Influencing Skills : making the most of the skills we have

Veronica Fraser

Department of Health

CDG 19 June 2008

Overview of our session

• Why are influencing skills useful ?

• Why do we need them ? And when might we use them ?

• Style, power and ethics

• Some techniques and practical strategies

• Exercise : sharing plans and feedback

• Feedback and Development

Why influence ?

• involve others and gain commitment• work successfully across organisational

boundaries and outside traditional demarcations of authority

• manage upwards and sideways• manage change and transition• rebuild positive relationships• Influencing = managing - but not as we know it

What do we mean by influencing ?

• Getting results that ‘stick’ ; meet legitimate needs and feel fair

Not• Forcing others to accept our views• Nagging• Debating• Giving orders• Although can involve some negotiation

Style, power and ethics

• Know yourself – are you best at using charisma, compromise, reasoning

• Are you a tough battler; friendly helper; an analytical thinker ? What do your friends think you are ?

• Do you know your and others Myers-Briggs profile ?• What do we know about types of power ? Stakeholder

power; personal and expert power; organisational and position power

• What types of power can you access to influence others ?

• Using techniques like NLP• Staying ethical

Getting practical : telling and selling: the basics

• State your view of the problem• Clarify the views of others• Work towards agreement• Look for win – win solutions/outcomes• Agree together

• (not the same as announcing a course of action to line managed staff)

Techniques to succeed

• Understand the perspective of others• Active listening (balance talking and listening)• Ask open questions• Create rapport• Stay open yourself (be influenced)• Create common ground• Allow people to find solutions – or contribute to

them

Some don’ts

• Have a totally fixed position• Defend everything absolutely• Interrupt others• Talk them into the ground• Only rely on facts, figures, statistics• Hide what you want• Assume you know their motivation

Why are they resisting your ideas ?

• Fear of change• Fear of failure• Competing priorities• Hardened attitudes• Ignorance• Tried it before• Moral views and personal affronts

Starting to plan

• Who is your target ? Sole target ? Board ?• When ? Who will be there ?• What benefit is there for others if my plan is

adopted ?• How will I open up, set the agenda ? • What reactions might I get ?• How might I sabotage myself ?• How will I close ?• What would I like others to say at the end ?

Practical Exercise

• 5 mins each – Keep to time please• Outline your scenario and share your plan• Either ask for specific suggestions – how do I

introduce this? where’s the win/win ?• Or ask for general comments on your tactics• Be a good critical friend – give a fresh

perspective not ‘when that happened to me’• Have you thought about …?

Being a good critical friend

• Listen attentively• Clarify as much as helpful• Assume speaker knows their stuff and has

good ideas• Be creative in your approach but• Offer realistic suggestions• Keep to time

Feedback and development

When you have been actively influencing• Analyse and learn from your performance• Review with colleague, manager, friend• What did I do ? What did I say ?• What went well – and why ? What went less well• What was the outcome• How close did I get to my aim ?• Watch and learn from others• Understand how you are influenced• Practice makes perfect

Thanks for joining me in this session

Veronica FraserSection Head, FOI334B Skipton HouseElephant and CastleLondon SE 1 6 LHVeronica.fraser@dh.gsi.gov.uk

020 7972 175407868 537890