Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Second Edition

by Joseph Grenny

Here’s what’s likely to happen when Biff seems disengaged in the vital behaviors. His supervisor walks over to him and says, “Hey Biff, a few minutes ago a young mother walked into our patio area holding the hand of her three-year-old daughter. She set her daughter up on a chair and walked to the window to order their food. While her back was turned, her daughter began sweeping her hand back and forth across the table that was smeared with ketchup from a previous guest. Then she began licking her hand.” At this point, Biff cringes. He doesn’t even wait for his boss to finish the story—but instead, he rushes to grab a rag and begins wiping down the tables. What happened here? The supervisor made a connection. Rather than relying on verbal persuasion to nag, guilt, or threaten, she created a vicarious experience. She told a story that helped awaken Biff to the moral content of his actions. And that changed everything.

appeal to nobler motives