I guess we have all been there before. There is this friend, a colleague, a child, a spouse, a sister, a brother, or a family member that we would want to reason with us and see things from our perspective and probably have a change of mind.
Yet we have tried but to no avail. I bet if there is a magic wand that can help us do this, almost all of us would be in possession of one. Unfortunately, nothing like that exists, however, this article is aimed at helping you to achieve the goal of helping a friend change their minds.
Here are 5 tips to help you change the mind of that loved one.
1. Listen to Them: To make a person change their mind requires that we listen to them and understand their thought process and get to see where they are coming from. Otherwise, it will be almost impossible to alter their minds, it is only after listening to a person and understanding them that you will be able to know why they think the way they do and how best you can help them change.
For instance, when your child or friend decides to drop out of school, first understand why they want to quit instead of telling them they cannot or threatening them that you would disown them. You never know their reason until you listen to them.
Perhaps they may have heard of the stories of the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, Steve Harvey, Stonebwoy, Nana Kwame Bediako, and many others who even though they have dropped out of school made it and are still making it in life today. So the first thing you want to do in other to help that friend or family member change their minds is to give them rapt attention, just listen.
2. Introduce them to the New Truth: After listening to understand why this person thinks the way they do, you can now introduce them to your truth and give them a reason why they should accept that truth and how it would be of benefit to their lives. Please don’t act like a know it all at this level, you only make things worse.
This is where you help them understand how inhibiting their viewpoint can be and how your suggestion stands to transform their lives. Remember this is somewhat an ego battle and everyone has some level of ego so tread cautiously not to bruise their ego because that’s the only way they are going to consider accepting the change you are suggesting.
3. Be a Partner, not an Enemy or a Teacher: For a person to consider changing their minds for your way of thinking, you need to earn their trust. They must see and understand that you are not trying to make them change their minds for your own selfish reasons, but we have their interest at heart. Let the person understand that it is not a zero sub-game where there is a winner and a loser. Rather in this game, both parties win, because when they succeed you succeed too.
4. Show them Unexpected Kindness: Kindness is contagious and very powerful than most of us can imagine. When a person experiences kindness they lower their guard and we get to earn their trust. The way an armed person surrenders their gun after having seen a police officer is a similitude with which a person drops their guard and protective walls after you have shown them kindness. Showing kindness to a person increases our chances of making them change their minds.
5. Don’t be judgemental: The last thing a person wants to listen to is a judgemental and condescending comment. Approaching the person’s mind you want from a judgemental disposition only makes them become more defensive. Because the truth is, we all have egos whether we’re wrong or not. Instead, approach them from a position of love and letting them understand that you also have your own shortcomings and willing to receive corrections from them. It is only in this way that we’ll get a person to change their mind.
I hope this the tips shared in this article would help you change the mind of that loved one.
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