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The most fascinating thing I've found from the work that we and others have done is that subtle shifts can have such a big impact. Adding a couple letters to the end of a word can increase the likelihood that other people do what you ask them. So some researchers a couple years ago went to a local preschool and they asked four five year old kids to clean up a messy classroom. The floor was covered in crayons and toys and books, and they asked the kids for help cleaning up. For some of the kids, they used a normal approach we might use. They said, hey, can you help clean up? But for the second half of the kids, they tried a slightly different strategy. They asked them, would you mind being a helper and cleaning up the classroom? Now, the difference between asking for help and asking for someone to be a helper is infinitesimally small. It's adding two letters at the end of the word help. Yet those two letters led to about a 50% increase in people's likelihood of helping.Again, the difference between vote and voter is infinitesimally small, just one letter in this case. Yet that one letter led to about a 15% increase in people's likelihood of turning out at the polls.

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The most fascinating thing / I've found from the work that we and others have done is / that subtle shifts can have such a big impact. // Adding a couple letters / to the end of a word / can increase the likelihood that / other people do what you ask them. // So / some researchers a couple years ago / went to a local preschool / and they asked four five-year-old kids / to clean up a messy classroom. // The floor was covered in crayons / and toys / and books, / and they asked the kids for help cleaning up. // For some of the kids, / they used a normal approach we might use. / They said, "Hey, can you help clean up?" // But for the second half of the kids, / they tried a slightly different strategy. // They asked them, "Would you mind being a helper // and cleaning up the classroom?" // Now, the difference between asking for help / and asking for someone to be a helper / is infinitesimally small. // It's adding two letters / at the end of the word help. // Yet / those two letters led to about a 50% increase / in people's likelihood of helping. // Again, the difference between vote and voter is infinitesimally small, / just one letter in this case. // Yet / that one letter / led to about a 15% increase / in people's likelihood / of turning out at the polls. //

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What's the difference between help and helper and vote and voter? Why might one be more effective than the other? It turns out it comes down to the difference between actions and identities. We all want to see ourselves as smart and competent and intelligent in a variety of different things. So rather than describing someone as hard working, describing them as a hard worker will make that trait seem more persistent and more likely to last. Rather than asking people to lead more, tell them, can you be a leader? Rather than ask them to innovate, can you be an innovator? By turning actions into identities, we can make people much more likely to engage in those desired actions. Another way to get people to listen is by showing confidence. All of us know someone in our lives that's particularly charismatic when they open their mouths whether to tell stories or make presentations. And everybody listens. How do they do it? How are they so charismatic? What makes them so effective as communicators? It turns out some insight into that question can come from a recent President of the United States. He's done a great job, whether you like him or hate him, of convincing his audience to listen and take action.

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What's the difference between help / and helper, / and vote / and voter? / Why might one be more effective than the other? // It turns out / it comes down to the difference between actions / and identities. // We all want to see ourselves as smart / and competent / and intelligent / in a variety of different things. // So / rather than describing someone as hard-working, // describing them as a hard worker // will make that trait seem more persistent / and more likely to last. // Rather than asking people to lead more, / tell them, "Can you be a leader?" // Rather than ask them to innovate, / say, "Can you be an innovator?" // By turning actions into identities, / we can make people much more likely to engage / in those desired actions. // Another way / to get people to listen / is by showing confidence. // All of us know someone in our lives / who’s particularly charismatic / when they open their mouths— / whether to tell stories / or make presentations. // And everybody listens. // How do they do it? // How are they so charismatic? // What makes them so effective / as communicators? // It turns out / some insight into that question / can come from a recent President of the United States. // He's done a great job— // whether you like him / or hate him— / of convincing his audience / to listen / and take action. //