Imperial messengers in old Persia had a precarious time. Assigned the task of updating their rulers on the progress of battles, they had special cause to hope things were going well. Upon arrival at the palace with news of an imminent victory, a messenger would be showered with rewards. But, should his news be less than positive, he was summarily slain.
This 'shoot the messenger' effect is arguably just as rife today, albeit with less extreme results. Psychologists have long known about our tendency to associate bad news with its deliverer, but this effect can also apply to good news.
Associating ourselves with the delivery of good news has been shown to increase both popularity and people's liking of us. Such is our desire to link ourselves with the good and distance ourselves from the bad, we will often change the way we describe events to bask in the glorious good.
The way sports fans describe their team's performance after winning an important game ("We played brilliantly") is often very different to their account of things after defeat ("They were rubbish — how could they lose so easily?"). And, after elections, supporters of the winners take longer to remove their candidates' posters from public view than those who backed the losers.
The persuasive appeal of association also happens in the business world. A sales team might blame a failed contract on colleagues ("Finance let us down") and yet bask in the glory of their own skills after winning a new client: "Sales save the day again."
Of course, more often than not the truth is that success (or failure) cannot simply be put down to one factor. So how can a business use the association principle for good by encouraging shared responsibility across teams and at the same time avoid its negative consequences that, in extreme circumstances, lead to a culture of blame?
Persuasion researchers believe it is important at the start of any new project to highlight partnerships or relationships that already exist between departments and ideally point out examples of how they have cooperated well in the past.
But what if no previous cooperation or relationships exist? Probably the most effective action is to become the business equivalent of a wedding planner and arrange initial meetings in a way that ensures people are quickly integrated with those they don't know. And when they meet for the first time it's probably a good idea to make sure that the first thing they share with each other is some good news!
Steve Martin is co-author of Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion. Twitter: @scienceofyes
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