Influencing to get results
15 July 2010
At some point or another, when at work we will all have to use our power to influence people to get results. Even if you have direct line management authority over an individual or a group of people, there is no guarantee that your team will follow your commands or agree with your plan of action.
This can make your job difficult and often counterproductive as you may waste your time trying to control a group of people who do not agree with the way you do things.
If you want to be an effective manager or leader it is essential to be aware of your source of power and you need to consciously employ influencing strategies otherwise your corporate aims will simply not be met. An effective influencer will have the skills necessary to assert their powers of persuasion and whilst influencing people can take on different guises, there is a wrong way to go about it.
You must be careful not to become pushy, aggressive or in any way bullying as this will be completely counterproductive to your efforts. It is hard to get rid of a negative impression of someone so you must ensure you go about influencing people in an appropriate manner if you want to get results.
We know that people influence others at work or at home everyday, but how do they do it?
Some tips for using influencing skills in the workplace:
- Firstly you need to be aware of the different ways of influencing people and then use the technique appropriate to the situation.
- Logical influencing appeals to a person’s reason and intellect by clearly and logically explaining your plans and how you aim to achieve it. You need to offer specific evidence so that the person is fully convinced that your goal is realistic and achievable. Once they understand that your way is the best way, they should be more than happy to follow your lead.
- Emotional influencing appeals to one’s emotional side and creates an emotional link between them and you. Emotional motivation provides the other person with evidence that you believe they are capable and that you are looking to benefit them either by providing them with an opportunity to further their career or by learning new skills that will benefit them in the future.
- Cooperative influence involves building a connection between you, the other person and other workers. You will need to involve others in the decision-making process so that the individual feels fully supported in what you have instructed them to do. The involvement of other people will give you more power to influence one person and get the job done.
- Once you have assessed your influencing style it is time to put it to the test. With practise and experience you will learn how best to use certain influencing techniques in different situations.
If you need training in Influencing Skills please call us on 0845 4599710 or email info@pvhr.com where we will be happy to help.
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Article written by Alyson Pellowe: Managing HR Consultant People Vision HR |
