Persuasion Power
What is Persuasion Power?
Persuasion Power is the title given to a presentation created by Rick Lewis, Training Coordinator in the Department of Safe Schools. Persuasion Power was developed as a component of the Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Project that was started in the District in 1993. Since its creation, over 6000 staff members in Palm Beach County and throughout Florida have attended the training. It has also been offered in Canada and Northern Ireland as part of Peaceful Schools International's efforts to foster peaceful and nurturing schools.
Why was Persuasion Power created?
It is recognized that the traditional style of re-direction, based on positional authority and reward and punishment, works with some, but not all, of today's students. The oft-repeated phrase, "Do it because I said so," no longer seems to elicit basic compliance, let alone goodwill and cooperation, from our more challenging students. Furthermore, resistance on the part of students often leads to emotional power struggles where both the teachers and the students ‘lose.’ Teachers, parents, and police officers questioned whether better outcomes could be achieved in 'difficult' cases if alternative methods of engagement could be developed. Persuasion Power teaches authority figures a positive, six-step strategy for increasing the likelihood of earning cooperation from initially-resistant people.
What will participants learn as a result of attending Persuasion Power?
- The differences between natural and strategic language
- The positives and negatives of using force
- A practical definition of persuasion and how it differs from manipulation
- An easy-to-remember template for motivating people to change
- A six-step process for re-directing people and addressing resistance
- Twenty-two ‘one-liners’ that constitute Persuasion Power shortcuts
- A four-step method for de-escalating situations involving angry people
- Applications of Persuasion Power to adult encounters
- Extensions of Persuasion Power into the areas of restitution and in-school suspension
Contact Information
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Rick LewisTraining Coordinator
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