There is a distinction between irritation and agitation. Irritation is challenging someone to do do something that we want them to do. By contrast, agitation is challenging them to do something that they want to do. Irritation doesn’t work. It might be effective in the short term but to move people fully and deeply requires

Something more. 

Lead with your ears instead of your mouth. Be attuned to your customer. Elicit from  people what their goals are for themselves and have the flexibility to frame what we do in that context. 

Power leads individuals to anchor too heavily on their own vantage point, insufficiently adjusting to others perspectives. 

Ask “where are you from?” as the best way to start a conversation. 

Make a discussion map during a meeting with who is sitting where, who speaks to who, how often, and where comments are directed. 

Genuine similarity with another person is a key form of human connection. People are more likely to move together when they share common ground. 

Declarative self-talk risks bypassing one’s motivations. Questioning self talk elicits the reasons for doing something and reminds people that many of those reasons come from within. 

Once positive emotions outnumbered negative emotions by 3 to 1 (gratitude, interest, or contentment) vs (anger, guilt, or embarrassment) people usually flourish. 

Be more on joys of your emotions in the  moment. Joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe, and love. 

When something bad occurs ask yourself three questions:

Is this permanent?

Is this pervasive?

Is this personal?

The more you explain bad events as temporary, specific, and external, the more likely you are to persist even in the face of adversity. 

Think about the essence of what you’re exploring – the one percent that gives life to the other 99. Understand that one percent and be able to explain it to others. 

Including a rhyme can enhance the processing fluency of your listeners, allowing the message to stick in their minds when they compare your idea and your competitors. 

DNA of a great story: Once upon a time ___________. Every day, __________. One day ________. Because of that, _______. Because of that, ________. Until finally, ___________. 

Practice the Six pitches at http://www.danpink.com/pitch

Make sure your pitch can answer three key questions. 

1. What do you want them to know?
2. What do you want them to feel?
3. What do you want them to do?

Health and safety messages should focus not on the self, but rather in the target group that is perceived as the most vulnerable.