- 1). Remember back to when you were the age of the individual you are trying to influence. Ask yourself how you felt at that age and how you reacted to adults in your life. Be reflective and critical of yourself. Examine your motivation for wanting to reach and influence the young person in question. Eliminate any ulterior motives.
- 2). Be authentic--young people are acutely sensitive to and familiar with insincerity. Approach the young person with honesty. Respect the young person's perspective while maintaining your own.
- 3). Allow for dissonance--a disagreement is not necessarily negative, and a clear difference of opinion is better than a misunderstanding. Introduce your opinion with confidence. Listen to the other side with sensitivity and interest.
- 4). Recognize the young person's life experience and validate that experience. Having more years of life than another person does not diminish the importance of that individual's years of life. Ask questions before offering answers. An equal exchange of ideas will make the young person more likely to be open to your ideas.
- 5). Trust your instincts. Do not over-think your intended influence on the individual. Live your life honestly and openly and you will naturally influence every individual around you--including young people--positively. Allow yourself to be positively influenced by those around you in return and learn from the young person you are trying to reach.
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