The Art of Influence- For Good (Influence Series 1/4)
Whether you need to drive a project forward, inspire a team, or advocate for change will depend on how well you have honed the coveted skill of influencing. This can be defined as the ability to affect the actions, beliefs, or decisions of others through direct or indirect ways. It is not about manipulation or coercion, rather, it’s built on genuine relationships and strategic communication aimed at achieving win-win solutions.
Challenges in Effective Influence
1. Working cross-functionally. In many organizations, pivotal tasks transcend traditional hierarchies as you likely collaborate with peers and teammates outside your direct report line. Those individuals might be driven by different objectives. If you are working with 2+ teams, the complexities are compounded as what is beneficial for one team might be less important for another. The challenge lies in shaping your pitch to resonate with different teams who might have different priorities and who may not want to upvote yours ahead of theirs.
2. Navigating Politics. Every organization has its political undertones, be it alliances, rivalries, or past grievances. Even if you bring forth groundbreaking ideas, they might be overshadowed by internal politics. Some stakeholders, due to past affiliations, might not be receptive, irrespective of the merit of your proposal.
3. Encountering Change Resistors. Many people gravitate toward predictability and consistency, making them hesitant to embrace new initiatives that might disturb the established routines or make their worklife a little more difficult. Your ideas can be great, but others may be dug in on the status quo.
4. Dealing with Resource Constraints. Securing buy-in to your idea is just the beginning. Even if stakeholders align with your viewpoint, the practical execution may fail due to limited resources, be it time, funding, or dedicated personnel. Convincing teams to act, especially when resources are scarce, poses its own set of challenges.
Influencing starts way before the moment. There is a lot of prework you can do to be set up for success.
Let’s explore effective strategies for influence:
1. Build good relationships. Success in any role hinges on building positive, mutually beneficial relationships. Take time to get to know your colleagues before needing any assistance. Stephen Covey talks about the importance of building an “emotional bank account,” which is about depositing goodwill and trust into other people’s accounts. This can be about affirming what others say in a meeting, engaging in deep listening to help others clarify an issue, or having a positive encounter that adds some joy to their lives. If they have done something for you, thanking them with deep gratitude does wonders for relationship building. People do business and work on initiatives with those they know and trust.
2. Create a perspective map. Before attempting to influence, create a map of key stakeholders, such as skip level boss, manager, teammates, cross-functional peers, and identify their priorities. List their current and future concerns, as well as their desired outcomes. Consider how you want them to think, feel, and act because of your interaction.
3. Practice Perspective-Taking. Building trust and influence often involves empathizing with others and understanding their perspectives and priorities. Dale Carnegie said, the only way to influence somebody is to find out what they want and show them how to get it. It is about earnestly seeing from another point of view because ultimately people do things for their reasons and not yours so when you can tap into their intrinsic motivation, it will make a big difference. Understanding where they are, caring genuinely, and appreciating it will help them move along and get them to where they want to go.
A big reason why this does not happen is because people are too busy thinking about their next responses that they usually do not listen fully and are not as present to spot potential synergies. Asking a follow-up question or offering an idea that can advance their initiative makes a big difference. When you are genuinely curious and asking questions such as, “what are the effects of one approach over another” that allows them to think more deeply about their idea in a safe way, which is helpful.
4. Identify and Onboard Allies. Identify potential allies of your project early on. Categorize them as green (supportive) or yellow (open to persuasion but with questions). At this stage, don’t go after the red (resistant or difficult to change). When you bring people early on at the outset to join your planning team who feel like they also have a stake in the project, they are more likely going to assist you. Seek additional sponsors and mentors who can enhance your credibility and social capital.
5. Identify Your Sequence-Sharing Strategy. Plan the order in which you share information to maximize buy-in. Every situation is different, but one can start with your manager’s support and gauge if the idea can work and gain more context. You can ask questions to learn why anybody has not tried this before. If it was attempted, why didn’t it work? Through the discussions you can uncover additional pros and cons and field questions you might not have considered. Then you can bring it to your team to get support to strengthen it even further, then think about the cross-functionals who would benefit from that problem being solved as well. As you continue to spread it to connections that are more distant, at least you have tested it and have initial support for it.
6. Anticipate concerns/rejections. Sit with your team and anticipate rejections and responses to your initiative. You can even bring up their concerns first before they do and address them. If you’re unsure, you can ask chat GPT to steelman your arguments. Once you get your team on board, you can work together to bring the ideas more widely having already strengthened them by defending them.
Wielding influence effectively hinges on more than just a moment of persuasion — it’s about cultivating trust, practicing empathy, and understanding the organizational ecosystem. By engaging with colleagues proactively, anticipating challenges, and thoughtfully mapping out communication strategies, you can navigate complex dynamics and secure the necessary buy-in. True influence is achieved through persistent and authentic connection, paving the way for collaborative success.
Quote of the day: One of the best ways to influence people is to make them feel important. Most people enjoy those rare moments when others make them feel important. It is one of the deepest human desires.
— Roy T. Bennett
How do you begin to build great relationships with others? Comment and share with us; we would love to hear!
The next blog in this series 2/4 will focus on refined strategies for influencing.
As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to sharpen their influencing skills for win-win opportunities, contact me to explore this topic further.
