Let’s say you need to request someone do something for you.
Here’s how you can phrase it so you increase the odds they’ll bother.
I call it my “Done before do” rule.
In “done before do”, we tell them what we’ve done before we explain what we need them to do.
For example, “I’ve already taken care of the agenda and catering, so could you set up the room for the meeting?”
Or “We’ve managed to update the system, so all we need you to do is login to check your access is working”.
You can use “done before do” when you want to signal that you’ve expended effort to save them having to.
While they may need to still do something, we’re inferring it could have been a lot worse if we hadn’t already played our part.
The key here is “reciprocity”, the human desire to return a favour that is granted to us.
By going first, and showing them we’ve put in effort, they will be more likely to reciprocate.
So, when you’re next asking someone to do something they may not be thrilled to do, soften the blow by telling them what you’ve done before what they have to do.
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