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There are well-known tactics for persuading others, coauthor Robert Cialdini’s prominent among them. But when leaders need to prompt long-term behavioral change, these tactics need to be applied differently. Cialdini and his coauthor, a researcher of influence tactics, suggest three methods for delivering long-haul persuasion in a complex system that build on Cialdini’s earlier work: Offer compromises proactively, promote unity, and appoint a system steward. Importantly, all three approaches emphasize the agency and involvement of those on the receiving end.
Leaders responsible for planning and executing change programs often meet with mixed success. As researchers in the scientific study of influence and persuasion, we have experienced firsthand how strategies that deliver immediate results don’t always produce persistent, longer-term change in these situations — and we know what can help.
