“You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time.” — J.S. Knox
Who do you need to influence and under what circumstances? Perhaps it is a colleague, boss, or one of your employees. Maybe it is a client or customer. There are also many “personal” situations that call for the need to influence (with a spouse, child, or friend).
When faced with the need to influence others, I often see people trying to ‘push’ their position (I have also been guilty of this). We feel compelled to do the talking. “Here’s what I think.” “You’re not listening.” “You don’t understand.” Even if we don’t say these things, we often find ourselves thinking along these lines.
