“30 Methods of Influence” by Stephen R. Covey

26. Speak the languages of logic and emotion. The language of logic and the language of emotion are as different as English and French. When we realize we don’t have a common language, we may need to communicate in one of four other ways: 1) Give time, for when we cheerfully give time, we transfer its worth to another; 2) Be patient, as patience also communicates worth and says “I’ll go at your speed; I’m happy to wait for you; you’re worth it”; 3) Seek to understand, because an honest effort to understand eliminates the need to fight and to defend; and 4) Openly express our feelings and be congruent with our nonverbal expressions.

In 10 succinct pages, Stephen R. Covey’s “30 Methods of Influence” contains some of the greatest wisdom I’ve ever read.

The methods fall into three categories: 1. Example: Who You Are and How You Act, modeling by doing (others see), 2. Relationship: Do you Understand and Care? (others feel), and 3. Instruction: What You Tell Me (others hear).

While I’ve posted a blog on the 30 Methods in their entirety, they are so powerful and have had such a profound impact upon my life and effectiveness that I am now posting them one by one, one each week. Profound thoughts are best if savored, wisdom is gained most thoroughly if absorbed over time.