"Making It Happen: Getting Things Done"

Presented by Dr. Ken Haycock, former director of SJSU SLIS

Dr. Haycock's talk focused on how to persuade and influence people, based on the research that has been done on those topics.

According to studies, people tend to choose the first sufficiently satisfactory option presented to them, without necessarily spending a lot of time looking at alternatives.  Q: What problem are you trying to solve?  Ask yourself what problems do decision makers face and offer ideas that address those issues, rather than offering "a solution in search of a problem". When making a pitch, know whether decision makers prefer evidence based on numbers or stories.

What works?  You're more likely to get support if you’re seen as credible and trustworthy.  Your colleagues' view of you is critical. Librarians who are trying to be advocates don't want to be seen as whiny, offensive, disrespectful, looking out solely for ourselves. People do things for their reasons, not yours. 

Connecting agendas: what are the priorities of the person for whom you work? Speak the language of funders.  We tend to evaluate whether the activity took place, how many people attended, and whether they enjoyed it, but did the program meet its objective? For example, for a career class, politicians want to know how many people got jobs after attending your program.

Ask the person you work for: what are your objectives for the next two years, so that I can know how to help you achieve them?  This shows respect, which is very important, and builds connection.

Advocacy is like banking – you can’t make withdrawals if you’ve never made a deposit. With decision makers, talk about how what you’ve done has advanced the goals of the organization. It’s harder to cut something you know about where you know someone connected with it.

Context, timing, and culture are important factors to consider.

Don’t save the last, best project until the end – present it at the beginning. Never be confused by somebody’s attitude.  Attitudes are different than behaviors. (People can show a very positive attitude toward you but still cut your funding.)

Universal Principles:

What you need to do to initiate, build and repair a relationship: liking someone (does this person think that you like him or her?) We tend to like people who are similar to us: in age, ethnicity, educational background & position, appearance. Find ways to demonstrate liking people who are dissimilar to us. Find areas in common.  We like people who praise us, esp. when we hear it secondhand.

Reciprocity (we tend to give back to those who have given to us. The "gift" can be networking, introducing you to someone else.)

How do you get people to move in your direction, listen to your evidence?  Consensus or social proof is important.  We tend to listen to those in authority.  What is our authority or area of expertise? Do we demonstrate public commitment, consistency?

Scarcity – we value something that is viewed as scarce. Do others see us/librarians as a scarce and valuable resource?  Do we present ourselves as such? What is our unique value proposition? Many city managers are not seeing the unique value of the library. Our scarcity is the unique expertise or our staff.  Can other people do what we do? Example: in-person readers' advisory.

We tend to dislike people who criticize us behind our back. 

We have stronger connections with people whom we work with on teams. We need to be seen as cooperative. If you’ve broken a relationship with someone, seek them out and find common ground.

Reciprocity: When praised, you can say, "Thank you…I’m sure you would do the same for me."

Social proof: how do others like us think and feel before they act? Look for testimonials.

Authority: The trappings of authority are important.  Physicians, etc. put their degrees on the wall. The public sees you differently if you wear a suit (e.g. a police chief advocating literacy as a way to reduce crime). Your authority is enhanced when you’re making a pitch if you acknowledge your weakness at the outset and address those issues (shows confidence, self-awareness and disarms potential criticism), or are honest about the disadvantages of your proposal. 

The core values of people you’re addressing are critical.  Address their priorities. People who make active, public commitments are more likely to stick by their words.

Don’t make the mistake of doing all the work in a partnership, or the partner may lack commitment.

Scarcity: things are more valuable the less they’re available. What do I really add here?  Make sure it’s not the same as what everyone else adds. (Example – submitting a report with a personal note attached.)

Networking: show up when decisionmakers are present, so they have seen you and know that you considered it important to show up.  Introduce yourself and make eye contact, exchange business cards (which you should always bring with you).  Remember that 68% of job openings are never advertised.