CASE STUDIES 

The power of persuasion 

This case study serves to illustrate the impact and support that one Skillogy PERFORM™ course can have at both an individual, as well as a national level.

Background

The person concerned in this case study, held a senior role, reporting to a government minister. For confidentiality reasons, the country has not been disclosed. This senior manager was aware of the Skillogy PERFORM™ courses and was undertaking a series of modules as part of a leadership development programme in his organisation.

In addition to these modules, he had taken it upon himself to explore a module that aligned with a particular problem that he was , at that time, unable to resolve.

The problem was of a political nature involving a disagreement between a regional government and the government department, of which this senior manager was an official.

The Problem

The regional government, who had a considerable influence in the national government, required that a specific project be agreed to assist in gaining the support of an important group of inhabitants and voters, living in the western part of the region.

The central government had tasked the senior manager with resolving the matter. Discussions had resulted in a deadlock. The project would have cost central government $60 million and could not justify either that type of project or the cost.

Course taken in this case study

Much of what you achieve depends on your ability to persuade other people. In many respects, persuasion is the highest form of communication. This course looks at the ability of persuasion and negotiation, in producing successful outcomes and moving towards a convergence of opinion and understanding. Negotiation depends on your attitudes in approach and devoting time to planning.

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Persuasion and Negotiation

The Skillogy PERFORM™ course for Persuasion and Negotiation comprises seven important elements, reflecting the tutorial content. These elements relate to:

  1. Persuasion: this is the ability to  induce belief and conviction in others by virtue of your argument and the trust and rapport you have nurtured.
  2. Negotiator’s outlook: this is the ability to approach a negotiation with the view of reaching a fair agreement and with enhanced working relationships.
  3. Planning: focus on objectives: this is the ability to define negotiation objectives, negotiation constraints and limits of decision authority.
  4. Planning: focus on your counterpart: this is the ability to assess your negotiation counterpart’s objectives, constraints and limits of authority as well as any personal factors that may impact on the negotiations.
  5. Planning: focus on strategy: this is the ability to think through and create a viable strategy for handling the negotiations before commencement.
  6. Negotiation process: this is the ability to understand the five stages of the negotiation process and to conduct the negotiations in a constructive and reasonable manner.
  7. Negotiations tactics: this is the ability to comprehend the seven most common issues relating to negotiation tactics and to use the various options available to you in securing the desired outcome.

Understanding the issues

Having carefully studied and considered each of the tutorials, the senior manager then revisited the implementation guidelines and action points for each of the key ability areas. For the purposes of illustration, here is the first set of actions, which provided him with a process for understanding the issue and the possible route to finding acceptable options:

ACTION 1: think of an event or situation ahead that will require you to persuade another person. This situation may be of any type but it must contain an element of negotiation within it. Within this situation, choose the main idea that you wish to make with maximum persuasive power. [in this case, the senior manager already had a situation to deal with]

ACTION 2: reflect upon the idea in relation to the other person’s needs.  Speculate about what needs the person may have and make a list of needs.

ACTION 3: take each need in turn and check to see if your idea is likely to strongly or weakly satisfy the need.

ACTION 4: focus solely on those needs that your idea will satisfy strongly.

ACTION 5: check to see if your idea is distinctive.  Is your idea the best way for the person to satisfy their needs?  Does your idea have some degree of uniqueness and/or originality?  Is your idea a fair approach to or way of satisfying the needs?

ACTION 6: reflect upon how you are going to first present this idea to the person.  Your opening sentence must be firmly located in the person’s needs and it must stimulate some degree of interest or potential excitement.  However, this opening sentence must not contain any of your strong points of argument or any conclusion.

ACTION 7: reflect upon how you are going to present the main substance of your idea. The best way to do this is to take each need and create a variety of positive points that will show how the need will be satisfied.  Begin with the weaker points and finish with the strong points.

The Power of Persuasion

These guidelines cover the aspects of persuasion.

The Implementation Guides and action points contained in the other tutorials form a pathway designed to assist the senior manager (in this case) in producing a viable and fair solution for both parties.

One of the ‘trigger point’ guidelines in this particular case lay in the planning process and the senior manager’s ability to assess your negotiation counterpart’s objectives, constraints and limits of authority as well as any personal factors that may impact on the negotiations.

In this regard, here is an extract of the key action points involved (there are some action points not included for the purposes of this case study):

ACTION 1: ask yourself the question: “What does my counterpart need to achieve?’ See if you can identify the most important needs.  Don’t forget that they, like you, may also have some needs that are desirable.

ACTION 2: now, provisionally convert these into negotiation objectives using the rules that objectives should be specific, measurable, capable of agreement, realistic and set in a time frame.

ACTION 3: make an initial risk assessment of your counterpart’s objectives.  Look at their probabilities, positive and negative outcomes, net outcome, downside risk and sensitivities. You will not be able to do this with any degree of certainty but you are starting to investigate the other person’s position and looking for indications of their objectives.  You can verify this later.

ACTION 4: see if you can forecast the constraints they will be negotiating within.  These constraints will he the lower and/or upper limits around each objective measurement.  In addition, make a preliminary assessment of the limits of decision authority that your partner may have.

ACTION 5: finally, see if you can assess your counterpart’s outlook on the negotiations. This will bring to the fore the most important values, beliefs and experiences. Attempt to answer the following questions:

  • will they be detached?
  • will they be objective?
  • do they value fairness?
  • do they value compromise?
  • will they openly disclose information?
  • do they value trust?
  • are they intelligent?
  • are they creative?
  • do they value problem solving?
  • will they have a ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ approach?
  • if trust fairness and enhanced working relationships are not present in the negotiations, will they curtail the negotiations?
  • what factors would make them curtail the negotiations?
  • given their basic approach, use your imagination and assess the possible impact of their approach on the negotiations.

The Solution

This senior manager determined that the key issue for the regional government was votes – this was of overriding importance and the need to be able to demonstrate their recognition of their people and needs.

From the senior manager’s standpoint, he had to find a solution that would satisfy their needs as well as the Central Government budget constraints. The culture and history of this nation also needed to be taken into account, in political terms. These were the prime considerations.

So, as far as the votes were concerned?

A plan was put forward to his central government Head that an investment of $10 million should be offered but split into two projects. The first project would still benefit the people in the mountainous west of the region and secure their votes. Additionally,  the second project would benefit another group of voters closer to the regional capital and gain the support of their votes, too.

The Outcome

Understanding the important principles of the power of persuasion and negotiation are fundamental to good leadership. Even for this senior manager, the course  served as a ‘refresher’ and acted as a catalyst in focusing his thoughts.

Agreement was reached with the regional government officials after three days of negotiations. The regional government secured two beneficial projects and the support of the voters, whilst central government maintained important political relationships and saved some $50 million.

Well worth the investment of time in a course and a win-win outcome for all concerned.

Skillogy PERFORM™ Human-Centric Skill Courses By Performance Area

All courses recognised by CMI

 SELF

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to manage oneself and one’s relationships with others in a mature and constructive manner. Research indicates that EI is closely related to workplace success at all levels of the organisation. In this course we look at six key aspects of EI in order to help develop your skills and abilities in managing yourself and your relationships in the workplace.

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Estimates show that some 70% of your work time is spent in some aspect of communication. With so much practice and experience, it would appear that we are all experts, but that is not the case. This course looks at your ability to reach a shared or common understanding with another person and how you apply your verbal and written abilities as well as your capacity to listen and understand.

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What you achieve at work is dependent on the contributions you make to your team. This is the sum of the skills that you willingly give to others or you add towards a common goal or result. This course looks at the key areas of contribution that you are required to make in order to achieve team objectives and results.

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Personal organisation seems to have a considerable effect on feelings and moods. You have good and bad days. If you feel well organised, you have a positive sense of well-being and in control. This course looks at your ability to arrange and control all aspects of your work so that it flows smoothly and efficiently. This skill depends upon your inherent drives to control events and circumstances.

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Managing priorities often causes a potential source of conflict. The correct work behaviour is summarised as ‘what you do second is equally important to what you do first’. This routine is achieved if time is controlled in terms of priority management. This course looks at your ability to focus on priority of job objectives and conflict between priority of importance and priority of time.

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Work stress has been described as the ‘wear and tear’ caused by your working life. In recent times, stress at work has seen a rapidly rising trend. This course looks at your ability to avoid work stress and to control and manage it. Excessive and continuous work stress problems stem from excessive workloads and impractical deadlines, relationships with colleagues and future job insecurity.

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Your ability to think is probably your greatest asset at work.  Everything  you say and do will be touched by what is going on in your mind. Performance and achievements are a direct function of your thinking abilities. This course looks at mental agility, conceptual and analytical thinking, in allowing you to conceive and form ideas, in a practical sense and draw the right conclusions.

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Time, like capital or human skills, is a resource that has to be managed effectively. It is also a limited resource. This course looks at your ability to manage job objectives, priorities and activities within the available time. Effective time management is criticalwhen time is at a premium and workloads are on the increase. In essence, the aim is to achieve the right things, at the right quality, on time.

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Wellness is not a new concept. The ancient Greeks believed that a truly healthy person possessed a keen intellect, a well-developed will and a disciplined body. Their ideal of excellence of any kind, was considered a noble state of human functioning, representing the merging of body, mind and spirit. This course focuses on making you aware of and making choices towards a more successful life.

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Your work personality brings together all those parts of you that have an influence on your performance at work. This course examines those qualities of your personality that you consistently demonstrate in your work and by which you become known by your colleagues. The main issue is whether you possess and use those positive qualities normally associated with good performance.

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MANAGER

Change is an inevitable part of life. Nothing remains static and the way we respond to change varies from individual to individual. Approximately one half of the population resists it, while the other half welcomes it. This course examines the change management process and the ways in which an understanding of the causes of resistance can be turned to positive advantage.

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This course looks at the step-by-step process of decision making from problem definition to implementation. It highlights the importance of qualitative information in decision judgement and the impact of unstructured decisions. It emphasises that judgement takes a higher priority when the impact of the decision is greater, more complex or the potential risk is higher.

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Time, like capital or human skills, is a resource that has to be managed effectively. It is also a limited resource. This course looks at your ability to manage job objectives, priorities and activities within the available time. Effective time management is critical when time is at a premium and workloads are on the increase. In essence, the aim is to achieve the right things, at the right quality, on time.

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This course examines the ability to plan and control the allocation of work within team members in order to maximise resources. Good delegation is based on clear objectives, regular reviews and solid feedback. It shows how delegation can provide a sound basis on which to improve productivity, engender ownership and responsibility, whilst fostering individual growth and development.

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People are a vital element in any organisation and managing and leading people is criticallyimportant for every manager. This course describes the key people management skills that contribute fully to individual performance improvement and organisational effectiveness.

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Information encompasses every aspect of your job. Throughout the work process you use it, produce it, pass it on and communicate it. This course examines the ability to store and the retrieve the essential information required to carry out your job efficiently.

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An interesting aspect of job knowledge is that the majority of people believe they understand their job until they are asked to explain it. This course sets out to examine your professional, specialist or expert knowledge and understanding that are especially required in your job.

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Objective setting is the foundation of good management. Without objectives, you will never be able to focus on achievement, nor manage the various aspects of your work and working relationships. This course covers your ability to think through and define the results you and your team wish to achieve, through an eight-step process, which is constantly subject to change and review.

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Project Management is a combination of steps and techniques for keeping the budget and schedule in line. This course follows the five stages of the project cycle, which provides a clear process and system for project tracking. A successful project manager demonstrates team building skills and develops a thorough knowledge of the team’s strengths and the project’s needs.

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Each team has a unique  ‘team  personality’ made up from the individuals that form it. It is this aspect that determines how effectively the team works together, the quality of their performance  and what they are capable of achieving. This course looks at how teams work together to achieve team objectives. Effective teams have a common ‘team spirit’ which directly impacts on their results.

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LEADER

Management is about finding creative solutions to problems and identifying the appropriate course of action. Creativity and originality explores the power of the mind, in bringing things into being, from original thought or basic concepts. This course sets out to show how the power of imagination can build on original thoughts to create solutions and plans, which contribute to work performance.

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Ethical leadership involves the way that managers and leaders carry out their decision-making in terms of moral issues and choices. This course examines the role of the ethical leader and the influence that he or she can exert in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and improving an organisation’s ethical climate.

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Innovation is a special and highly regarded ability in people at work. The organisations that are the most successful at innovation, will gain leadership in their market. This course focuses on the role of the corporate innovator, in larger scale project development and highlights the importance of building innovative teams, in order to maintain a competitive edge.

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A manager can spend 50% of their work time in meetings, of one type or another. This course looks at your ability to plan and control meetings and make effective use of your time. Meetings involve planning, preparation, selection of participants, adherence to issues and time schedules. Meetings involve the maintenance of teamwork, supporting relationships and superior work performance.

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Leaders and managers will not be effective, if they do not understand the theories and practices of motivation. What you believe about people, affects the way your team reacts to you and your leadership. This course looks at the inherent needs of people and how to improve productivity and motivate a workforce. The level of motivation displayed by a team reflects the skills of the leader.

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In achieving optimum performance and long-term success, all organisations have to respond and adapt. Similarly, all jobs are conditioned by plans that require change. This course addresses your ability to have the knowledge and understanding of your organisation’s objectives, strategies, plans and the external environment in relation to political, social, financial and market competitive forces.

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Personal character is the sum of your moral and ethical qualities. It is these same qualities that provide the foundation for your working relationships. This course helps you to reflect on your work behaviour and integrity. Without this, it is impossible to lead and manage a team with any degree of success. Nor is it possible to survive in an organisation, which is not dedicated to ethical standards.

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Much of what you achieve depends on your ability to persuade other people. In many respects, persuasion is the highest form of communication. This course looks at the ability of persuasion and negotiation, in producing successful outcomes and moving towards a convergence of opinion and understanding. Negotiation depends on your attitudes in approach and devoting time to planning.

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Managers and leaders use power every day. Using power effectively, is an important skill and by developing influencing techniques, can lead to increased team effectiveness. This course describes the sources of power and strategies and assesses your abilities in line with these. Power contributes to organisational goals, respect human rights and conform to standards of equality and justice.

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Transforming leadership involves having a transforming approach to your work and life. Leaders operate from a set of core beliefs about people, that motivates them to perform and engage in the organisation. This transforming improves personal development and the productivity of all involved. This course explores seven key areas to help you become more effective as a leader.

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