The Power of Influence, Persuasion, and Motivation

In the past several weeks/months I have had many meetings where I have mentioned the notion of reciprocity, persuasion, and influence. If you are interested in exploring how we actually make decisions you will want to explore the following post where I point to several top thinkers who summarize their ideas in videos - Science Of Persuasion – We Aren’t as Rational As We Think We Are.

The following are a list of books I often mention:

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini This a classic book on persuasion that explains the psychology of why people say "yes"—and how to apply these insights in a variety of settings. If you were to read only one book on this topic I would recommend this one.

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman This is the 2011 best selling book by Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences laureate Daniel Kahneman offers psychological, behavioral, and economic insights based on actual research that will make you a better thinker and decision-maker. Great ideas but not as easy to read and understand at Cialdini's work.

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein Epstein explains why specialized knowledge is so limiting and why people who have more general or broader knowledge are able to do so much more. Caution - Epstein is a reporter/investigative journalist so while his book is well written and a very enjoyable read it isn't as academically rigorous as Cialdini's and Kahnamen's books which are based on years of research.

This list wouldn't be complete without pointing to the classic video RSA Animate – Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us and the book that this video is based on:

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink You may want to check out Dwayne Harapnuik's recommended reading list - http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8200 where you will find above books listed.

As an added bonus you may also want to explore the posts:

Why great teachers aim for influence not control

How to Foster Intrinsic Motivation

When people need motivation not information…

The Myth of Average: Todd Rose

This post was originally posted on Dwayne Harapnuik’s site and has been cross posted with his consent.