From the course: Nano Tips for Effortless Influence with Shadé Zahrai
Influencing when faced with unrealistic demands
From the course: Nano Tips for Effortless Influence with Shadé Zahrai
Influencing when faced with unrealistic demands
- How do you counter influence when someone makes an unrealistic demand? You might want to try the open door technique. Instead of fighting or resisting the unreasonable request, respond with, just suppose, what if, or I wonder whether. These phrases create a hypothetical scenario, which allows both parties to openly discuss the possibility of different outcomes without committing to any specific solution. This approach can help diffuse tense situations and foster productive and open dialogue. Let's say your boss gives you a new project that you have no capacity for and their deadline is completely unrealistic. Instead of pushing back, you could reply with, just suppose I did take on the new project. It would mean I need to push back on X and Y so they'd both be delayed. What if we brought on two extra people initially to get the bulk of the work done early and then delegate the remaining tasks? That way, none of us miss other project deadlines and we always achieve a better result as a team. The open door technique is also a really savvy negotiation strategy that keeps the lines of communication open, promotes collaboration, and leads to a better outcome for everyone involved.
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