More Techniques for Gaining Commitment from Others

We’ve been looking at specific techniques for gaining commitment from other people for the initiatives we’re trying to accomplish. Last time, we addressed reasoning, connecting and collaborating. Today we consider a different set of techniques that work well when we need other approaches. They are acknowledging, trading, and coalition building.

When we acknowledge someone we recognize his contributions, efforts, or accomplishments; give credit for her contribution to an effort; or express understanding and concern for any inconvenience involved with carrying out our request. People love to be appreciated for what they do and who they are. This simple gesture is so easy to make and too frequently overlooked. It’s so much easier to criticize, it seems, than to praise. The key to this skill is to make the recognition sincere. Acknowledging is a simple, yet powerful way to build support at work, at home, and in the community.

The next strategy in this tier is trading: offering something in return for a person’s support and help. You’ve most likely heard the question, “What’s in it for me?” This method taps into that common thought and directly answers the question by your offering something in exchange for the individual’s support. Lawmakers have used this process for years! The way to make this work is to find out what you can trade that would be valued by the other person. Does she need your support for one of her ideas? Does she need you to cover a shift, train a new person, or oversee a committee? Strive to make the trade a win-win situation, and you’ll have a greater chance of successfully gaining commitment.

Finally in this set of techniques is coalition building which is using the support of other parties to gain commitment from someone. This involves mentioning credible people who support our plan or proposal, bringing someone with relevant expertise along to support us, or asking others to provide evidence in support of our proposal. This approach is sixth on our list because it can appear to be manipulative or seem as if we are using other people. Coalition building can be helpful if we need the support of someone who does not know us well, but who does know the party that is part of our coalition.

We have one final set of strategies that can be used as a last resort when seeking the commitment of others, so be sure to stay tuned.