The Pacing Partnership: Influencing Skills for Successful Outcomes

This e-book is a development of a book I wrote in 1988 and upgraded in 1993, entitled How to Influence Others at Work. It was published by Butterworth-Heinemann. Now some 12 years after the second edition I have rewritten the book, changed some of the models, and added a new chapter.

Since developing the concepts in the 80s, I am surprised and pleased at how relevant they still are today. The concepts of Pacing and Leading were developed and refined by Milton Erickson, the father of clinical hypnosis and the techniques of Brief Therapy. They were made available and accessible to the general population through the work of John Grinder and Richard Bandler, who developed a series of communication and personal development techniques known these days as neurolinguistics. Their work is still one of the most significant developments in the field of interpersonal relationships of the last 30 years. I admire their work and based much of my own work in communication on their concepts.

I have used a new title for this e-book to reflect what I consider to be the most important communication technique for those in the business world. The concept of the Pacing Partnership is a prerequisite for successful outcomes in all aspects of work that rely on communicating effectively with others. Pacing skills are the foundation stone of the communication process and absolutely essential to effective teamwork.

I have also replaced the Influencing Skills Model of my earlier work with a new model that is easier to understand and apply. This Strategic Communication Model should be at the back of everyone's mind when gathering information from others and attempting to develop the best solution. Whether trying to solve a work problem, give counseling or sell to customers, the principles are the same. Seven core communication skills can quickly lead to successful outcomes.

I would like to thank my colleague Charles Margerison for his ideas and comments over the years. We have now been working together for 23 years, and hopefully there are many more to come.

Dick McCann
Brisbane

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