The source of the Fall was the serpent who persuaded Eve to disobey […] The serpent’s strategy varies from “subtle” to “crafty” and “cunning”. He convinced Eve that there was no risk and much to gain. The reason the fruit was forbidden was not because of death but because of power. “God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be gods.” […] Once the fruit was eaten, God did consider Adam and Eve to have become “like one of us” because they could now differentiate good from evil. STRATEGY, A HISTORY
Sources of power
- Control of information – draw influence diagrams
- Expertise – formal authority isn’t the only source of power in org
- Connection to others – Power coalitions
- Groups of people who explicitly or implicitly cooperate over the long term to pursue goals or protect privileges
- Figure out their agenda and link your to them
- Access to resources – identify, solidify and nurture support
- When meeting resistance probe for the reasons behind it before labeling
- Personality – Focus on pivotal people
- Assess situational pressures
- Assess their motivators – power, recognition, control, affiliation, personal growth
- Opposed to what and why?
The point at which God asserted his greatness to his chosen people was when he arranged the escape of the Jews from Egypt, where they were kept as slaves. […] It was not so much about freeing the Israelites from slavery as about asserting God’s greatness by establishing a people beholden to him and ensuring that they – and others – were in awe of his power. Under this interpretation, the Exodus story becomes a gigantic manipulation. The Israelites were encouraged to leave a country they were in no hurry to leave. Not surprisingly, they moaned thereafter when they were stuck in the desert. STRATEGY, A HISTORY
Diana Lipton has suggested that the Exodus reflected less a concern that the Israelites were being oppressed and more one that they were being seduced by Egyptian life and were in the process of being assimilated. The Israelites had entered Egypt because of Jacob’s son Joseph, who had risen to a high rank in Egyptian society. They were led by Moses, an Israelite who had grown up among the Egyptians but was persuaded by God to assert the distinctive identity of the Israelites. Moses acted largely as God’s agent in all his dealings with Pharoh . STRATEGY, A HISTORY
Influence Strategies
- Choice shaping – influence how people see their alternatives
- Think hard about how to make it hard to say no
- Aristotelian logos – Logical using data, facts and reasoned rationals to build a case for change
- Framing – carefully craft your persuasive arguments on a person – on a personal basis
- Tone – Focus on a few core themes and repeat until they sink in
- Ethos – elevate principles ( such as fairness and values)
- Pathos – Add meaning with a powerful emotional connection to an audience
- Consultation – engage in active listening
- Pose questions and encourage people to voice their real problems and concerns
- Summarize and give feedback on what you heard
- Social influence – Preserve their reputation
- Impact of the opinions of others and the rules of societies in which they live
- Ways – consistent with prior commitments and decisions
- Remain consistent to withheld values and beliefs
- Repay obligation – reciprocity is a strong social norm
The favoured strategy was coercive, using threats to persuade the target – in this case, Pharaoh – to yield. The challenge was to influence the target’s calculations so that the potential cost of not complying exceeded the potential cost of losing what was currently held. The Israelite slaves were valuable to Egypt, so the threat had to be substantial. Coercive threats must be credible to be effective, yet those issued by Moses depended on god not worshipped by Egyptians. There was no immediate reason to take him seriously. The first challenge was therefore how to change this perception. STRATEGY, A HISTORY