The Art of the Nudge

You can’t get people to do what you want by pushing them. You can’t get people to do what you want by being passive. Somewhere in the middle lies the art of the nudge. The art of the nudge is the ability to point people in the right direction by giving them enough information that they come to the decisions themselves.

Nudging is truly an art. So often, we think that by being forceful in our approach, we will help them see the light…faster. Or, we hope that if we lay enough subtle hints, they will eventually find the answer. Neither provides a win-win approach.

One of the mistakes people make is setting “internal” time clocks on when people should come to an understanding of a new idea or future concept. Just like in life, everyone needs to process information in their own time.

So what does nudging look like? It looks like coming forward with an idea, but not anticipating an immediate answer. It looks like asking thought-provoking questions that allow people to consider new options. It looks like being open to an idea even if your part of the idea may need to be modified.

At the end of the day, it comes down to servant leadership. The ability to lead others by serving them with information, with recommendations, and with ideas they haven’t considered before. Just put yourself in the position of others - how would you want to be approached?

Comments

[Susan Schneider]

Thanks for the idea, Jon. Good thought for putting this Art into Action!

[Jon Morse]

A well crafted question can also be used to nudge. For instance......When do you think you will be able to respond?