As part of an HR team, persuasion plays a big role when developing positive practices and procedures for a company. "Persuasion is defined as the act or process of moving others toward a particular position, belief, or course of action" (Walden University, LLC., 2021). In the past, I have used persuasion when bringing new ideas about strategies that would help creatE a more inclusive and diverse workplace. The use of emotion, personal stories and facts can have a great impact when persuading others (Walden University, LLC., 2021). When presenting a new idea related to diversity and inclusion, I typically use current data that helps support the speech I am delivering.

This includes current EEO data that demonstrates the areas that may need improvement, such as hiring more candidates with a specific background. Another scenario where I usually use persuasion is when it about to be open enrollment. During this period, employees have the opportunity to make changes to their benefits for the upcoming years. A few months before, I met with my department head, and we went over any new benefits that would be worth adding or deleting from our current benefits package. During this meeting, I used benchmarking information and my experience in other companies in order to persuade and engage my team. Using benchmarking and past experiences gives me the opportunity to show how the changes would have a positive impact on areas such as employee retention, turnover, among others.

Using persuasion at work can bring a number of benefits as well as risks. Among some of the main benefits of using persuasion involves building a more solid relationship with coworkers who will trust the influencer's words if they feel the person is being genuine and they can relate to the experiences and information the persuader is using the influence others. Another benefit is the level of positive change one person, or a group of people can create when using persuasion to improve and make a brand/company better. Contrarily, if persuasion is not used in the right way, it can lead to colleagues realizing and thinking they are being manipulated, which can create issues with a company's culture, and it can even lead to complaints on the employees' side.

I use and will continue to use persuasion as a tool to develop awareness about topics related to diversity and inclusion in order to create welcoming work environments where all team members can feel accepted and heard. I will also use it to educate and help others grow, focusing on career growth and providing them with resources to become independent learners. One of the areas I would like to use persuasion is when it comes to awareness at work and in our personal lives. Emotional intelligence is key to be or become a great leader.

QUESTIONS:

• What ways in which your colleague has used persuasion in a business environment. Explain.
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