Influencer: The Power to Change Anything | Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, ...

Influencer: The Power to Change Anything | Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, ... | Blink with a plan - to somewhat borrow the theme of a previous reviewer

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Influencer: The Po...

	Influencer: The Power to Change Anything Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, ... McGraw-Hill, 2007 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 142 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Broaden Your Perspective on Influence

Influencer changed the way I look at the world. More particularly, it changed the way I look at the problems I face in MY world and opened me to options of how I can change those problems. People spend a lot of time thinking in terms of how to motivate people only from the standpoint of their personal motivation - they aren't doing what you want because they don't care, they're lazy, the don't respect me, etc. The emphasis on the power of social and environmental conditions was revelatory. I've stopped thinking about challenges as inevitable and think more in terms of how I can approach tough issues differently.

The case studies are fabulous and inspiring. I was somewhat distracted that the cases weren't presented start to finish, but as I progressed through the book I understood the reasoning. The authors illustrate principles that build, so the cases wouldn't have demonstrated those points with a start-to-finish recitation at the beginning of the book. I'm ready to read the book again, which will string together the cases and reinforce the key points of the book.

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Blink with a plan - to somewhat borrow the theme of a previous reviewer

I thought that this book was great. It nicely packages a bunch of good and important info not readily available elsewhere (some of which stems from the authors' own work), and it tells you how to apply this info. It's not simply content with leaving you amazed at all the sexy info/research. It tells you what to do with it.

A very rudimentary outline is (a) it presents a framework/plan for how to go about producing change (of basically any form) in the first couple chapters. For instance, it shows you how to break down complex and confusing problems into more manageable, precise problems (e.g. finding the "vital behaviors"). And (b) in the main body, it presents various strategies for getting these problems solved (i.e. generating positive influence), along with a framework to organize these strategies. Here is where you can create your specific plan of attack (e.g. select a domain of influence and see what the research has shown about how to go about influence within this domain). Finally, interspersed throughout are a bunch of cool examples from people who have been successful at changing badness into goodness. The end product is a compendium of what have to be some of the best ideas out there for producing change. Moreover, these ideas are presented in a step-by-step, organized manner.

However, I think it should be noted that the major strength was not a set of task-specific techniques, but instead, the presentation of a framework for organizing and selecting which specific techniques will work best. The book promises to give you the "power to change anything", and the plan they give you is correspondingly general. It's not really a diet book or a book focused on specific persuasion techniques, and they don't present a set of results supporting public policy A over public policy B. What they present instead is a (research supported) plan to follow for organizing and selecting the set of specific techniques that will best get the job done. And a broad perspective like this is especially helpful in our kind of information-overload world.

Basically, it combines the "amazing research tales" of Blink with a real plan for application. And in so doing, it delivers in a very realistic way on what it promises in the title. It presents what has to be one of the best general schemes out there for trying to effect change.

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The Serenity Prayer is a Trap

Yes, you heard me right. According to the authors of this book the prayer is a trap and I think I agree with them. The prayer reads:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

When Reinhold Niebuhr wrote these lines over six decades ago, I'm sure he didn't think his prayer would give solace to those would give up. But that's exactly what his prayer seems to encourage, giving up. Instead on accepting things one cannot change, one should try and make a difference, one should have the wisdom to try and make a difference. If everybody accepted the things they thought they couldn't change, the world would be a pretty dismal place.

Once the authors take their readers past the Serenity Trap, they give plenty of examples of people who didn't accept the things they couldn't change, instead they changed them. The authors not only give good examples of how an Influencer (someone who instigates change) works, but they show you how to be an influencer as well. And if I have any influence over you, dear reader, I'd like to influence you to order this book, you won't be disappointed.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

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From soccer mom to manager--great stuff.

This material is universal. The authors define twelve skills that folks should focus on if they hope to be able to improve circumstances around them. Even though I do not have a particular interest in business, I still found this information very helpful. I found it applied to the day-to-day management of life from parenting to charity work to employment.

After reading many self-help books, I find some better able to detail core concepts about change and managment than others. This one does a fine job. The authors point out how ideas of motivation and ability can either kill or escalate one's influence. It's great to realize what factors generate social and individual change.

I also appreciated the examples. I liked the examples of large scale social change. The examples of criminal reform and erradicating disease taught me a couple of things. First, individual behavior can create large-scale, critical change and secondly, because that principle holds true, I may have the ability to influence those around me if I choose. This is practical, useful information is for anyone trying to perform well at their job, balance family demands or simply survive soccer carpool. I found this information really, very helpful.

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The Power to Influence

How many times have you found yourself in a seemingly unwinnable situation in the workplace or at home? We all find ourselves facing difficulties from time to time. And often these difficulties stem from human relations. This book, Influencer by Kerry Patterson -- Josheph Grenny -- David Maxfield -- Ron McMillan -- & Al Switzier will help you with just those types of situations.

As a teacher I find some of my most challenging, yet rewarding moments of my job come wrapped up in the fact I work with people. People are always unpredictable, always changing, and always intriguing. The challenge comes in the fact that it is not always easy to lead and influence people to help them become what you know they have full potential to be.

This book was quite useful to that end... Leading people and assisting them to reach their full potential. The authors of this book take the time to practically guide you in learning to influence others.
Near the beginning of this book the point is made that, "You are an influencer." Whether we like it or not, what we do and say is observed and acted upon by others. We have great power to influence the culture around us and the sphere in which we operate every single day.

What I liked best about this book is the common sense approach the authors take. Influencing others can be daunting to say the least. But this book takes the track that influence can be wrought by identifying just a few critical behaviors and helping those you work with to change those particular behaviors.

Too often when we are faced with a challenge we try to deal with the whole gamut of issues involved. Based on the research the author's of this book undertook, that can be an exhausting and defeating approach. When we really analyze a problem and boil it down to the most crucial elements we can work smarter not harder at solving it. When we isolate crucial behaviors and work to change those behaviors, then and only then will we influence those around us. And that is when we cause lasting change.

Another powerful point I found in this book was that people will not change unless they are given opportunity to safely try new behaviors. Modeling of and structured experiences with new behaviors are critical to creating lasting change. I see this in my elementary classroom all the time. Young students need opportunities to try what they are learning to do. And they must have scaffolded opportunities to work with them. Meaning, we those already competent with the skill must give the person we are influencing helping hand... a model... and a support while we are helping them try the new behavior. Without real-life experiences and supported practice the change we are trying to influence will stay in the world of generalities forever.

What's best about this book? The anecdotes and practical real life examples of influence in action will astound you. This isn't just a, "Ho-Hum" self-help book. It is a nuts and bolts approach to helping you make a real and lasting change in the places you live and work. You are an influencer!

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