Reply To: Exercise 3: Listen to Examples
I noticed a few effective things in how Josh spoke to guests: the focus on connecting with the guest’s experience, elements of positive reinforcement, focus on intrinsic motivation, and adding accountability to the commitment.
The commitment question is prefaced by saying how “It’s not about what is the biggest thing you can do; what does the NYT say you should do? It doesn’t have to be big, it doesn’t have to be small.” To me, this statement emphasizes that it’s not about fixing the world but about internal motivation, which is extremely effective in not overwhelming people when they begin brainstorming ideas for their commitment. It also keeps the options for commitment wide open to the guest’s interpretation (for example, Alexandra Paul’s focus on cooking).
Josh frequently used positive reinforcement and personal connection throughout the conversations to build up to the commitment, which created natural momentum for people to get excited about taking action. I think the verbiage used and how the questions are framed create a sense of psychological safety that helps people open up and get creative about their commitments.
I’m excited to try it out!