Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Second Edition

by Joseph Grenny

Consider the elements of an enjoyable game: Keeping score: This action produces clear, frequent feedback that can transform tasks into accomplishments that, in turn, can generate intense satisfaction. The designers of many of today’s video games have an intuitive feel for Dr. Csikszentmihalyi’s research and have used it to create games that call for highly repetitive activities that end up being amazingly addictive as individuals strive for that next level of achievement. Competition: Seeing numbers does more than provide data. It imbues the data with meaning: Am I doing better than before? (And certainly better is good.) Am I doing better than others? This element is more questionable (it can lead to unhealthy rivalry)—but to be honest, competition, especially with oneself, can help people take satisfaction from what would otherwise be a repetitive task. Constant improvement: As you walk into fitness centers across the country, you’ll note that many of the facilities’ walls are papered with charts. A closer look reveals that each chart displays various members’ personal progress. Some track weight. Others track measurements. Others track body mass indexes, bone densities, resting heart rates, and a whole host of other health indicators. As you listen to experts talk with their clients—poring over the charts in detail—you’ll often hear the word “slope”: “The actual numbers,” experts explain, “aren’t as important as the overall slope. In what direction are you heading? You ...