CEO Notebook

If you've ever been in a board meeting and every suggestion you offer is rebutted, you may be the unwitting victim of a hypnotic technique.

The technique centers on the structure of suggestions. If suggestions are created in a certain way, they bypass resistance and are willingly accepted. If they do not fit the proper profile, the suggestions can elicit attacks. Even the best messages, when structured incorrectly, can generate waves of resistance.

For example:

In today's boardrooms, with strong-minded members and the added presence of investors, a CEO's effectiveness hinges on consensus building. Because of its potentially disruptive influence, the structure of suggestions becomes a key factor in making board meetings effective.

Traditional Hypnosis

Good question. Until about 40 years ago, not much.

Traditional hypnosis focused on trance induction. Trances were induced by some form of visual attention device, like a swinging watch, or through a soothing voice saying that you are feeling sleepy. Once the "trance" was induced, individuals were given suggestions, on everything from lifting their arms, to commands on stopping smoking.

For some, these techniques work; for others, it seemed to have no effect. When it didn't work, subjects were labeled as "unsuggestible." Or, stubborn, as some would say.

The Era of Milton Erickson

Milton Erickson entered the scene, and the field has never been the same. Soon labeled the "Master Hypnotist", no one seemed able to resist his induction. Even the most stubborn grasped his suggestions quickly and thoroughly. Even more surprising was the fact that he simply talked his subjects into a trance state, without the use of visual distractions. Something new was afoot.

As Dr. Erickson described his conversation inductions, it became clear that there was much more to the suggestion side of hypnosis than was ever recognized. The suggestions themselves were the main influence on post-hypnotic behavior -- not the trance itself.

To every CEO's benefit, the hypnotic suggestion techniques that Milton Erickson pioneered are documented and can be applied to dynamics in the boardroom. The trick to understand the components that make up an effective suggestion.

The Art of Shaping Suggestions - Pacing

Effective suggestions involve a technique called pacing. Pacing establishes a tie to the listener.

In fact, good pacing involves connecting in a way that makes you the same person. Most people listen to themselves -- that's the natural source of all decisions. Although it's not possible to be that person exactly, the closer you can come to being in-sync with them, the closer your relationship will be.

A general example might be useful before looking at specifics.

Pacing example:

Several elements surfaced in this example:

Putting Suggestions to Work

In a board meeting most of your paces will be verbal. So, what is the best way to match up with a comment? Your initial pace should use information that you know for sure.

1. Initial Pace:

2. Concept Pace:

As the discussion unfolds, you need a position statement that everyone readily understands and agrees.

These messages become your base list of unassailable positions. Occasionally, you may need to reshape your personal goal into a more general statement.

For example:

Pacing to Someone Else - For Attacks

When you run into opposition, the same pace and move principles apply.

For example:

This pacing style of discussion and counterpoint may not seem that different than typical dialogues. However, when you take out the pace, the exchanges become harsher, the lines are more firmly drawn, and your position becomes less like that of a moderator.

With good pacing, anyone actively seeking to understand will be drawn to your point of view. It also makes it difficult for the opposition to continue without appearing rigid (unless they pace and pull sentiment back from you).

For example:

Homework

Pacing becomes easier and more intuitive with practice. People in the business community make excellent testing grounds -- they always offer up unusual positions from which you can pace.

For topics where you have a strong position, work on your unassailable positions. They'll come in handy for building support and for countering the opposition.

Next Steps

There are several layers of complexity around suggestions that we haven't touched on in this section. The topics will be picked up in future articles. Again, Milton Erickson is the source of conversational induction and pacing concepts -- anytime you can pick up one of his book, you'll be glad you did.

JAD

Additional Reading

Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D (Volume 2) by Milton H. Erickson, John Grinder, Judith Delozier, Richard Bandler. Metamorphosis Press, 1997.
* It is a crime that Milton Erickson's works are going out of print. If you see one of his books, grab it. He is the master of suggestion. It's possible to study his writings for years and still learn something new each time.

The Structure of Magic : A Book About Language and Therapy (Vol I) by Richard Bandler, John Grinder. Science & Behavior Books, 1990.
* These guys were the first to untangle what Milton Erickson was really doing. They made it possible for users to move beyond imitation and into customization and adjustments. Even Erickson was impressed with their model of linguistic analysis.

The Structure of Magic : A Book About Communication and Change (Vol II) by Richard Bandler, John Grinder. Science & Behavior Books, 1980.
* Once you get a taste of Bandler and Grinder, you'll want to get all their books.

Reframing : Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the Transformation of Meaning by Richard Bandler, John Grinder, Connirae Andreas. Real People Press, 1989.

Frogs into Princes : Neuro Linguistic Programming by Richard Bandler, John O. Stevens (Designer), John Grinder. Real People Press, 1981.

Experiencing Erickson : An Introduction to the Man and His Work by Jeffrey Zeig. Brunner/Mazel, 1985.

Hypnotic Realities : The Induction of Clinical Hypnosis and Forms of Indirect Suggestion/Book and Cassette by Milton H. Erickson. Irvington Pub, 1976.

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