The Art of changing Minds

Being a leader involves getting buy-in for your decisions, even from those who may not agree with you. In recent research by Harvard Business School professor Laura Huang and Harvard MBA student Ryan Yu for Huang’s new book, Edge: Turning Adversity Into Advantage, 60 leaders were observed and interviewed as they tried to change minds of people who initially disagreed with them. Depending on what was driving their detractor’s resistance, they approached the situation with one of the following three targeted strategies:

• The Cognitive Conversation: If someone opposes your idea with analytical reasoning, offer up sound arguments with a strong presentation. The goal is to show the person that, on an objective and factual basis, their initial stance on the situation is less reasonable than your argument. Be cautious about not introducing emotions into the discussion, and avoid broad generalizations.
• The Champion Conversation: When the detractor isn’t easily persuaded through cognitive arguments, or when they harbor a grievance in your relationship, debates can be futile. Instead, invest time in personally learning about them and building rapport. Gradually convert this detractor into someone who is your champion or advocate, perhaps by shedding more light on the qualities that you value in them and how your values align.
• The Credible Colleague Approach: If the detractor’s deeply held personal beliefs make them fundamentally opposed to your proposal, then—rather than trying to change their mind yourself—bring in a credible colleague. A champion of your position from another part of the organization, whether a peer or manager, may be better suited to convince this individual. A credible colleague allows your challenger to disentangle who you are from what your argument is, and then to evaluate your idea based on its objective merits. If you and the detractor are at an impasse, the credible colleague might just tip the scales in your favor.

 
What strategies have you used to identify the source of a colleague’s objections to your ideas and change their mind? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

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