A psychiatrist named Tom, would employ one of three tactics when he first met a new patient: Either he'd drop a pencil, tell a bad joke or spill his coffee. Presumably, Tom's patients had already been impressed by the diplomas on his wall, which signaled his competence and credibility. Now Tom's goal was to demonstrate some vulnerability and show that he was indeed a fallible human being. That combination of competence and warmth would make him seem more trustworthy. This technique works just as well in the business realm.
The authors cite an example of an American engineer who was working at a company in Japan. The engineer was annoyed that he was continually listed as a visitor in the minutes of the meetings. But after he joined his Japanese coworkers for a night of karaoke, they started listing him like the rest of the staff. The takeaway, according to the authors, is that highly…
