How quick come the reasons for approving what we like! —Jane Austen ( )
Persuasion is a subject with which every radiologist, and especially every radiology leader, needs to be familiar. For radiology to thrive in the future, imaging expertise is not sufficient. In today’s complex and rapidly changing health care environment, we must excel not only in terms of clinical expertise, but also as advocates—advocates for our patients, our institutions, and our profession. Examples of such advocacy abound: we advocate for patients when we press insurers to cover beneficial imaging procedures; we advocate for our institutions when we negotiate more favorable purchasing and employment contracts; and we advocate for our profession when we educate the public about the value radiology adds to health care. In each case, there are more and less effective ways to persuade people, and we need to know the difference. If radiologists are going to represent the best interests of our organizations and the patients and communities we serve, it is vital that we thoroughly understand the art of persuasion.
Persuasion works in at least two ways: attempting to persuade others and finding ourselves the objects of others’ attempts at persuasion. Both may occur around topics as diverse as clinical practice, scientific findings, compensation, promotion, equipment and facilities contracts, and organizational structure and performance. The better we understand the various approaches available to advocates, the better we can formulate our own arguments and soberly appraise those of others. This is especially important when we encounter the darker side of influence, including attempts to coerce, deceive, or manipulate. If we do not recognize and respond effectively to such tactics, we place ourselves, our colleagues, and our organizations at substantial risk. Conversely, if we possess a strong command of the art of persuasion, we realize an important advantage. Consider the following three scenarios.
The chair of radiology at a university hospital determines that the medical students enrolled in a radiology course are not receiving sufficient attention from radiology department faculty members. Because the department needs to attract high-quality applicants to its residency program, and to increase the field’s standing in the minds of its future referral base, the chair believes that faculty members should devote more time to student education. However, simply issuing a mandate is not likely to succeed. Instead, the chair would like to present a persuasive case for more faculty involvement. What principles of persuasion should the chair use to build the strongest case?
A radiologist is visited by a sales representative of an imaging equipment vendor, who strongly urges the department to purchase one of its new imaging devices. During the conversation, the sales representative appeals to their long professional relationship, asks if the department wishes to remain on the cutting edge of imaging technology, and states that other prestigious departments throughout the country have already placed their orders for the new product. After evaluating the advantages and disadvantages, the radiologist concludes that such a purchase would be ill-advised, yet feels pressured to say yes. What principles of persuasion does the radiologist need to understand to respond effectively to the sales pitch?
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Six principles of persuasion
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Affinity
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Reciprocity
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Imitation
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Consistency
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Authority
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Scarcity
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Conclusion
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References
1. Austen J. Persuasion. Available online at: http://books.mirror.org/austen/persuasn . Accessed June 22, 2006.
2. Aristotle. Rhetoric. Available online at: http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/rhetoric.html . Accessed June 22, 2006.
3. Cialdini R.B.: The science of persuasion. Scient Am 2001; pp. 76-81.
4. Cialdini R.B.: 4th ed2001.Allyn and BaconBoston
5. Cialdini R.B.: Harnessing the science of persuasion. Harv Bus Rev 2001; 2003: pp. 72-79.
6. American Medical Association. Gifts, ethics, and professionalism. Available online at: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/noindex/category/9986.html . Last accessed June 22, 2006.
7. Stelfox H.T., Chua G., O’Rourke K., et. al.: Conflict of interest in the debate over calcium channel antagonists. New Engl J Med 1998; 338: pp. 101-106.