Business schools teach the art of persuasion

Reprinted courtesy of TheCareerNews.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ever come out of a meeting wishing that you, too, could persuade people the way that silver-tongued co-worker of yours can? Many workers assume that their powers of persuasion are innate. But recent research shows that these skills can be learned. And not only can they be learned, but they should be learned for today’s workplace.
The workplace has changed from a hierarchical structure to a more horizontal one, with teams of people of various positions. Workers are expected to be involved in many decisions and help push a company’s agenda, no matter their title. In the past, “you could give people orders,” said Robert Bontempo, a professor at Columbia Business School who will teach a course on persuasion in the school’s executive MBA program. “Now, even in the military, you have to work in cross-functional teams.”

More business schools are building soft skills such as persuasion into their curricula. “There are those who are going to be gifted in certain things,” said Scott Koerwer, associate dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business. But even if people aren’t naturally persuasive, they can learn to be more so. “In order to have an effective, valuable society, you need these skills,” Koerwer said.
Article abridged from The Washington Post, and reprinted from TheCareerNews.com. Get the latest breaking News, Tips and Tools for your job search, Free!