In a Nutshell: Successful change isn’t about pushing harder, exerting more energy, or making a stronger argument. It’s about removing barriers and overcoming resistance so that it’s easier to take decisive, transformative action.
Guest: Professor Jonah Berger, a marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an internationally best-selling author.
My Key Takeaways:
- Stop being pushy. The person or habit you’re trying to change will push back just as hard.
- Don’t prescribe a solution until you’ve taken time to understand the problem.
- Shrink the distance. Trying to move people too far too quickly only raises resistance. Find common ground a little closer to home.
Also Learn:
- How to think like a catalyst and break through using Prof. Berger’s REDUCE framework.
- Why providing a “menu” of options can help people make more positive decisions without feeling pushed.
- What the “asking for less” strategy tells us about incremental change versus trying to force change all at once.
Complementary blog post: Stanford lecturer Matt Abrahams talked to me about the keys to capturing an audience’s attention and inspiring them to act. Listen/read here.
Resources Featured In This Episode
Books By Jonah Berger:
