Author: Robert B. Cialdini
In this book, the author provides a set of tools that a salesperson can employ to increase their sales. Similarly, some of these techniques could be used to elicit behaviors that a CRO (Chief Risk Officer) finds desirable. The psychological principles are often the same—it’s about influencing others to do what you want them to do. It’s essentially about adjusting the behavior of others to your liking.
To achieve these behavioral changes, the “initiator” has six weapons at their disposal:
Reciprocity
Commitment and Consistency
Social Proof
Likability
Authority
Scarcity
How do we interpret this for Risk Management?
Reciprocity is the age-old principle of giving and taking: you do something for someone, and the psychology of the human brain compels them to do something for you in return. For example, to push through an aspect of information security, you could offer sandwiches during an awareness session.
Commitment and Consistency could involve requesting a conversation with a team about information security and asking for their advice on what they consider important.
Social Proof is more challenging to use from scratch because it relies on others already exhibiting the desired behavior. This prompts newcomers to replicate the same behavior, assuming that if everyone believes it, it must be correct.
Likability is the principle that a well-liked individual, often a celebrity, would recommend the behavior. This is common in marketing, where a beloved figure endorses a product or opinion. For instance, ratings for Obama soared when Oprah Winfrey joined his election campaign. You might consider having an awareness video featuring your CEO or a popular actor/actress.
Authority is also a well-known technique in marketing. Selling toothpaste? Have the salesperson wear a doctor’s coat! So, if you’re selling security, have the security consultant deliver speeches. The danger here is that they might easily slip into jargon that puts everyone to sleep. Alternatively, have an external consultant give a speech as an expert, offering easily understandable tips.
Finally, there’s Scarcity. I don’t have a direct example of how this applies to risk management, except perhaps showing the scarcity of companies effectively and efficiently managing risks compared to the lifespan of organizations. Want to stand out among the few? Integrate resilience into your organization!
In summary, it’s a book full of tips and tricks with examples of how to increase one’s persuasive power, regardless of the intended goal.