Ivy Sea Online: Influence-be the person people respect, listen to and like

While you might not be able to pinpoint why you think someone is influential, you know an influential person when you meet one. You may also know that you can learn to be influential; sometimes it's the way you present yourself or your idea that makes all the difference.

Influence is the power we have to act on a situation to achieve a certain result. Positive influence is the ability to achieve results while building or maintaining positive working relationships. Now who doesn't want to do that?

Here are a few effective techniques you can use today to influence others, build positive working relationships and earn support for your ideas, projects or department:

Use persuasive arguments to influence
If you're taking a stand on an issue - perhaps against someone else's idea - be certain to clearly state your position in a way that doesn't diminish other ideas. Try wording your responses in the following ways:

Of course you'll want to back up those ideas with facts and logic in support of your idea. Lead with:

Influencing through persuasion works best when the issue is open to rational analysis, hard facts are available and emotions are under control (when it's not a highly charged issue, fraught with tension on both sides).

Be assertive when the stakes are high
Using assertion to influence others works best when you have legitimate needs (i.e. you will lose something if your needs aren't met) and the other person's personal commitment would be helpful but is not essential.

Let's say you have to enforce a policy with your staff. This policy is likely to be unpopular, but will be good for the company in the long run. If your employees don't comply with the new policy they will lose their jobs.

First state the expectation, need or demand - in this case the new policy (be as specific as possible) - using phrases such as:

Finally, you should provide an incentive that will encourage people to meet your expectation:

Asserting to influence others works best when you leave reasoning out. Your objective is to have your expectations met; it's not a gray area that's open to debate. Of course, you should try to be as positive as possible, and provide incentives so that people want to adopt or meet your stated expectation.

Bring people together
Imagine you're managing a team that includes people from different departments. You're having a hard time getting team members to stay motivated on the project, accomplish tasks or even show up to meetings. What are some things you can do to get the team back on track?

Share the project vision by asking the group to picture the ideal outcome. By grasping the overall project goal, and understanding how they fit into the success of the project, they'll increase their support of and involvement in the project. Here's how you can get that conversation started:

You can also find common ground among team members by identifying shared goals, values and aspirations. Here's how:

These influence styles work best when you use imagery and sensory language, rather than relying too heavily on facts and logic. Use "we" and "us" not "I" and "me," unless a comment is strictly your opinion (as with some of the above examples). You don't want to push your opinion on someone else as you're likely to alienate your audience.

Commit yourself to the outcome of the project, and show intensity and enthusiasm. Be genuine, and encourage others to share and add to your vision.

This information provides food for thought rather than counsel specifically designed to meet the needs of your organization or situation. Please use it mindfully. The most effective leadership and communication plans are those that have been tailored to your meet unique needs, so don't hesitate to get individualized assistance from a qualified adviser.

For a fun and informative reference on effective influence-building (as well as some great anecdotes), read Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends & Influence People."







				Ivy Sea's Personal Mastery Series Be the person people respect, listen to and like While you might not be able to pinpoint why you think someone is influential, you know an influential person when you meet one. You may also know that you can learn to be influential; sometimes it's the way you present yourself or your idea that makes all the difference. Influence is the power we have to act on a situation to achieve a certain result. Positive influence is the ability to achieve results while building or maintaining positive working relationships. Now who doesn't want to do that? Here are a few effective techniques you can use today to influence others, build positive working relationships and earn support for your ideas, projects or department: Use persuasive arguments to influence If you're taking a stand on an issue - perhaps against someone else's idea - be certain to clearly state your position in a way that doesn't diminish other ideas. Try wording your responses in the following ways: I propose that ... Let me suggest that ... I have an idea. Let's ... How about ... Consider this ... Of course you'll want to back up those ideas with facts and logic in support of your idea. Lead with: The reasons are ... Let me explain why this important ... Let's look at the research ... Here's how I see it ... The data indicate ... Our studies show that ... Influencing through persuasion works best when the issue is open to rational analysis, hard facts are available and emotions are under control (when it's not a highly charged issue, fraught with tension on both sides). Be assertive when the stakes are high Using assertion to influence others works best when you have legitimate needs (i.e. you will lose something if your needs aren't met) and the other person's personal commitment would be helpful but is not essential. Let's say you have to enforce a policy with your staff. This policy is likely to be unpopular, but will be good for the company in the long run. If your employees don't comply with the new policy they will lose their jobs. First state the expectation, need or demand - in this case the new policy (be as specific as possible) - using phrases such as: I want you to listen carefully while I describe the new company policy ... I need you to ... I'd like you to ... I expect you to ... Then back it up with the appropriate incentive: The consequences of not complying are ... If you don't do A, then B will happen ... Finally, you should provide an incentive that will encourage people to meet your expectation: If you follow the new policy, in return I will ... If you will do A, then I will do B. Asserting to influence others works best when you leave reasoning out. Your objective is to have your expectations met; it's not a gray area that's open to debate. Of course, you should try to be as positive as possible, and provide incentives so that people want to adopt or meet your stated expectation. Bring people together Imagine you're managing a team that includes people from different departments. You're having a hard time getting team members to stay motivated on the project, accomplish tasks or even show up to meetings. What are some things you can do to get the team back on track? Share the project vision by asking the group to picture the ideal outcome. By grasping the overall project goal, and understanding how they fit into the success of the project, they'll increase their support of and involvement in the project. Here's how you can get that conversation started: Picture this ... When this project is finished, it will ... What I see us doing is ... People are saying ... about the project. I feel ... about working on this team. You can also find common ground among team members by identifying shared goals, values and aspirations. Here's how: We both believe in ... Together, we can ... With your experience in ... and my ability to ... I share your concern in ... These influence styles work best when you use imagery and sensory language, rather than relying too heavily on facts and logic. Use "we" and "us" not "I" and "me," unless a comment is strictly your opinion (as with some of the above examples). You don't want to push your opinion on someone else as you're likely to alienate your audience. Commit yourself to the outcome of the project, and show intensity and enthusiasm. Be genuine, and encourage others to share and add to your vision. This information provides food for thought rather than counsel specifically designed to meet the needs of your organization or situation. Please use it mindfully. The most effective leadership and communication plans are those that have been tailored to your meet unique needs, so don't hesitate to get individualized assistance from a qualified adviser. For more Ivy Sea skill-building resources: Ivy Sea's IntraPersonal and Mindset Mastery Portal Ivy Sea's Organizational Communication Portal or e-mail us at info@ivysea.com. For a fun and informative reference on effective influence-building (as well as some great anecdotes), read Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends & Influence People."
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