Show someone a peer-reviewed, published study that contradicts their worldview and you might just hear, “those studies are all biased.”
Share with someone recent data that suggests there are macro-level trends emerging that challenge their beliefs and you might just hear, “the organization that compiled that data is untrustworthy.”
Present someone with statistics that suggest their understanding of an issue may be incomplete and you might just hear, “statistics can be twisted to mean anything.”
Quantitative data. Logic. Reason. Sensemaking. Rationality. Analysis. These aren’t the most efficacious ways to convince humans to believe anything. They never have been.
But, when stories are told by someone the individual already trusts, the opportunity to convince is dramatically enhanced.
If a longtime work colleague shares about a positive experience they had with a particular doctor, I’m more likely to consider becoming a patient myself if I need care.
If I’m looking to purchase a car and my neighbor shares his whole family likes their new SUV far more than they originally thought they would, I’m more likely to think more seriously about buying one myself.
If our family is wanting to take a beach vacation and someone we know from church talks about their recent wonderful experience on a beach in Georgia, we are more likely to include that as a potential destination.
We may not regularly think of our professional selves as being persuaders. Or as people who convince others. But, convincing others that our mission – our cause – matters is a key element of our advancement role.
In many ways, our work can come down to two questions:
- Which stories should we be telling?
- And, perhaps, even more importantly, who are the trusted storytellers?
