If you have the power to advocate for the things you believe in…
If you can make the compelling case for the idea…
If you can influence the decisions and behaviors of others…
If you can build consensus and persuade…
You have competitive advantage.
Period. Full stop.
In the 21st century business world — where information is more available, attention spans have plummeted, organizations are leaner, and everyone is less loyal and more opinionated than ever — building consensus is hard. People are better informed (or at least think they are). People are less likely to blindly follow leadership and are more vocal about their opinion. People feel empowered. People feel smarter. And no one listens all that much.
In this environment, it is hard to change minds. It takes work to build alignment and consensus. Persuasion is not easy. It never has been. But it is undeniably harder now.
Yet, if you have this skill… if you can change minds… if you can build consensus… if you can influence behaviors and decisions… if you can do these things, you own the keys to the castle in the 21st century. Because the people who can do these things will be better equipped to lead, sell, secure resources for their project, gain support for their strategy or idea, better protect their team… and the people who can do these things will be in complete demand by the people around them. People will want to work with you. People will want to be on your team. People will remember your name.
So if you pick one skill to add to your tool box, pick the one that will make everything else in your business life easier. Focus on the ability to persuade and build consensus.
You’ll never regret the effort.
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Does your team:
– Overwhelm the audience with too much detail?
– Make things too complicated?
– Fail to ask for what they want or need?
Does your organization:
– Waste time because of poor internal communication?
– Take too long to make decisions?
– Struggle to clarify and frame discussions?
Do your leaders:
– Exhibit poor executive presence?
– Lean on incomplete communication skills?
– Fail to align the organization?
We transform teams and individuals with repeatable toolsets for persuasive communication. Explore training, coaching, and consulting services from The Latimer Group.
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