Goal of exercise: Apply the ideas we have read/discussed around social influence to a concrete situation you face. Is there a person or group/organization whom you need to influence but will be/or is difficult to influence? (For example, I would like to influence my department head to rethink how he evaluates relative performance within the department (currently, it is too research-focused).) Think through the social influence strategies discussed in class (Pfeffer’s; Cialdini’s) and outline how you would arrange to maximize the chances of you influencing the person you wish to influence.
Make sure you ground your analysis and recommendations in class discussion and readings; off the cuff opinions are rarely persuasive.