Influencing without Authority - APM Midlands Branch - October 2016 v02

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Influencing without authority: developing organizational intelligence and personal impactSarah ColemanDirector, Business Evolution LtdFellow and former NED, Association for Project ManagementChartered Fellow, Chartered Management InstituteAuthor “Project Leadership” (Gower, 2015)

“Organizational Change Explained” (Kogan Page, 2017)


“….. why should I be interested?”



….. is the ability to alter or sway an individual’s or a group’s thoughts, beliefs, or actions

…… the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something.


born to influence?


Traditional: Power is based on position within

the hierarchy in the organization Legitimate authority and delegated

power The “right to command”

The new reality: Increasing demands to become

leaner (downsizing, restructuring, reducing levels of hierarchy)

New rules of engagement More reliance on influencing,

networking, collaboration, etc.

traditional vs the new reality …..


what’s your influencing style?Style Demonstrated by

Asserting Do you rely on your personal confidence, rules, law, and authority to influence others? Do you insist that your ideas are heard and considered, even when others disagree? Do you challenge the ideas of others when they don’t agree with yours? Do you debate with or pressure others to get them to see your point of view?

Convincing/Rationalizing

Do you use logic, facts, and reasoning to present your ideas? Do you leverage your facts, logic, expertise, and experience to persuade others?

Negotiating Do you look for compromises and make concessions in order to reach an outcome that satisfies your greater interest? Do you make trade-offs and exchanges in order to meet your larger interests? If necessary, will you delay the discussion until a more opportune time?

Bridging Do you attempt to influence outcomes by uniting or connecting with others? Do you rely on reciprocity, engaging superior support, consultation, building coalitions, and using personal relationships to get people to agree with your position?

Inspiring Do you encourage others toward your position by communicating a sense of shared mission and exciting possibility? Do you use inspirational appeals, stories, and metaphors to encourage a shared sense of purpose and exciting possibilities?


identifying key players …..

• Influence: how much are they able to affect the behaviours and actions of others to impact you?

• Attitude: are they a supporter, neutral or a detractor?

• Power: is their ability to get what they want done significant or relatively limited?

• Interest: are they paying close attention, or are you an unwelcome distraction?

• Proximity: are they closely associated with you/your work or relatively remote?

• Urgency: are they prepared to go to any length to achieve their outcomes? In their eyes, how critical and time-urgent are you or what you are doing?


project dynamics …..

Project

Procrastinator par excellence

Too pushy by half

Aggressive shaper

Solutions Architect

Despondent monitor-evaluator

New to the project

Part-time on the project

Not read any progress reports

Secret crush

Supports same football team

Old score to settle

Afraid of Political naive

Admires Owes a favour to

Risk Manager

Jealous of promotion

Knows the history

Christmas party fall-out

Play golf together

ESTJReflector


spheres of influence …..

Sphere of direct influence

Sphere of control

Sphere of indirect influence


Extraverts: talk it out?o Appeal to their preference for action and interactiono Use: consulting, build alliances, appealing to friendship, exchanging?

influencing different types ……

Introverts: think it through?o Appeal to their preference for introspection and deliberationo Give them time to think and reflecto Use: appealing to friendship, exchanging?

Feelers: so, the impact on people will be …..o Be personable and friendlyo Explain how others will benefito Use: consulting, modelling, socializing, build alliances, appealing to friendship

Thinkers: the logical implications are ….o Be logical, analytical, objectiveo State the principles involved, list the costs and benefitso Use: logical persuasion


how can I improve my ability to influence and personal impact?

The law of reciprocity: If you give something to people, they feel compelled to return the favourThe law of authority: We are more likely to comply with someone who is (or resembles) an authorityThe law of liking: We are more inclined to follow the lead of someone who is similar to us rather than someone who is dissimilarThe law of social proof: We view a behaviour as more likely to be correct, the more we see others performing itThe law of commitment and consistency: We value commitment and consistency since they are associated with strength, honesty, stability and logic.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fipyxel.com%2F6-proven-weapons-of-influence-that-will-get-you-conversions-reciprocity%2F&ei=58hIVPjSFPKV7AbTsoCIAQ&bvm=bv.77880786,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNFrOn0WrRfaJnn8Wmhlzft6sbrdYw&ust=1414142562183818


“….. emotional entrainment is the heart of influence…..”

“… being persuasive and managing the emotions of others by sensing their emotions and responding

carefully”

“… finding just the right appeal for a given listener and knowing how to build buy-in from key people and

a network of support for an initiative.” (Source: Goleman, 2006)

Daniel GolemanWorld Economic Forum 2011


IQ: 140 EQ: 0

http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19951002,00.html

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=etDbfH0yuClltM&tbnid=BqCSS1JGzsAJbM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.onislam.net%2Fenglish%2Ffamily%2Fyour-society%2Fself-development%2F450195-controlling-anger-an-islamic-approach.html&ei=8agMUo3KLqLV0QXepIGYAg&psig=AFQjCNEtGyIbNuy82ur7PN1OxIJHD3jw5A&ust=1376647793813794


the basics: winning friends and influencing people

Emphasizing the “people” skills:Help people to like us

•Be genuinely interested•Talk in terms of their interests•Let them talk •Listen well•Remember their name•Show respect•Smile!

Win people over•Understand their point of view•……..

Avoid offending them•Ask questions instead of directing•……..

Source: Carnegie (1936)

“Influencing skills are generally associated with workplace success”


– nurture relationships based on mutual agreement and trust

– focus is on interpersonal communication skills and relationships.

ways to influence ….. Logical persuasionStatingBlackmailingLegitimisingExchangingReasoningManipulatingAppealing to valuesConsultingAvoidingThreateningBargainingBeing assertiveEmbarrassing SocialisingAppealing to friendshipIntimidating ModellingAlliance buildingVisioning.

When might you use each of these?When have these been used on you?


positive, negative, with integrity …..

Positive influence: o Reason, friendliness, assertiveness, higher

authority, mutuality Negative or coercive influence:

o manipulation, avoidance, intimidation, threats, blackmail, embarrassment

With integrity: o appealing to values, visioning, logical

persuasion.



Identify and develop authority and expertise: Expert: having knowledge, experience, judgement,

technical ability Referent: wanting to be like or associated with you,

value your networks and contacts Information: possesses or has access to particular and

necessary information needed by others Connection: who you know – vertically and horizontally,

inside or outside the organization Reward: ability to reward desirable behaviour in others Coercive: ability to punish, sanction or prevent Process: control over methods of production and

analysis.


Understanding your own influencing style: o assert, convince, negotiate, bridge or inspire

Personal style Key influencers’ styles.



vak: use of language …..


vak: use of language …..

Use of language:•Influences what we remember and how we remember it•Impacts our emotions•Revives experiences and memories.


Words:imagineseeshowcolourfulillustrateinsightpicturelook

Phrases:I see what you meanLooks good to meI get the pictureWhat does the big picture look like?I don't see your pointLet me show you what I meanCan you see this in your mind’s eye?


Words:talk overlistentune inloudcallresonatehearsound

Phrases:I hear youIt rings a bellThat clicks with meMusic to my earsI've tuned you out Lets talk it overDoes this resonate with you?


Words:walk throughheavypass overtouch uponget a hold offeelnumbtouch upon

Phrases:It feels right to meI can't grasp the pointI catch your driftI don’t feel good about thisAre there some symbols that pop to mindI can’t get a handle on thisWhat you're suggesting doesn't feel right to meLet's touch upon the points another way


• ONA is used to map relationships across the organization: understanding circles of influence, knowledge sharing, collaboration, etc.

• Helps identify key influencers by understanding patterns of interactions, highlighting key individuals who are in the core of the network as well as those who are less well connected

• Helps identify highly peripheral people representing untapped expertise and under-utilized resources

• Views interactions in terms of nodes and ties• Particularly useful for transformation or technology

adoption: used to identify those individuals who might be selected to lead pilot projects, be advocates or champions, etc.

Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) …..


Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) …..

Sample questions:•To whom do you turn for information to get your work done?•How frequently do you interact with this person?•How likely are you to receive or share new ideas with this person?•How well do you know what the other person’s area(s) of expertise are?•Who displays the desired behaviours or qualities within the organization?•Who do you see as a key influencer within the organization?


further ideas in influencing …..

Priming is not restricted to concepts and words

Activation spreads through the vast network of associated ideas and memory

“… you must accept the alien idea that your actions and your emotions can be primed by events of which you are not even aware”

“Demonstrated that prior exposure to contextual factors can prime or activate certain product attributes in consumers' knowledge structure and subsequently increase the likelihood that they interpret ambiguous product information in terms of these activated attributes, thereby affecting the overall impact of the ad.” Youjae Yi (1991) ,"The Influence of Contextual Priming on Advertising Effects", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 18, eds. Rebecca H. Holman and Michael R. Solomon, Provo, UT : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 417-425

Priming: an implicit memory effect in which exposure to one stimulus influences the response to another stimulus


Contact …..

Sarah Coleman Business Evolution

+44 (0)1636 893716 ext 302+44 (0)7999 [email protected] www.businessevolution.co

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/sjcoleman

@business_evolve

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Influencing without Authority - APM Midlands Branch - October 2016 v02