How to win people over

Here is another lesson straight from practice: When I start my "winning team workshops" with a new customer, what do you think often strikes me? Right…skepticism.

This sometimes goes as far as the refusal of individual people to commit themselves fully to participate in the various exercises.

Here comes the fascinating thing: Even extremely skeptical people succeed over time in getting fully involved and committing tto working on themselves, and it usually only takes a few hours.

How does something like this happen? This question is relevant for every person who wants to positively influence others; in particular, for every leader.

Here are three elements that are decisive in determining whether someone is willing to get fully involved in the team despite initial resistance:

1. Respect. Everything starts with honest respect for each person. If someone criticizes you openly, you know that it is mainly about the criticizing person. He/she wants to express his/her dissatisfaction. Everyone has his/her stories and fears. Respect this and react accordingly: curiously and appreciatively.
2. Clarity. Often, clarifying words are needed to understand the criticism. It can often be said clearly that this form of criticism is not helpful in order to get ahead together. I have had very good experiences with the direct approach.
3. Momentum. If you want to achieve something positive with the whole team, create momentum so that even those who are initially critical can gradually jump on the bandwagon. Make this "jumping on" safe for the skeptics.

These points require some experience with the subject. As a leader, are you interested in getting more out of the whole team, including the skeptics? Then we should talk. ➔ Arrange an appointment here.