How do con artists manage to scam millions?
Why do people choose to follow great leaders, or horrible ones?
How do CEOs get better deals in the boardroom?
Influence.
It goes by a lot of names.
Emotional intelligence.
Manipulation.
Social skills.
Influence is an important tool that drives business decisions and social interactions.
But, like all those Spider-Man reboots have taught us, with great power comes great responsibility.
...Uncle Ben...
Influence has a dark side too, and can be used to pressure people into making some pretty
bad decisions.
So this is basically our defense against the dark arts episode.
Except instead of Avada Kedavra, we’re going to fend off some “Influencias Malus” and
teach you how to use influence for good.
I’m Evelyn from the Internets.
And this is Crash Course Business: Soft Skills.
[Intro Music Plays]
Last time, we talked about the rational reasons for trusting other people.
But you also trust people because of emotional reasons, like your gut instinct when you first
meet them.
Sometimes, emotional cues can match up with cognitive trust.
Maybe someone’s giving you really bad vibes, and when you scroll down their Twitter feed,
your suspicions are confirmed! I'm not about to get dragged on Black Twitter with you!
Or your gut might be trying to get you out of a situation that feels dangerous.
In the words of My Favorite Murder, if you’re freaked: Pepper spray first.
Apologize later.
Then, there’s the flip side.
You might feel good about someone who turns out not to be trustworthy.
That smooth-talking ex, for example.
Or a quirky professor who was actually hiding Voldemort on the back of his head the whole
time.
Influence relies heavily on charisma.
If someone’s more likeable, they tend to be trusted more easily and can influence others.
As we’ve seen from the #MeToo movement, or really anytime a popular person does a
horrible thing, having charisma does not mean someone has good character or is good
at their job.
Charisma isn’t always nefarious, though.
It can be used as a force of good -- to help you make a great first impression or give
a persuasive public speech.
And it’s not some magical gift that’s bestowed upon you.
Charisma is a skill you can build over time with the personality traits you’ve got.
Tons of factors play a role.
But to keep it simple, here are three things that leading organizational psychologists
say can make you more likeable: confidence, praise, and optimism.
[That’s it.
Three things.
You got this.]
Plus, they can also help you think about why you’re trusting a charismatic person, and
whether or not you should.
Confidence is the number one way to build charisma and emotional influence.
It makes you seem more relaxed and capable in high-pressure situations.
Capable people aren’t always as confident as they could be.
Maybe you’re shy, or have impostor syndrome and you’re afraid you don’t belong at
your job.
Well, we’ve got your back!
You deserve to be recognized for your achievements, and there are ways to make yourself shine.
Black Girl Magic.
For example, you can avoid uncertain language, like ‘maybe,’ ‘in my opinion,’ ‘I
think’ or ‘I could be wrong.’
Sure, if you’re a journalist trying to separate your opinion and a citation, these phrases
can be helpful.
But in business writing, they can make it seem like you doubt yourself.
And if you know it, show it!
Simple things like using good posture, projecting your voice, and making direct eye contact
can signal confidence.
Some people use power posing.
And hey, if striking a pose in the bathroom mirror pumps you up, keep at it.
But there’s no solid proof that this actually builds confidence.
In general, faking it ‘till you make it is pretty solid advice.
But if you aren’t sure what you’re talking about, you can leave things to experts instead
of risking your credibility.
All of these tips can also help you analyze why someone else might seem confident, so
you don’t misplace your trust.
Leslie Knope was confident.
But she also really knew her stuff and had the policy proposals, experience, and binders
to prove it.
On the other hand, Bobby Newport had a ton of rich, white man confidence, but he was
full of air.
So, avoid being influenced just because someone acts like they know what they’re doing.
Look for cognitive cues like competence, intent, and integrity too.
But charisma isn’t just about confidence.
It’s also about how you interact with other people, which involves way more than
just being polite.
Praise is a powerful motivator.
It’s why seeing a gold star on a report card feels so good.
Sometimes people underestimate the importance of intrinsic motivators like recognition.
And they overestimate extrinsic motivators, like money or time off.
Don’t get me wrong.
Equitable pay is a real thing that needs to happen.
None of this “working for exposure or Instagram followers” stuff.
You need to put food on the table, and bonus checks are valuable.
But on top of having the time and money to live comfortably, positive feedback can make
sure people feel that their work is valued throughout the year.
Too much praise can make you come across as fake, though.
And watch out for people who only say nice things when they want a favor -- they might
seem trustworthy at first glance, but it’s manipulative.
Positive feedback makes others feel good.
Optimism can make you feel good, which shows.
While no one can be Chris Traeger, trying to adopt a positive attitude will literally
make you more charismatic.
This can work wonders for your vibe, your motivation, and your career.
Malcolm Forbes, you know, the guy that published the fancy business magazine in waiting rooms
everywhere, once said “The key to success is not through achievement, but through enthusiasm.”
There are things beyond our control that can drastically affect optimism, from tough events
like the death of a loved one, to mental health conditions that may require professional treatment.
Generally, though, you can become more optimistic by learning from mistakes in the past, finding
things to appreciate in the present, and looking forward to future opportunities.
You know those inspirational posters from the 90’s?
“Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.
That's why it is called the present.”
Really, optimism involves having a balanced outlook.
And sometimes, it’s better to look before you leap.
If someone’s blindly optimistic about a situation, but you’re not 100%, don’t
be afraid to do your own research.
Now, charisma is a powerful form of influence that works even when people don’t know
each other very well.
But the best way to genuinely build emotional influence is to form strong relationships
based on mutual honesty and respect.
So treat your coworkers like humans!
Try using people’s names, and pronounce them correctly.
It’s an easy thing to do, and makes a big impact.
And find some common ground with them.
Maybe you’re in the same department, in the same screenwriting class, or share the
same fandom.
Beyhive, anyone?
Mutual pettiness can bring people together, too.
Remember when people were all about Twilight and whether Bella should end up with Jacob
or Edward?
There were t-shirts.
It was a whole thing.
But as we all know from Thanksgiving dinner, some topics can be touchy, like religion or
politics.
So be thoughtful about what conversations you bring into the workplace.
So you know how we keep bringing up the light and dark sides of influence?
Well, another huge part of that is how humans frequently judge things based on looks.
Like, you’d probably trust a car from a fancy dealership more than a vacant lot with
a cardboard sign saying “carz 4 sale heer.”
So appearances matter.
It might seem superficial, but your look contributes to professionalism, which impacts promotions,
job interviews, and acceptance in the workplace.
The good news is that you can control big pieces of your appearance.
Do your hair.
Brush your teeth.
Don’t show up to work in pajamas with pizza stains from your Stranger Things binge
last night.
It shows you take your job seriously if you wear clothing that fits your office and profession.
Some businesses have dress codes, uniforms, or frown upon people wearing something drastically
different.
So find ways to express yourself that fit your workplace, like wearing that vintage
dress you love, or trying to pull off a polka dot bow tie.
But remember that not all aspects of appearance are within your control -- we have messy biases
based on gender, race, or even arbitrary things like attractiveness.
And yeah… a lot of the time, it sucks.
You can’t help it if you look eerily similar to someone’s manipulative ex, or if your
resting face is… angry.
And sometimes what’s deemed professional isn’t necessarily fair, like dress code
policies on natural hair.
So it’s important to recognize what drives your reasoning for trust.
Like, have you put too much trust in the demure old lady in pink, when really she has
a horrible track record and may be entirely unhinged?
To see how all these elements tie together, let’s go to the Thought Bubble.
Bernie Madoff was an incredibly charismatic and well-liked businessman.
He treated his employees like family.
He appeared to value loyalty and honesty.
Now, he’s known as the ‘Wizard of Lies’.
Madoff swindled customers and employees out of almost 65 billion dollars through one of
the most costly and destructive Ponzi schemes of all time.
Ponzi schemes are large-scale investment frauds, where initial investors contribute money into
a fake business.
They get quick returns, which lures more investors, who are all paid out of the same pot.
It works for a while, until the pot runs out and everything crumbles.
Madoff’s entire persona was crafted to inspire confidence.
He had a well-manicured look, tailored suits, and high-end watches.
And he seemed likeable, competent, and dependable.
So some very knowledgeable investors trusted Madoff, despite seemingly impossible returns.
Which just goes to show that anyone can be susceptible to emotional influence.
That’s why it’s so important in business -- and everywhere else -- to think about why
you’re trusting someone.
Just because someone has the latest ferrari and a custom suit, it doesn’t mean they’re
not a snake oil salesman.
Pause for a second when a confident and optimistic person seems like they’re selling you something
that’s way too good be true.
If it feels like they’re glossing over key parts of their business model, trust your
gut and ask questions.
And if they start using flattery to distract you while you’re questioning them, maybe
reconsider who you’re dealing with.
Remember cognitive trust?
Check their qualifications.
See if they have good intent and a history of delivering on their promises.
That way, you can put the puzzle pieces together to make a more complete picture of their character,
and protect yourself from influential but shady people.
Thanks, Thought Bubble!
Together, your actions, attitude, and appearance can affect how others see you and the influence
you have in the workplace and beyond.
So take time to think about the way you’re being perceived by others, and always use
your influence wisely.
Don’t make anyone do something they’ll regret later.
Of everything we talked about, remember these key takeaways:
Influence should be used responsibly, and you can use cognitive trust and emotional
cues to protect yourself from people who abuse it.
You can up your charisma by acting confident, praising others, and being optimistic.
Finding common ground is the foundation of relationships and can increase your trustworthiness.
Appearances do matter.
Now that we’ve covered the foundations of building trust and influence, we can tackle
the power of communication.
Next time, we’ll look at written work and making sure you’re sending the right message.
Crash Course Business is sponsored by Google, and it’s made with the help of all these
nice people and Thought Cafe is our amazing animation team.
Crash Course is a Complexly production.
If you wanna keep imagining the world complexly with us, you can check out some of our other
channels like Nature League, with host Brit Garner as she explores life on Earth and asks
questions that inspire us to marvel at all things wild.
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