Why is Persuasion Important?

The best way to shape the future is to influence it. – Harry Mills

The applications of persuasion are virtually infinite. An employee lobbying for a pay raise, a sales manager pitching the benefits of a new product line to a customer, a purchasing manager convincing a supplier to expedite shipment of an order—these are only a few examples of persuasion situations. Many people, without even realizing it, draw on their persuasion skills every day.

Profound changes in the business world have made persuasion a more critical managerial skill than ever. Her are examples:

The days of command-and-control leadership style have given way to a business world increasingly characterized by cross-functional teams or peers, joint ventures, and inter-company partnerships.

In some countries, many young people now entering the workforce have come to maturity questioning authority.

With the advent of electronic communication a globalization, ideas and people are flowing more freely than ever within and across organizations.

Clearly, formal authority no longer gets managers as far as it used to. To do their jobs—accomplishing worth through others—managers must persuade others rather than simply issue orders.

ACTION POINT: Understand the role of persuasion in accomplishing work through others.