Maxim #44
Power of reciprocity
The power of reciprocity lies in the fact that we have a natural tendency to need to repay someone who has done something for us. We enjoy getting things we value but we don’t like a feeling of indebtedness. This is a very powerful principle for anyone trying to persuade someone, whether it is trying to sell something or implement change in an organization.
To create reciprocity, you need to help others first. You have to provide value of some kind to someone that creates an imbalance or indebtedness. You can do this in many ways. Here are a few simple examples:
- Do something that is either thoughtful or beyond normal expectations.
- Give a gift.
- Provide something of value that someone couldn’t get themselves.
Some people instinctively fear or dislike indebtedness and refuse to accept gifts. Some organizations have the same fears and don’t allow their procurement staff to accept gifts from suppliers, but there are many more subtle ways that you can provide value.
In our work, trying to implement change in organizations we try to apply this maxim whenever we work in an area. We have a project step called “quick results,” which serves a couple of purposes. Quick results do not have to be significant in terms of impact but they need to be quick, and visible. At the senior management level, quick results show our client that progress is being made. More importantly for the actual change process is that quick results show front-line managers and employees that progress is being made. Often we will find a frustration of front-line employees that we can fairly rapidly fix. This shows them that we are working on their behalf, and at the very least helps soften some of their natural resistance to change that we typically encounter.
The real power of reciprocity is to create it with genuine intent, and to never use it as a currency. Paradoxically, the more you try to help people without expecting anything in return, the more you will get in return.
