Rhetorical Appeals
Pathos: Shared Values Appeal
Connect your message to deeply held beliefs and moral principles of your audience.
What it is
Before & after
“No values connection: "We need to implement this because it's required" (purely procedural)”
“Values alignment: "This transparency initiative reflects our commitment to integrity and helps us build the trust with stakeholders that our values demand"”
When you’ll use it
Mission alignment: Connecting new initiatives to company values like "customer-first" or "innovation" to build support
Team motivation: Linking project goals to professional values like "excellence," "growth," or "making a difference"
Change communication: Aligning transformations with cultural values such as "collaboration," "integrity," or "continuous improvement"
Leadership messages: Connecting difficult decisions to shared principles like "transparency," "fairness," or "long-term thinking"
Motivating teams by connecting work to larger organizational mission
Building support for change initiatives through shared values
Creating compelling customer messaging that resonates with target values
Inspiring action by connecting proposals to universal human concerns
Pro tip
Name specific values and show how your proposal embodies them.
Questions & answers
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