Persuasion Mastery: How Managers Can Convince Anyone, Anytime

As a manager, you spend considerable time getting people on board, right? Remember the last plan you made, whether to schedule a team-building activity or get your team started on the next set of strategic moves toward success. Of course, all of it takes good persuasion skills from #managers and leaders. However, the quality of being persuasive is often an underrated one!  Managers and team leaders need to be persuasive to be successful professionally. While it seems easy enough that the authority associated with the position should give your decisions and ideas substantial weight for people to back them, it might not be so simple always! Consider the difference between a manager who just announces decisions. The team complies, no matter what they might think of them.  On the other hand, a persuasive manager enables the team to see things their way. As a result, the team members truly understand and buy into the reason put forth by the manager. Consequently, they are not simply complying with the orders but also bring in motivation and ownership over the tasks assigned to them. Now, think thoroughly. Which scenario seems better?

Persuasion refers to the ability of an individual to convince others of their views and ideas. It can include generating support for plans and changing the beliefs or opinions of others. It is a critical skill because it can be used anywhere and everywhere – from simple projects to elaborate designs impacting the entire team. Influencing #decisions and building motivation is just one of the many ways persuasion skills help managers become effective with teams. It takes them out of troubling situations such as conflicts and helps them escape roadblocks on the negotiation table when the stakeholders do not see eye to eye. Most importantly, a manager must be persuasive because they have to take the baton for their team. A leader needs to rally support from their team to ensure that their plans do not fail mid-way due to a lack of support. Building consensus and gathering support for initiatives is the most crucial thing persuasive leaders can do.  Persuasion is among the critical conceptual skills for leaders, thanks to the reasons above. Therefore, building this skill set is imperative for every manager who desires to succeed. How can you do that? Let’s find out. 

Persuasive people are identified by their confidence and clarity in their goals. They know what they want to achieve, figure out a creative way to get it done, and ensure that doubt does not cross anyone’s mind. It is backed by research, knowledge, and experience. This charisma binds everyone together. In addition, their flexibility and empathy toward the concerns of others make them a favorite for the team.  This eclectic mix of emotional intelligence, excellent #communication skills, and clarity helps persuasive people stand apart as the victors. Are you one of those? You can find out now in just a few minutes with Risely’s free Persuasion Skills Assessment for managers. The free self-assessment checks your ability to persuade others and informs you about the challenges you need to overcome. Make it the first step to your successful managerial journey now. The journey to becoming persuasive is not a straightforward one, though. For every manager, it can be unique. In some cases, making logical arguments can work best. For example, dealing with a rational bunch of people starts by presenting your case and adding reasonable explanations to strengthen it. 

In some other scenarios, the solution might lie in appealing to the emotions of the other party. Maintaining a balance and identifying what each situation needs is the key to being persuasive across various people and situations. Beyond all these, you must be sure of your ideas and plans. Combining this with good faith among people that lets them trust you freely makes you a great persuasive communicator. #Persuasion is one of the most effective skills in combating #peoplemanagement challenges that any typical manager can face. From conflicts arising out of different perspectives of stakeholders in a meeting to getting your peeved colleague on board for the latest plan, persuasion can win you the best. With this, we leave you here to grow more until the next edition of The Top newsletter.  #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #managerdevelopment