There is a new book out that may help us understand how to effect social change on behalf of mothers and babies. Its name is Influencer . 

One of the reviewer on Amazon says: 

“ Influencers creates an entire change model based on the fact that people choose their behaviors based on what they believe works and only change after answering two questions: can I do it and is it worth it? Those two dimensions of desiring change--motivation and ability--have personal, social, and structural elements, resulting in 6 strategies influencers can use to leverage change. 

“The book solves the paradox of having so much information but little change, for example dieting or smoking. We know what to do but we don't do it: we need people who are Influencers. Influencers know that behaviors are not changed through verbal persuasion but through personal experience. When experience can't be had Influencers need to create profound visceral experiences. Change "takes a combination of strategies aimed at a handful of vital behaviors to solve profound and persistent problems" (76).” 


Doesn’t this pinpoint our dilemma? It is widely known that breastfeeding is advantageous to babies but it is also commonly believed that women are unlikely to be able to do it. The Is-It-Worth-It component is present but the Women-Have-the-Ability part is missing. The value of personal experience is attested to by the success of groups such as La Leche League. What would it take to create “profound visceral experiences” for those not yet reached and influenced? 

The authors of Influencer , Kerry Patterson et al, have also written Crucial Conversations and Crucial Confrontations and are in business management. The story of how they came to focus on effective open, safe communication as essential for success is told in Please Don’t Feed the Hog; How the World’s Best Leaders Solve Tough People Problems, (you will find it, free, on line if you google it). 

I haven’t read Influencer yet but it seems to be about what we want to do. Its description reads: 

An INFLUENCER motivates others to change. 

An INFLUENCER replaces bad behaviors with powerful new skills. 

An INFLUENCER makes things happen. 

This is what it takes to be an INFLUENCER. 

Whether you're a CEO, a parent, or merely a person who wants to make a difference, you probably wish you had more influence with the people in your life. But most of us stop trying to make change happen because we believe it is too difficult, if not impossible. We develop complicated coping strategies when we should be learning the tools and techniques of the world's most influential people. 

But this is about to change. From the bestselling authors who taught the world how to have Crucial Conversations comes Influencer , a thought-provoking book that combines the remarkable insights of behavioral scientists and business leaders with the astonishing stories of high-powered influencers from all walks of life. You'll be taught each and every step of the influence process-including robust strategies for making change inevitable in your personal life, your business, and your world. You'll learn how to: 

    • Identify a handful of high-leverage behaviors that lead to rapid and profound change. 
    • Apply strategies for changing both thoughts and actions. 
    • Marshall six sources of influence to make change inevitable. 



There is also a blog promoting the book and its concepts so, if you are interested, you can look into it a bit before investing in the book. http://www.influencerbook.com/influencer/blog 

I have no financial interest in this. 

I hope this is of help to someone and, if you should read Influencer or any of the other materials by the same authors, I’d like to know what you think of them. Email me privately if it seems off-topic for this list. 

Alice Roddy 
Nursing is the biological norm for mothers and babies. It is a relationship that provides stress reducing hormones to the mother as well as stimulation, connection, and protection from illness to the baby. It even feeds the baby.

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