How influence works when you’re not paying attention

Yesterday I was walking to the station to catch a train into the city.

It was a journey I’d made thousands of times before.

I knew it took 8 minutes at a steady walk, and that day I had plenty of time to catch my train.

But suddenly the woman in front of me, also heading into the station, sped up.

Without thinking, I found myself doing the same.

And when she broke into a jog, I did too. Four minutes later, I was at the station, sweating through my hair follicles, far too early for my train, thinking: ‘Why on earth did I do that?’

I pondered what had made me suddenly copy this woman.

I realised I’d been influenced without either of us even noticing!

Here’s how:

1. The woman was smartly dressed – this had triggered the principle of authority (she must have known something I didn’t)

   
   

2. She lived near me, activating the principle of unity – we’re more likely to follow people we have things in common with

   
   

3. She’d triggered the social proof principle – if other people are doing it, then it must have some value

The fascinating thing about ethical influence strategies is that they still work on you even if you know about them (and, in my case, teach them!)

So my challenge for you this week is this: notice what influences you, and why.

Once you start spotting influence strategies, you see them everywhere. And that’s when you can stop just being nudged, and start doing the nudging.