How Long Can You Tread Water
I’m going to write something for you about…
How Long Can You Tread Water?
The first time I was set adrift in a lifeboat with a group of strangers was near the shore of Lake Michigan when I was much younger.
It was all part of an active learning exercise during a seminar on corporate communications in Chicago. The scenario and rules for the exercise were this: eight seminar participants were selected to be in a lifeboat and only one would ultimately survive.
Each person on the boat must tell a persuasive story about why they should be the one to survive. At the end of each round, the remaining survivors voted to toss another survivor overboard. Simple majority ruled.
In the next round, those safely remaining in the lifeboat could keep or change their stories. No rule governed the persuasive arguments: anyone could be anyone or have any story, true or fabricated, believable or outlandish. The only importance was to stay in the lifeboat. When only two people were left in the boat, the audience voted on who would hit the water or finally survive in the boat.
Here’s what generally worked and didn’t work:
One onboard survivor said he or she was very religious, did not fear death, and was at peace with her or his god. This person was generally the first to get tossed over the side to become fish food and meet their maker.
Other survivors voted for early departure and a final swim were those who:
- Changed their stories between rounds. Rules of the exercise said they could modify their arguments to be more persuasive; people apparently don’t like those who change their stories.
- Threatened the others. “I’m the only one who can stop a major war”. It didn’t work because Americans tend to fight back when threatened instead of giving in.
- Used the sympathy appeal and argued they can’t swim; non-swimmers received no mercy.
What won? Arguments that offered hope were generally most persuasive.
Survivors who announced they knew the only cure for cancer stayed dry. Children often did too since their future for doing good was yet undermined.
What was learned about persuasive communication? Threats and weakness fails, and offering hope for the future is what people want.