Think Better, Influence Better

She is an elite competitor at everything she does. She had size, athleticism, skill, and toughness. The issue? She played soccer. Our approach? "You'll play deep in the postseason every year on volleyball." 

We coached her in Middle School basketball. She made the switch. As a freshman, she was the best player on the team in the sectional finals. As a sophomore and beyond she was a team captain because she deserved the honor. As a senior she earned All-State selection.

Within a couple of years, she'll be Doctor Crovo as she completes veterinary medicine training.

Up the influence game by understanding human interaction. Start here with advice from the late Danny Kahneman. 

"How do you convince someone to do something they don’t want to do? Like, for example, get vaccinated, reject prejudices, or accept your terms? “You begin by asking ‘Why not?’ instead of ‘Why?’”"

"Kahneman argues that humans use two primary systems of thinking. System one — thinking fast — is often driven by emotions, intuition, and impulses. System two — thinking slow — tends to be more rational, deliberate, and analytic."

"Interviewers, Kahneman said, often judge their candidate in the first few minutes, and spend the rest of the interview justifying their decision. “Delay your intuition...Slow down. Sleep on it. Break the problem into smaller parts. You should inform your gut and then trust it.”  

"Understand the other’s wants, emotions, and perspectives, and avoid assuming your intentions are obvious, he said."

In limited (email) interactions with Kahneman, I found the Nobel laureate to be honest, humble, and anything but a know-it-all."

• “That’s a difficult question.”  
• “I don’t know how to answer that.” 
• “I don’t have anything interesting to say.” 
• “I don’t have enough information.”

Teaching medical students and nurses proved challenging. Realize that the best two answers often are, "I don't know" and "that's a good idea, we should consider that." 

Part of your MVB experience is to become a better leader and influencer as a teammate. Listening, communicating, and doing the hard work of understanding your teammates and coaches help you arrive at elite. 

Lagniappe. Adjust defenses to opponents and to their levels.