The Tom Sawyer Method
How to get people to (want to) do what you want them to do
In Mark Twain’s classic, Tom Sawyer convinces his friends to help him paint the fence—in fact, they beg Tom for the privilege of painting the fence—while he relaxes and eats an apple.
Tom uses several influence strategies to get his friends on board:
Increases perceived value. When his friend Ben asks if he likes the work, Tom replies, “Like it? Well, I don’t see why I oughtn’t to like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”
Communicates scarcity. Tom turns away several would-be fence painters, implying that it’s a rare privilege. “I reckon there ain’t one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it the way it’s got to be done.”
Minimizes risk. By involving several people, Tom turns the chore into a fence-painting party, reducing the risk to an individual and increasing social inclusion. “He had had a nice, good, idle time all the while – plenty of company – and the fence had three coats of whitewash on it!”
Reduces the cost of pitching in. Tom offers to help Jim fetch water if Jim whitewashes some of the fence. This relieves Jim of having to do two jobs at once.
He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it—namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. —Mark Twain
Motivation = Perceived Value – Risk – Cost
We all subconsciously calculate rewards, risks, and costs before we decide what to do. I call this the motivation equation.
Most people respond to value, risk, and effort triggers. We are primed to acquire what we perceive as valuable—especially when it is scarce (e.g., tickets to a sold-out concert). We try to reduce risk and uncertainty, and we prefer to expend less effort to get a job done.
But here’s the rub: Other people’s perception of value, risk, and effort are often different from ours. The “great offer” you make may not seem so great to the recipient, especially when they factor in risks and costs you may have overlooked.
Example: Motivating Mary
Suppose you want to motivate Mary to work on your project. The primary value you are offering is the opportunity for her to develop her skills and the potential for a bonus upon successful completion of the project. From your perspective, this looks like a great deal.
But what about Mary? What are the perceived risks from her perspective?
How much management support does the project have?
What is the reputation of the project manager?
What if the skills I develop are not in demand?
Each of these risks reduces the value to Mary.
The costs to Mary of working on your project include:
Learning new technology (extra hours and weekend study)
Visiting customer sites (time away from family)
Mary mentally weighs the risks and costs before deciding whether to work on the project. This is done subconsciously. She may not know why her gut is telling her to reject your offer, but she does.
To get someone to do what you want, find ways to increase value, decrease risk, and/or reduce cost from their perspective.
Reflection questions
How can I increase perceived value for the other person? (e.g., put it in writing, make it exclusive, build a reputation for keeping commitments)
How can I reduce risk for the other person? (e.g., increase visible management support, introduce them to potential project team members)
How can I reduce cost for the other person? (e.g., provide relevant training and tools, connect them with an expert)
References
Dwyer, C. (1987). Graduate School of Education: Managing People. University of Pennsylvania.
Twain, M. (2018). The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Original Illustrations. SeaWolf Press.
Images: pxhere.com; public domain
