in creating sustained change in behavior.

Consistent action is what creates lasting change. Learning how to develop habits is necessary to turn resolutions into reality. During Maximum Influence, participants start the process of turning the writing methodology into a habit by using it consistently. This habit allows them to quickly organize their thoughts when influencing in any situation. We have received tremendous feedback on this methodology because the process quickly becomes second nature and makes people more effective communicators.

Those interested in habits to increase your influence are invited to join us for Maximum Influence. For more information visit our website. This article is a first step in creating strong habits that will help you achieve your resolutions for the new year. The second article in our habit series will explain how you can adapt old habits and form new ones and finally achieve your goals.

September 13, 2017 by Klassen Performance Group

Are These 3 Mistakes Undermining Your Influence?

You influence others all day long during meetings, presentations, and interpersonal conversations. Don’t let these three mistakes keep you from getting the results you need.

Influence Mistake #1: Focusing only on content

Content is only part of the equation. I work with a lot of people who have great content that simply isn’t heard because it isn’t delivered effectively.

I recently listened to a man give a five-minute presentation. The content was good, and he thought he nailed it. A question following his presentation surprised him because he addressed it during his presentation.

When we asked the rest of the group if anyone heard the point during his presentation, everyone said no. His content was great, but key information was lost because of poor delivery.

During our course, Maximum Influence, you will learn how to deliver valuable content in a way that people hear and remember it.

Influence Mistake #2: Ignoring the importance of an emotional connection

Relying solely on bulleted points or technology won’t persuade people. Bullets and technology don’t make an emotional connection, you do. It is difficult to get people to change if they don’t think you care about the challenges they face. It’s difficult to convince people to buy if it seems that you care more about the sale than the relationship. It’s difficult to get a team energized around an initiative if you don’t express any passion about it.

During Maximum Influence you will learn how to apply several strategies to make an emotional connection that will increase your ability to get buy in, drive results, and increase productivity.

Influence Mistake #3: Doing all the talking

People often focus so much on what to say that they forget to listen. You can’t truly understand someone if you don’t listen. What does the customer think of their current solution? What are your team’s biggest concerns with the change? What part of the project is the most important to your boss?

During Maximum Influence, you’ll learn how your natural listening style impacts your ability to influence as well as how to adapt to others’ listening styles to deliver content in a way they want to hear it.

Join us for Maximum Influence to learn strategies to prevent these mistakes and more! See our Public Workshops page for dates.

Facilitator

A nationally recognized speaker and expert in leadership development, Dr. Heather Johnson conducts the interactive workshop applying proven methodologies to maximize participants’ ability to influence.