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“Okay, so I think what I’m hearing is that it would be helpful their understanding of the situation and, consequently, under-
to think through, in a bit more detail, exactly what’s involved.” estimate your understanding. It’s frustrating and disappointing
So, we did that. I walked people through my research show- for all involved. An actual bonfre of vanities.
ing what’s involved in planning a festival. Partway through my Rather than telling people why you’re right, ask them to ex-
friends started to realize, on their own, that building the festival plain their position. Be curious rather than inquisitorial. (May-
was possible. Eight weeks later, it happened: six bands, a bouncy be they really do know everything about toilets.) In response to
castle, lots of fun. We raised enough money to send a kid with skepticism or rejection, try something like the following:
cancer to summer camp. “Interesting. Can you tell me more about that?” (To discover
Don’t let the happy ending obscure the serious point: If I they cannot.)
had just told them that we could do the festival—that I was “It sounds like you have a lot of experience. Can you share
right; that I’d done all the research; that when people balked at more?” (Ditto.)
the initial idea, they literally didn’t know what they were talking “Can you give me some specifc examples of what you’re sug-
about—the festival would not have happened. gesting?” (Ditto, or their examples aren’t relevant.)
The basic idea is to get people talking about their under-
Listen People into Submission standing so that together you can both discover the gap between
their potential knowledge and their actual knowledge. It takes
My experience with lawyers—with decision-makers of any kind, longer and requires greater patience, but it’s the only way to get
actually—is that the most common approach to changing peo- legitimate buy-in to your ideas and advice. ❚
ples’ minds or building support for an idea looks something like
this: you state your position and then give reasons to support that
position, on the theory that your reasons will carry the day. Chris Graham is the founder of TellPeople (TellPeople.ca), a vehicle for teach-
That approach—position followed by reasons—is inside ing communication and storytelling to lawyers. Twice retired from law himself
out. Unless the person you’re trying to convince is especially (frst in New York, then in Toronto), Chris is now an entrepreneur, producer,
self-aware and open to learning, the Illusion of Explanatory investor and storyteller. Through TellPeople, he makes lawyers better at talk-
Depth all but guarantees that they are going to over-estimate ing to their clients, each other and everyone else.

Governance Professionals of Canada (GPC)
info@gpcanada.org | www.gpcanada.org

Excellence in Governance Awards
Prix d'excellence en gouvernance

Awards dinner and Ceremony | November 07, 2019, the Carlu, Toronto
For the 7 year running, GPC is celebrating the critical role that good governance plays in sustaining the value of Canada’s public companies,
th
crown corporations, government agencies, and not-for-proft organizations.

2019 Award categories:
• Best Practices in Enterprise Risk Management
• Best Practices in Sustainability and ESG
• Best Approach to Achieving Efective Board and Committee Operations
• Best Practices in Diversity and Inclusion
• Best Practices in Strategic Planning, Oversight and Value Creation by the Board
• Best Engagement by a Governance Team
• Best Compensation Disclosure and Communication
• Best Practices in Subsidiary Governance PRESEnTInG SPOnSOR
• Best Overall Corporate Governance SUBMIT YOUR
• Governance Professional of the Year NOMINATIONS TODAY!
• Peter Dey Governance Achievement Award

www.gpcanada.org/ega

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