People and Communication | Push Manifesto

A stalled project is rarely stalled on the technology. These lenses are for reading the people: what you can change, how each person takes in information, which stakeholder type you are talking to, and where bias and overload are quietly shaping the decision. The last two sections are a map of the skills that make the rest possible.

Circle of Influence and Circle of Concern🔗

The Circle of Influence and Circle of Concern are concepts developed by Stephen Covey, in his book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People".¹ They refer to the different areas of life where an individual can focus their time and energy.

The Circle of Influence refers to the areas of life where an individual has control or the ability to make a difference. This includes things such as personal goals, relationships, and work projects. By focusing on the things within the circle of influence, individuals can take action to achieve their desired results.

The Circle of Concern refers to the areas of life that an individual is aware of, but has little or no control over. This includes things such as global events, the economy, and natural disasters. While it is important to be aware of these things, individuals should not spend too much time and energy worrying about them, as they have little control over the outcome.

The idea is that by focusing on the things within the Circle of Influence and not worrying too much about the things in the Circle of Concern, individuals can be more effective in achieving their goals and improving their overall well-being.

Linear Active, Multi-Active and Reactive🔗

The Lewis Model, also known as the Dimensions of Behaviour,² is a model that describes different communication styles based on how actively or passively individuals respond to communication. The three styles are Linear Active, Multi-Active and Reactive.

Linear Active: Linear Active individuals are direct, logical, and systematic in their communication style. They like to communicate in a linear and step-by-step fashion, using facts and figures to support their arguments. They tend to be detail-oriented, and prefer to communicate in writing rather than verbally.
Multi-Active: Multi-Active individuals are outgoing, expressive, and spontaneous in their communication style. They like to communicate in a non-linear and non-sequential way, using anecdotes, illustrations, and examples to get their point across. They tend to be more people-oriented and prefer to communicate verbally, rather than in writing.
Reactive: Reactive individuals are reserved, reflective, and cautious in their communication style. They tend to be more private and less expressive, and they prefer to listen rather than speak. They tend to be more introverted and prefer to communicate in writing, rather than verbally.

By understanding these different communication styles, individuals can adapt their communication to better suit the person they are communicating with, and this can lead to better understanding and more effective communication overall.

Charismatics, Thinkers, Skeptics, Controllers, and Followers🔗

Charismatics, Thinkers, Skeptics, Controllers and Followers are the five executive decision-making styles identified by Williams and Miller from a survey of 1,684 executives.³ Knowing which one you are pitching to changes how you make the case.

Charismatics: Charismatic stakeholders are individuals who are naturally charismatic and able to inspire and motivate others. They are able to create a sense of excitement and enthusiasm for a project or initiative. They are often considered as leaders and are good at rallying support for a project or initiative.
Thinkers: Thinkers are individuals who are analytical and logical in their approach. They tend to be skeptical of new ideas and are focused on evaluating the facts and details of a project or initiative. They are often considered as critical thinkers and are good at identifying potential risks and challenges.
Skeptics: Skeptics are individuals who are naturally skeptical and cautious. They tend to be critical of new ideas and are focused on evaluating the facts and details of a project or initiative. They are often considered as critical thinkers and are good at identifying potential risks and challenges.
Controllers: Controllers are individuals who are naturally assertive and want to be in control. They tend to be focused on the outcome of the project or initiative and are often considered as decisive leaders. They are good at making decisions and taking action.
Followers: Followers are individuals who are naturally supportive and want to be part of a team. They tend to be focused on the process of the project or initiative and are often considered as team players. They are good at following instructions and working collaboratively.

Understanding these different stakeholder types and their personalities, can help to manage and communicate effectively with them, and this can lead to a better outcome for the project or initiative.

Processing Fluency, Cognitive Loss🔗

Processing fluency and avoiding cognitive loss are important in data and information systems because they can have a significant impact on the ability to understand and make decisions based on the data.

Processing Fluency: Processing fluency refers to the ease with which information can be processed and understood. In data and information systems, processing fluency is important because it can affect the ability of individuals to understand and make decisions based on the data. The more fluent the information is presented, the more likely it is to be understood and used to make accurate and effective decisions.⁴
Avoiding Cognitive Loss: Cognitive loss refers to the phenomenon of losing the ability to process and understand information as the complexity of the information increases. In data and information systems, the cognitive loss can occur when individuals are presented with large amounts of complex data that they are unable to process and understand. This can lead to poor decision-making and a lack of understanding of the data.

To avoid cognitive loss, it is important to present data in a way that is easy to understand and process. This can be achieved through the use of clear and concise data visualization, as well as through the use of techniques such as simplification and summarization to make the data more manageable. Additionally, it is important to provide training and support to help individuals understand and work with complex data.

Challenge Ambiguity and Cognitive Bias🔗

Challenging ambiguity and cognitive bias are important to understand in data and information systems because they can lead to inaccurate or unreliable conclusions and decisions.

Ambiguity: Ambiguity refers to the presence of multiple possible interpretations or meanings of data and information. In data and information systems, ambiguity can occur due to a lack of clear definitions or standardization in data management. This can lead to confusion and misinterpretation of data, which can lead to inaccurate conclusions and decisions.
Cognitive Bias: Cognitive bias refers to the inherent biases that exist in human thinking and decision-making. In data and information systems, cognitive bias can occur when individuals or groups make decisions based on their own beliefs and experiences, rather than objective data. This can lead to inaccurate conclusions and decisions, as well as a lack of objectivity in the analysis of data.⁵

Challenging ambiguity and cognitive bias can help to ensure that data and information is accurate and reliable, and that decisions and conclusions are based on objective data rather than subjective opinions. This can be achieved through the use of clear definitions and standardization in data management, as well as through the use of techniques such as data visualization and critical thinking to minimize the impact of cognitive bias.

Hierarchy of Skills🔗

A map of the skills a solution lead needs, from the personal to the technical. The emotional-intelligence layer follows Goleman.⁶

Internal Leadership🔗

Stakeholder Management
Coaching and Mentoring
Team working
Negotiation

Team Player🔗

Knowledge Transfer
Networking
Community Building
Advisor

Emotional Intelligence🔗

Active Listening
Anticipating
Challenging
Story Telling
Inspiring

Applied Skills🔗

Discovery
Problem-Solving
Solution Design

Communications Skills🔗

Presentation
Demonstration
Whiteboarding
Facilitation

Learning Skills🔗

Curious
Self-Starter
Faster Learner
Resourceful

Broad Knowledge🔗

Subject Matter Expert🔗

Product
Industry
Competition

Most of these are Cialdini's principles of influence, with a few additions from marketing practice.⁷

Authority
Trust
Reciprocity
Anticipation
Likability
Events / Rituals
Community
Scarcity
Social Proof
Bandwagon
Proof
Competitiveness

Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Free Press. Habit 1, "Be Proactive", introduces the two circles. ↩
Lewis, R. D. (1996). When Cultures Collide: Managing Successfully Across Cultures. Nicholas Brealey. The model is summarised at crossculture.com. ↩
Williams, G. A., & Miller, R. B. (2002). Change the way you persuade. Harvard Business Review, 80(5), 64–73. hbr.org. Based on a survey of 1,684 executives between 1999 and 2001. ↩
Alter, A. L., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2009). Uniting the tribes of fluency to form a metacognitive nation. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 13(3), 219–235. doi:10.1177/1088868309341564 ↩
Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1974). Judgment under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. Science, 185(4157), 1124–1131. doi:10.1126/science.185.4157.1124 ↩
Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam. ↩
Cialdini, R. B. (1984). Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. William Morrow. The six principles are reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking and scarcity; the 2021 expanded edition adds unity. ↩