Psychological Skills for Understanding and Influencing People
The psychological skills to understand what people want are key to successful relationships, be they personal or business. If you know what people want or understand their points of view, then it is easy to influence their perception of you or to get them to consider your way of thinking. Like any other skill, psychological skills can be learned and perfected through constant practice.
Other People Are Reading
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Listening
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Listening is an important skill toward understanding people. Many can hear but few listen. Formulating your next response while the other person is talking is not listening, rather mainly hearing. Listening involves giving your full attention to the person talking. It is paying attention to the person's tone of voice, expression and actions. Listening well allows you to find out what is expected of you; it also makes the other person feel important.
Genuine Interest
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Develop a genuine interest in others; find something to like about them even if at first they appear to be unlikable. People, whether they are just ordinary street cleaners or CEOs of large corporations, have one thing in common -- they need to feel important. According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, self-esteem (or feeling of self-importance) is just one below self-actualization. By being genuinely interested in people, you are feeding their need for self-esteem. If you make people feel important, they are more receptive to your ideas and it is easier to influence their decisions.
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Respect Others' Opinions
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None of us can be 100 percent right all the time. If you are always 100 percent right, you would be in the stock market business and be rolling in money. Therefore, if you can't be 100 percent right, then the others can't be 100 percent wrong. And it is not a good idea to tell them they are wrong. Once you've told them they are wrong, it is nearly impossible to sway them to your way of thinking. You will put them on the defensive and they will do their best to prove that they are right. So, to make it easier to understand people and influence them, respect their opinions and see their side of the story before you present yours.
Empathy
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Empathy is defined as understanding other people's situations or feelings by putting yourself in their position. It is asking yourself, "how would I feel if I were in their place," "how would I react if I were that person." By putting yourself in another person's situation, you get to understand why they are acting the way they do, you become more lenient in your judgment and you gain their trust because they feel that you appreciate their position.
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References
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