Instructions

Objective

Identify an important activity, problem, or challenge in your life about which you are, or can become, optimistic and enthusiastic.

Communicate your optimism and commitment to others; energise them.

Assess your ability to use the basic elements of the Attracting Style.

Preparation

You will have 60 to 90 minutes to complete this three-part exercise.

Form groups of three or four persons before proceeding to Part 1.

Part 1: Individual Preparation (20 minutes)

Select one aspect of your work or personal life that is currently engaging your energy – an activity, problem, or challenge. Make it real, do not role-play this exercise! For example, it may be a project you are working on, a major change that you face, an important decision you must make. Describe this situation in you journal.

Exploring the positive energy that you feel in this situation. Think about the elements that do or could energise and enthuse you today. For now, try to set aside your concerns, worries and fears. Focus on the opportunities this situation offers to you and find colourful and compelling words, metaphors, or images to describe them. Take a few minutes to allow these images to surface. Then write them down.

Project your enthusiasm or energy to future time. Make that time specific: three months from now, a year, two years. What is the best possible outcome you could expect at that future time if you totally committed yourself to it? Build a vision of what this outcome will be like for you. Include the feelings and sensations (what you might see or hear) that you will have when your vision becomes a reality. Imagine the future to be here today. Take a few minutes to see your vision in your mind’s eye. Now write your images down.

Prepare to communicate your optimism and commitment about this future possibility to other group members. Your goal is to help them share your enthusiasm and energy. What hopes, fears, values, or beliefs might you and other group members have in common? How might you bring that common ground to the surface as you talk?

What goals or desired futures might other group members have that relate to your vision? Focus on the people you will be working with in this exercise. How might you get them to participate in adding to your vision? Write down a specific Influence Objective – what you want others to do as a result of this discussion.

Part 2: Group Activity (60 minutes)

15-20 minutes. Video each person’s exercise. Each group member should take up to 5 minutes to communicate their vision or a desired future outcome. At the end of each person’s exercise, take a minute or two for the other group members to share their positive reactions. Do not critique at this time. Simply share your enthusiasm for what the influencer said and did. Tell the person how you personally identify with the situation presented.

30-40 minutes. When all group members have completed their exercise, rewind the video and begin a detailed review and analysis. During your review of each presentation, record your personal reactions as laid out below.

One group member should volunteer to draw on a flipchart a version of the table above. At the end of each exercise’s review, stop the video and record the reactions of all group members on the flipchart. Here are some helpful guidelines:

List the influence actions the person used (words, tone of voice, body language) that had a positive impact on you – that interested, excited, intrigued, energised, and attracted you.
List the influence actions (words, tone of voice, body language) that distracted, de-energised, or had a negative impact on you.

Part 3: Individual Work (10 minutes)

As the list on your group’s flipchart grows, compare and assess your own performance with that of other members in your group. Record your conclusions in your journal.

Review

Exercise 1: Preparation

What was your Vision, in this Exercise?
Were you able to energise yourself about this Vision?
What is your level of commitment now? How do you feel about proceeding to the next step.
What was your Influence Objective for the other group members? Be specific.

Exercise 2: Performance

How well were you able to engage others’ interest, energy, and excitement?
Which Styles or Behaviours did you use other than Attracting? If they added to your effectiveness, how? If they did not, why not?
How would you assess your strengths in using the Attracting Style? What specific words, tone of voice, and body language worked for you?
How would you assess your shortcomings in using the Attracting Style? What specific words, tone of voice, and body language worked against you?
What goals can you set for yourself now towards making the Attracting Style a part of your Influence Skill repertoire?

5 Energising Yourself and Others