The Influence Blog

Faulty Assumptions: Influencing Mistake No.2

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:36:15 GMT

On my top ten list of common influencing mistakes, this is perhaps the most troublesome. Faulty assumptions, particularly about agendas, can easily land you in serious trouble. This mistake is highly likely to stop you achieving your goal – eventually. In the meantime, it can create havoc in your work, among your stakeholders and it will consume a great deal of time and energy. The similarities with tripping over in the street are remarkable. As you start to fall, you seem to know you are going to hit the deck. Rather than trying to lessen the impact, lots of arm swinging ensues as you try in vain to recover your balance. That the spectacle you create is amusing to others can also be another painful similarity!

Yet it is easy to slip into this. As we go about our work we naturally focus on what is important to us. We consider the benefits, calculate the risks and generally convince ourselves that what we aim to achieve is perfect. Perfect for ourselves and the organisation we work for. Trouble is, the more you do that – and it is correct to do this – the easier it is to lose sight of how others may view it. Every person we need to influence will have their own perspective on what we want them to do, think or feel. And this perspective is largely driven by their objectives, or rather their agenda.

Of course, the wise among you will stop and ask – what objections could they raise? How can we overcome them? Rightly so; however, where this mistake really hits home is when we start to guess about their agenda – which is inevitable. When the guess is wide of the mark, the trouble starts.

Agendas come in various forms. The one which gets the most attention, and is easiest to guess, is the professional agenda. Trickier is the personal agenda. Not only harder to guess, but usually hidden from all but the closest of friends and allies. The personal agenda holds the most power over our decision-making processes. We all have dreams, goals and things we want to do. Most want to take their careers somewhere, are looking for the opportunity to get promoted, or perhaps, need to earn more money. And let's face it – some have a few scores they want to settle. Previous battles which have been lost and the scars remain. Okay, not you or me – we're bigger than that aren't we? But there are lots of people out there who do hold a grudge.

The skill required here is to firstly recognise its potential, and then to do something about it. Causing the interrupt takes presence of mind, inclusion in a documented process, or good team working. The interrupt can be triggered by a question. Great questions include...

What's motivating or driving this individual?
What are all of the ways your objective could help or hinder this individual? Or simply...
What is really going on here?

Making sure the trigger happens is vital to stand any chance of avoiding the Faulty Assumptions mistake. Now you have to do something about it.

While your initial thoughts in response to the trigger question are useful, you need to consider as many possibilities as you can. What you need to end up with is an clear idea of the primary drivers motivationg the individual, team or organisation in question. Naturally, the amount of effort you put into this is dependent on the implications for you if you get it wrong. Go beyond your initial thoughts (guesses) and search for evidence and facts.

Brainstorm other possible drivers (objectives) that may be shaping the individual's actions. If you are working in a team, get creative and have a little fun too. Remember, brainstorming can include the fanciful, outrageous and stupid ideas too. Build a list of possible drivers in answer to the trigger question.
Once you have done this, assess the potential impact each driver could have on your agenda if it were true. Assigning high, medium or low is probably sufficient at this stage.
Next, assign a probability score. How likely is it that each driver on your list is a primary driver for the individual. Again, high, medium or low is precise enough. Be careful though. This part of the process requires you to combine your assessment of how true the driver is (fact or fiction), with how likley it is to be a primary driver.
As an alternative (or in addition) to the previous step, rank them in order of importance – for the individual not you!
What actions can you (and your team) take to increase your accuracy? At this stage, do not work on the actions to reduce the impact, or overcome the problem. Right now, you need to become more certain that you’re going to work on the right agenda.

Actions to increase accuracy could include discussing the possibilities with other stakeholders, consulting with mentors, and talking to people on other projects that have experience of working with the individual in question. The most obvious, the simplest, the most ignored and the most feared action is to ask them directly. But do this carefully, particularly if the individual is not well known to you. If you do not have the quality of relationship where trust is thriving, the answers you get need to be treated with caution.

Once you have nailed the accuracy, then you can start planning your approach. Although there are no guarantees that you will win, knowing what you are up against is a much more comfortable place to be and you will have greatly enhanced the probability that you will succeed in your influence attempt.

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Risk and Opportunity Management

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:58:21 GMT

Extract from Advocates and Enemies (p101): "Again, I’d like to stress that what I am suggesting here is a light touch risk/opportunity management process. Its primary purpose is to briefly pull you away from the people focus of the Stakeholder Influence Process. Viewing your plans from a risk and opportunity perspective may well make your success inevitable."

See more extracts

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Benefits of Low Political Temperature #3/8

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:55:36 GMT

When the temperature is low, the team will be working well together. Open and honest dialogue can flourish. Individuals will be sympathetic to the position of their peers and will seek to harmonize their plans so that they can all win together. In effect, they will all be playing for the same team and being selfless in their pursuit of organisational goals.

With everyone invested in the same strategy and direction, the team's attention will be focused; team members will be working hard to implement the chosen course and make sure that the expected performance is delivered. The low level of conflict this sort of culture exhibits will minimize the potential for disruption, stress, and derailment. At its best, the team will help those who are struggling to perform and will share the results.

From the organization's perspective, performance will be robust because everyone is working together. The combined energy, enthusiasm, and motivation can be harnessed. Resource utilization will be optimised because everyone knows the what, the why, and the how. This clarity also offers a strong and durable approach to implementation.

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Five Steps to a Healthier Network

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:50:30 GMT

Sharpen up and focus your networking in 30 minutes. Try this…

Get a list of the people in your network – perhaps by exporting from Outlook to Excel.
What percentage have you initiated contact with in the last six months? If it is a very long list and you want to move fast, randomise the list and check the first 100 names.
What percentage has initiated contact with you in the last six months?

This can be a little alarming. My guess is that the percentages are going to be pretty low for most people. But, give yourself a break. What you’ve probably done is simply gone through your contact list - not your network. In which case, refine your focus…

Mark all of the names you would like to be in your network. To get more insight on this point, take a look as a previous post – Networking: Missing a Trick?
Calculate your percentages again.

Now, how does it look? Hopefully, what you’ve just done has not only identified room for development, but has also given you some focus. If so, start to identify goals and plan action to improve the health of your network by finding ways to reach out and reconnect. Remember that this is about relationships not numbers – the numbers just give you that push to reach out more. Networks thrive on reciprocal value creation. Oh, let's make a sixth step…

Check your final list again in three months – go on, put a reminder in your diary!

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Caught in the Middle of Turf Wars

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:13:44 GMT

Powerful people will usually work to protect their power base. They will also look to expand. Even if their motives are pure, they will still seek to protect their capability to do good things. The difference that selfishness makes will be felt in the personal consequences for those involved – at worst, they will stop at nothing until they have got what they want.

Wherever you care to look, there will be competition of some sort going on. The intensity and tactics will vary depending on the players, the motives and the stakes. Simple enough – but, what can you do if you find yourself caught in the middle? Getting trapped between two powerful opposing forces, who each want you on their side, is what we called the political dilemma of Turf Wars.

The advice I wrote in 2008 as part of our book, Political Dilemmas at Work, still holds good. It focused on the imperative to make a clear personal decision and outlined four options to consider…

Stay Neutral: by making it clear to both parties that you are not going to side with either and become involved in their Turf Wars.
Compete: recognising that there is another solution in Turf Wars where you could beat both of them by joining in the competition.
Facilitate a Resolution: facilitate an early resolution of the Turf Wars so you can all get back to work.
Take Sides: make it clear whose side you favour and help them to win.

There is much to think about against each of these options. There are pros and cons to each one – and some of the risks can be high. So, careful preparation and consultation with friends (and mentors) is vital.

To compete is often the option that is never considered. I think the reason for this is that by the nature of the dilemma, you are clearly in a less powerful and usually, but not always, a less senior position. Although the likelihood of you deciding to compete is probably quite low, if you are ambitious, think it through. Just by giving it serious consideration you will learn and develop. If you cannot do it now, what needs to change for you to have the confidence to step up and join in?

The most popular option is actually not on the list above – “Do Nothing”. Of course that is always and option, but Political Dilemmas at Work was a book about turning difficult situations into opportunities, so it didn’t quite fit with our mission. There are a several things that are troublesome with doing nothing in this dilemma.

Firstly, your dilemma will continue to worsen until somebody wins. During that time, your work will suffer. Being pulled in two directions is never comfortable, so get ready for increasing levels of stress (and the knock-on effects on health and family). The final thing wrong with doing nothing, is that it is no way for an ambitious and capable professional to conduct themselves.

Sure, you have to be careful. Yes, you have to have the skills. And yes, the organisation you work for will be expecting you to do your best. If you keep your motives pure, work for the best of all concerned, you should be prepared to step up to these dilemmas and deal with them. Until you do, you are always at risk of getting caught in the middle!

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Benefits of High Political Temperature #2/8

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:30:13 GMT

When the temperature is high, the internal challenge will be tough and relentless. Team members will compete to find the winning idea. The creative tension this causes will yield increased innovation and radical search for new strategies. With chaotic environmental changes, organisations need strong and robust strategies in order to win. They need to look round every corner as they attempt to predict which will succeed and which will fail. Internal competition will help bring these ideas forward.

Once the great ideas emerge, they will be subjected to vigorous inspection. The flaws will be quickly discovered, the downsides and drawbacks brought out into the open. This will give the team as a whole a great opportunity to pressure test proposals and allow the organisation to overcome the faults and improve the strategy still more. Healthy internal competition will give them the best opportunity to make the right choice. The prize to be gained from high temperature is increased performance. Great results are always needed, but now more than ever.

When the decisions have been made, the chances are quite high that the key advocates will already be in a strong position to start to drive forward their advantage. They will have already set the wheels in motion to capitalise on their success, making their moves to secure the territory gained. For the organisation, this provides a welcome boost to the initial implementation of the new strategy.

Adjusting the Political Temperature of Your Team #1/8

Article originally written by Colin Gautrey and Dr. Gary Ranker and published in Marshall Goldsmith's AMA Handbook of Leadership in 2011.

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How to Map the Politics around Your Work

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:47:35 GMT

At some stage, if you want to be successful in any large organisation, you will have to become very adept at reading the politics. Yesterday, when writing an article about making an impact at the top table, the imperative of building political intelligence came into focus. Only when you have a firm grasp of what is “really” going on, can you start to navigate safely through the corridors of power.

The usual way of building this insight is through many informal conversations over a period of several months, if not years. I am not talking necessarily about gossip, but rather the sharing of information, knowledge and insight which is one of the key benefits of effective networking. You can speed this up dramatically if you engage in a constructive process.

Below is a simplified version of one of the exercises we often do on our workshops. At its best, it involves a group of peers at middle to senior level who come from a wide range of different functions/divisions, and who have built a reasonable level of trust between them. Independent facilitation is a bonus. You can do it solo, but it’s much more fun, interesting and useful to get others involved – the process of sharing can dramatically improve a team’s effectiveness in the political realm.

Sit around a table with a stack of blank index cards or Post-it notes and marker pens.
Instil the culture of exploration, sharing and curiosity – “let’s learn together”.
One reasonably well-informed person then spends 5-10 minutes using the cards to describe their “political theory” of the organisation. They start by writing the name of the most powerful person in the organisation (in their view) on a card and placing the card in the middle of the table.
Then they write the name of the next most powerful person on another card and place it on the table relative to the power of the first person. Building a mind map of the web of power is a good guide to how this exercise should unfold.
They continue in this way, placing names on the table either near or further away from the centre of power. As they do this, they should briefly describe their rationale. The rest of the group should try to keep quiet for at least 5 minutes – although this is nigh on impossible!
When it feels natural, other people can enter the conversation, adding names, moving people, and generally sharing their views. If you can, pass the cards to another person, who can then pick up the story and modify the map.
If you have a group of six to eight experienced people, expect this to take well over an hour.
As the facilitator, you can add lots of provocative questions along the way to stimulate the debate. What impact does project X have? What changes would you predict in six months? What would happen if you take Ms Z out of the picture?
End the process with each person explaining what changes they are going to make to improve their results.

When you try this with a good group, you will be amazed how the time disappears. The conversations are gripping as the picture emerges. I’ve been using this approach for over eight years now with a wide variety of different groups, and most people end the exercise with a completely different stakeholder map to go and influence! Remember, this is a way of building your political intelligence so that you can get the results expected of your role without getting stuck in the politics.

On one occasion, I was doing this exercise with a group of Financial Controllers. As an external facilitator, I was free to ask the naïve and stupid questions, such as “What if Mr M is trying to get the CEO position?” Their startled faces quickly turned to incredulous mirth and we moved on. Twenty minutes later, their two absent colleagues returned from an emergency conference call to announce that Mr M had just been appointed CEO. As all eyes turned on me, my protestations of ignorance were dismissed and they now believed I had the inside track – which I didn’t. In all honesty, it was just a good piece of intelligent facilitation, aided by my fledgling process of political calibration which I had been applying as I got to know them (but more on that another day).

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Adjusting the Political Temperature of Your Team #1/8

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:27:05 GMT

We use the term "political temperature" to describe the degree to which team members compete with each other or collaborate as a team. Temperatures can range from absolute zero to boiling point — and beyond! Certain temperatures are more suited to a particular organisational setting than others — and getting it wrong can be disastrous.

High temperatures exist when individuals are pushing forward their ideas and trying to beat others in the team. Higher temperatures are great when there is an imperative to innovate and change quickly. But watch out, at the extreme this turns into bitter rivalry and unscrupulous behaviour which may significantly damage organizations and individuals alike.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, everyone is cooperating and putting energy into winning together. Lower temperatures are more suited to implementation where everybody needs to collaborate to get the job done. Extreme cold can lead to the organisation freezing due to the time taken to allow new ideas to surface and get agreed.

Prudent leaders need to work out which temperature they need, and then find ways of adjusting the temperature appropriately. Unless they pay attention to this dynamic of organisational life, the temperature is likely to be set by their default behaviour, or the predominate inclinations of the team members. This was graphically illustrated in our recent book — Political Dilemmas at Work — which outlined the problem of "Friendly Fire".

With determined and careful action it is possible to begin to adjust the temperature to suit the environment. This involves making changes to a number of different aspects which influence the team culture. These changes can include the reward structure, team meeting agendas, and the terminology used by the leader. A well planned implementation can help even the most naturally competitive leader to cool down the temperature and get the results they need. Equally, a leader who focuses on collaboration can take positive steps to raise the temperature if required.

One of the dilemmas right now is to determine what temperature is required during the current climate. This depends on the organisation's position. Those who know what they need to do to weather the storm, a cool temperature should help. However, if it is being buffeted by the chaos and doesn't know which way to turn, a high temperature could be critical to success.

Article originally written by Colin Gautrey and Dr. Gary Ranker and published in Marshall Goldsmith's AMA Handbook of Leadership in 2011. First in a series of eight posts.

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Promotion Power Shifts

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:03:42 GMT

Congratulations, you have got a well-deserved promotion. Now what? May seem like a silly question because you are no doubt bursting with ideas, plans, and structural or strategic changes you are going to implement - and that is just the first 90 days! But before you rush in, pause a moment to consider this.

One of the most potent sources of power (those assets which get others to do what you want, often without asking), is status, role or position. Others include resources, image and impact (see the Personal Power Diagnostic for more on these). With your promotion, all of these are going to be rising in potential, particularly because promotion also gets you much more visibility too.

So, people will be responding to these changes. As they realise your power has increased, they will start to engage differently with you. Some will shy away, unsure about how your relationship has changed. Others will be more proactive in getting your approval and buy-in. Indeed, you have suddenly become a more powerful stakeholder for all those around you. Friends, colleagues, opponents and allies will all consciously or subconsciously, pause to consider how your promotion changes their relationship with you.

In this first 90 days, remember that every word you utter will contribute to their re-evaluation. What used to be passed off as a minor comment could now take on a whole new significance given your elevated status. There is no need to let this paralyse you, just make sure and keep this at the back of your mind as you quickly move things forward.

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Building Stronger Relationships

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:14:37 GMT

Over the last few years, I have been working with organisations to help them to develop their relationships with suppliers and other strategic partners. Part of this involved us researching the characteristics of highly successful (and the not so successful) alliances and partnerships. We noticed three key themes which were symptomatic of excellent relationships. What was interesting is that these themes easily translate into individual relationships too, and it's therefore worth taking a look for anyone who wants to build stronger relationships of any kind.

The great news is that they are pretty easy to understand and also to take action on – you don’t need to go into mediation to make big strides on these themes!

Trust and Credibility: The confidence that you can rely on each other to match delivery with expectations at both a personal and a professional level.
Communication and Influence: The confidence that everyone is able to clearly state their views, opinions and ideas with an equal opportunity to influence the other
Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution: The willingness and ability to face the difficult issues and work to move things forward in a proactive and constructive manner

As part of our client solution, we built an online questionnaire to measure each of these themes with a series of indicators for people to rate. Some people chose to get people within their organisation to rate the relations, while others decided to include their supplier in the exercise (find out more about the Collaboration Survey).

But you don’t need a survey to consider these three themes in more detail. Just get your team together, put the titles up on a flipchart and start pooling your experience and intelligence to find a way to stronger relationships!

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Seven Ways to Become More Powerful

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:57:57 GMT

(This article, originally written in 2008, remains one of the most popular on this site)

Having power enables you to get things done. It encourages people to do what you want them to do, often without you even asking. Generally, people like to please powerful people because of what they may gain, or because they don't want to lose something. Here are seven ways that you can increase your power.

Build Greater Networks. The more people you know, the more potential resources you have to call on. These can provide you with useful knowledge, resources or friendly help and support. This needs to be a two-way process, so make sure to make yourself available to help people in your network too. Don't just focus on those nearest to you; get to know people in other parts of your organisation, and those outside of it in related work. Make sure and delicately let others know you have this network.
Acquire Scarce Capabilities. Think about the work that you do and the organisation where you are right now. What does everyone seem to be wanting by way of capability? Perhaps this is financial acumen, process design. Which capabilities are in short supply? Take this into the future and try to predict how the future will change. Try to find ways to build your own capability in things that people want and then let people know you've got it.
Focus Your Specialism. Having a clear notion of what makes you special, and being able to articulate it with clarity will help to make you more powerful. With this focus you can then look for opportunities to build greater knowledge and expertise in your area. Irrespective of what you need right now, look to develop further by finding out what the latest theories are. Build your own tool-kit of approaches and techniques which can make you stand out from the crowd.
Actively Manage Your Brand. Everyone will have built their own impression of what you represent. Some may think you're a great networker; others could take the view that you're a hard worker. What would you like them all to think about you? What would your ideal personal brand be like? Once you've worked this out, become active in promoting and managing your brand. Corporations spend millions doing this, so why not invest a little time yourself in building a powerful brand consistently?
Make Use of Your Physical Characteristics. We are all of different shapes and sizes, and this can have a powerful effect on others. Depending on your goals, work and personal integrity, think through how you can make best use of what you were given. A naturally serious face can be used to effect as much as a heart-warming smile. Height, weight and good looks are proven to have an influential effect on others. Do a personal audit and make sure you are making the most of yourself at work.
Focus on Social Dimension. Very few people work in total isolation. The workplace is a social organisation and people will be naturally more inclined to help or cooperate with someone they like. Influence happens at a psychological level, so tune in to the social fabric of your workplace, mind your manners and create friends everywhere.
Study Other Powerful People. You can simplify the building of power by working out what other successful people do around your organisation. Studying what gives them power can provide vital clues and short cuts which you could emulate. There are no golden rules to building power, but many have trodden this path before, so let them become your teachers. You don't have to do what they do, but your learning can be integrated into the way you go about becoming more powerful.

And remember, power is what makes organisations function. It underlies the informal decision making processes, it affects who gets hired, fired and promoted. Resources are often allocated to the most powerful people and by becoming more powerful yourself — you increase your chances of greater success substantially.

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Stretching Your Influence

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:41:25 GMT

Recently, I saw someone promoting that the secret of persuasion is to find people who want to go where you want them to go. To me, that sounds more like the secret of an easy (and boring) life. If someone already wants to do what you want them to do, little or no persuasion/influence is needed. Equally, you don't need much skill or ability. Perhaps just mention a word or two to nudge them in the right direction.

Which got me thinking. In 2012, are you really stretching your influencing skills? Why bother with the "low hanging fruit" and the "quick wins". Instead, look for those big influencing goals that will really make a difference when you succeed (BHAGs if you like).

One of the key stages in the Stakeholder Influence Process (outlined in Advocates and Enemies) is to get focus on what you want to influence. What's missing from the book is looking beyond the here and now. The book is focused on what is in front of you right now. What is doesn't do is really stretch your thinking to go way beyond what is currently realistic or believable. Yet, once you do that, the rest of the process is just as useful and practical and will help you move forward quickly towards your goal.

Now you need to consider what your BHAGs should be.

What, if you could influence it successfully, would have a transformational effect on your work (and/or life)?
What do you want to happen which is currently viewed as impossible?
What do you need to influence to make your life today almost unrecognisable in 12 months?

Take your time. These things rarely appear immediately. Usually they take a couple of days, and a few friendly conversations, to emerge. But once you have those big goals identified, you can start to develop a strategy and identify your stakeholders. Then you can begin to make it happen. And if you don't, watch out because someone else may get there first!

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Are You Too Nice?

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:04:11 GMT

Many people rising through the ranks gain their success and promotion by getting the best out of others. Motivating, encouraging and, well — being nice. They consider the goals and dreams of others and find ways of harmonising their own goals with others so they can get a great result for both.

However it is not unusual at elevated levels for them to be told by their boss, "you're too nice". Many of the nice guys I've coached who have had this levelled at them (and there are quite a few) find it hard to come to terms with this feedback because to accept the advice would mean they have to betray their integrity and way of being. Initially most think that they are being asked to be "horrible". It therefore gets rejected and the feedback continues, "you're too nice".

Often what is being asked for is not to be horrible, but to toughen up and be more assertive. This is a different thing altogether. You can still be nice to people while also being tough, challenging and even demanding. In fact, many people quite like this because it displays firm, decisive leadership. With this realisation, it becomes easier for the nice guys to adapt their approach and keep their friends.

Once people get their heads around this, one of the challenges I often set is to get tough with the boss next time they are told they are too nice!

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Political Dilemmas at Work

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:32:14 GMT

A practical, comprehensive guide to dealing with the complexities of politics in the workplace. Political Dilemmas at Work gives managers and leaders a comprehensive playbook for dealing with politics in the workplace. Ideal for anyone who works in a modern organization, particularly managers and leaders, the book shows individuals how to deal with political situations in constructive, healthy, and assertive ways. The situations in this book will be instantly recognizable to most experienced managers, but the solutions readers will find here are fresh, powerful, and effective. Based on the authors' experience coaching managers, they offer practical tools and real-world tips for turning dilemmas into opportunities. Required reading for ambitious professionals in any industry, this is a practical and effective guide to surviving negative political situations at work with integrity and tact.

What you'll find inside Political Dilemmas at Work

The world of work is political. This is because organizations are social entities. Political activity within any group can be either negative or positive. By recognizing this and taking positive action to improve your influencing skills, you can turn political dilemmas into opportunities, while maintaining your integrity and furthering your career. This book shows you how.

Based on the authors' extensive experience of working with senior executives around the world, Political Dilemmas at Work brings to life the real dilemmas which are experienced by managers and executives as they progress in their careers. Rather than dwell on the theory, this book goes straight to the action required to resolve the dilemma and turn it into an opportunity.

The dilemmas covered include...

Political Rival: You've always played it straight and got good results. Now you're up against a strong and cunning political rival who seems determined to derail your success.
Spin Doctor: The president is due to arrive, and your boss has told you not to reveal a serious flaw in the proposal — use a bit of spin.
Victoria's Secrets: You've got the inside track on a big issue, but you are bound by confidentiality — but they keep on asking.
The Apprentice: The new guy has arrived and is strongly favored by the CEO. He is creating lots of disruption for your team.
Turf Wars: Two powerful people are fighting to win control of your function — and you are caught in the middle.

In total, twenty dilemmas are uncovered and you are provided with clear guidance on what to do to overcome them. All of this is brought to life with the stories from executives at the fictitious Xennic Corporation.

The skills required to resolve these dilemmas are summarized as the authors present a new Charter For Career Success.

Author's Note: Since publication this book has proved to be a great hit with our readers. More strategic in purpose than our original book (21 Dirty Tricks at Work this is ideal for middle to senior level people who either want to protect their careers (and let's face it, who doesn't), or find a way out of a dilemma they have right now.

Available from Amazon and all good stores

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Women, Influence and Minority Groups

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:09:12 GMT

Pay attention, this is not just for women. At the Massachusetts Conference for Women in December, Marian Ruderman (a Director at the Center for Creative Leadership) told delegates that "The ability to influence remains a core leadership competency, and leaders at the executive level must understand that there is a major paradigm shift under way. Moreover, regardless of the organizational setting, society still sends conflicting messages about how women should wield power and influence, making the topic an important one to pay attention to."

Marian is absolutely right. However, her comments apply equally to all organisational levels and all groups. Her words reminded me of some research I did a few years back that noticed the different level of interest in the topic of influence between men and women. The data suggested that women are far more interested in the topic than men. Yet, looking deeper, I found that this was not because of the gender difference, but instead, because they were frequently working in minority situations. This means that anyone working from a minority position is going to have to work harder to influence.

The vital thing to realise is that if you are working from a minority position, you will need to work harder to create the influence you need. Whatever separates you from the majority you need to influence (gender, race, education, attitude, etc.) will have a profound effect on the way others listen to you. And yes, this includes men working in a female dominated organisation. Because you are not a fully paid-up member of their group, they are going to find it more difficult to accept your influence. This is an inbuilt subconscious bias which no amount of legislation, political correctiveness, or education, is going to completely eradicate. So, get used to it, and learn how to handle it more effectively.

If you are working in a minority scenario, here are a few pointers to help you become more influential...

Attitude. Start by adjusting your attitude towards the positive challenge this presents. Dangers lurk in resentment and jealousy. If you can overcome this, you are likely to become even more capable than the group members who are getting lazy. Rise to this challenge and you will become even more successful.
Insight. Secondly, study the group norms and structure. If you can see how it is working, you are far more likely to be able to effectively plan your influencing strategy and overcome the challenge. Become a social scientist for awhile and analyse what is really going on. Retaining unhelpful and inaccurate assumptions will drag down your performance.
Agendas. Next, clarify how what you want will affect the agendas of the key individuals who are opinion formers in the group. They influence the decisions of individual members and affect how they react to your influence attempts. Threatening the shared interests of a group will draw them tighter in defence. And of course, the personal interests of the core individuals often become the shared interests of the group! Once you know what you are up against you can determine a good strategy to begin moving things forward.
Strategy. The final step is to decide on your strategy. You may have noticed i used the term, "good strategy". Naturally, you will aspire to finding the "best", however, you will only know if you found that one if it worked. Far more important, is to get moving and learn as you go rather than waiting for the best approach to be discovered.

Irrespective of your position, I firmly believe that the ability to influence groups effectively is one of the most useful influencing skills to develop. Why influence one-to-one if you are able to move the masses?

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Shrewd Investments in Networking

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:22:06 GMT

Everyone is told they need to network. We all know the benefits; or at least we know them intellectually. Yet it still takes time and effort to get out there and do what you need to do. And, of course, we do not have very much time to spare. Getting a little more focus helps to make it easier to do.

Instead of thinking of networking as a cost (time, energy and cash),think about it in terms of an investment. Convert the time and energy into a monetary equivalent. Now...

What are your investment objectives? What significant goals in your life do you think could be aided by new people? Therefore, what do you want to get out of your networking?
Linked to the above, what is your investment strategy going to be? Short, medium or long term? Gordon Gekko asset stripping or Warren Buffet in it for the long haul?
Are you going to spread your investment? Rather than put all your eggs in one basket, using a variety of different channels spreads risk but also dilutes your time. What is the right balance for you based on what you want to achieve?

I could go on, but I am sure you can take it from here. Using the investment metaphor is just one way of filling your networking with new ideas and action. And, if you are not too keen on investing, how about gardening?

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Secrets to Influence Series

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:56:24 GMT

These secrets were originally published in 2008 and have proved popular ever since. On a flight from NYC to London, Colin Gautrey wrote these based on his experience of coaching and training thousands on the subject of influence. These 21 entries are a great summary of what he believed to be the most important elements of successful influence.

Have you ever wondered...

How do powerful people become powerful?
What do they do that you don't do?
Why are they so successful at influencing people?
Do they have any tips to share?

If so, you're in the right place. Colin has helped thousands to become more influential; and in this series, he shares some of the secrets he has discovered along the way.

By taking heed and developing on these secrets, you too will be able to become more influential, in work and in life. Not only does Colin share these secrets, he also adds some ideas on how you can develop and tap into the power of these secrets.

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Occupied Territory in the Meeting Room

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:59:07 GMT

We all know about power positions in meetings, head of the table, back to the window etc., but you can also consider how much space people try to occupy. Next time you are waiting for a busy meeting to commence, look around the room to see how the other people attending have marked out their territory. Those who are feeling powerful, or wish to appear that way, will take up as much room at the table as they can. Papers will be arranged, folders spread, and mobiles, tablets etc. arranged to comsume as much of the available space as they think they can get away with.

People who are feeling out of their depth, lacking in confidence or frankly, in awe of the assembled powers, will tend to reduce their exposure, give ground to others and hope for the best. Their position is likely to be further eroded by the powerful people taking up position within the territory they have marked out, demonstrating physically that they are ready, and willing, to take on any challenges.

Of course, as with body language, these are general clues that could help you to understand more about what is going on in the minds of those you may wish to influence. Now, do some people watching at your next meeting and see what happens.

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Trust Me

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:15:15 GMT

Our research is encouraging. The ability to build trust appears to be one of the strongest Influencing Skill areas among our clients and readers (see our Survey to ind out how you measure up). But, once you have it, make sure and take steps to retain and nurture it.

Ask yourself, what does trust actually mean? This differs between people, and it is important to get your own clear definition with examples. What do you do, specifically, in your relationships to enhance trust? Could you do more?

What would you need to do to destroy trust? If you can answer this question, you will be less likely to accidentally do something to damage the trust in your relationships.

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Blog Feedback and Comments

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:58:35 GMT

You may have noticed that we recently removed the comment facility from our blogs. Sadly, a despite receiving a large number of relevant and constructive contributions over the last year or so, we have found it increasingly time consuming dealing with all the junk and spam which gets posted. Time which is better spent developing new content to inspire the development of influencing skills. So, we have redirected this time, and the early signs are that this was definitely the right decision, as you will quickly see over the next couple of months.

However, this does not mean we do not want to hear from you. We always welcome input, feedback and reactions to our work. Each post will now contain an email link so that you can send us your thoughts, or you can post a comment on our new Facebook page. While we cannot promise to respond, we probably will to all who want to engage in constructive dialogue. So come on, tell us what you think!

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Influencing Skills Survey Launched

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:58:17 GMT

We are pleased to announce that the new Influencing Skills Survey has been launched. It is based on the same research as the original Influencing Skill Assessment. What we've changed with the new survey is...

Multiple use: Now you can do it before development, and after to check your progress.
Simpler admin: In the two years since the release of the original assessment, we have learned how to make it much easier to use.
Team Development: Because it is now easier than ever to use, leaders, trainers and coaching will find it very effective to help develop other people.

To mark the occasion, we are providing free upgrades to the new survey to all those who have previously used the paid version of the ISA. If you have so far only done the free self-assessment, you can now also do the new survey. If you want to compare your results with the original ISA, we're offering a 25% discount during October and November 2011.

More Information

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More to a Smile Than Meets the Eye

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:22:21 GMT

When you smile, it creates an impact on the lucky recipient. A genuine smile tends to indicate pleasure, or motivation to please. As such, it is an important tactic to achieve ingratiation - or a way of getting someone to be pleased with us. Psychologists have found that a smile communicates approachability.

However, it also changes the sound of your voice because it changes the shape of the mouth cavity. This raises the pitch of the voice. A high pitch indicates submission. Without the smile, the voice will sound lower - and that indicates power and domination.

Of course, you need to judge this one carefully, because, appearing gruff and serious can have negative side effects, but just tuck this one into your repertoire ready for when you need to boost your Infuence. Okay, go on, try it out the first when you are out of earshot of your colleagues!

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Standing Out and Group Acceptance

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 14:28:13 GMT

In any group where you want to be successful you need to study the way it operates. What are the rules of behaviour? What is acceptable and unacceptable? How do people engage with each other? How do they interact with people outside of the group?

Group members have expectations of their fellow members. They will expect members to behave according to their standards in order to gain or retain acceptance. New members will be watched carefully to see if they fit the group's blueprint.

Before you decide your strategy to perform within a group, take some time to decode how it operates. Then you can determine how to fit in and/or stand out. Leaders have to stand out from the crowd and retain group acceptance.

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Handling Conflicting Agendas

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:21:36 GMT

When you are clear about what you want to achieve, it is often frustrating to find that others do not share your enthusiasm. A great deal of time and effort is expended building the case, considering the risks and planning the execution. Everything seems to make sense and you are keen to get going – you want to implement swiftly. Then the problems start.

Reaching out to your stakeholders, you begin to find out that some are not interested. They fail to buy-in to your project, or worse, don’t even give you the time to explain your plans. When you do get to see them, they start to share insights with you about other things going on elsewhere in the organisation which seem to be in direct conflict with what you are working on. [...read more for ideas on how to handle them...]

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The Big Seven Stakeholder Management Mistakes

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:15:50 GMT

These are the most common mistakes I see people making when it comes to Stakeholder Management. If you can avoid all of these, whatever process you are using, you will enhance your success dramatically. Mistake 1: Not doing it. Often methods of stakeholder management are only called for when something is going wrong. If things are generally going in the right direction you may not even hear the word stakeholder! Stakeholder Management should be a proactive process that can make things which are going well go even better! [...]

Challenging Formidable Characters

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:00:50 GMT

Some senior people have a reputation for demolishing people in big meetings. Not only do they have strong opinions about the task in hand, they also exercise considerable skill in destroying any challenges to their opinions. Or so it seems. [...]

Diagnosing Oppostion

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:44:45 GMT

One of my favourite phrases relating to Stakeholder Management is, “if you don’t have any opposition, you aren’t trying hard enough”. While I am not meaning that you should go looking for opposition, if you are ambitious, it is important that your plans and ideas are strong enough to provoke disagreement, or at least vigorous debate. When disagreement arrives, it is often veiled in a cloak of assumptions and faulty communications. So it is important when deciding how to respond to pause for a moment to check out what could be going on. Even if you cannot figure out the root cause, going through the process will highlight the gaps in your information. [...]

The Collaboration Survey

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:37:22 GMT

Are you responsible for outsourcing, supplier management or strategic alliances? In fact, if you are closely connected to any large-scale commercial relationship, you may well be interested in our new tool, the Collaboration Survey. Originally built to help one of our clients strengthen their outsourcing relationships with large organisations such as Accenture and Orange, the survey collects data on the elements which our research indicates are critically important in all successful big-ticket relationships. These are very closely linked to our specialist area — influence. [...]

Hate Networking? You Are Not Alone!

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:01:21 GMT

Since launching the original research and questionnaire on influencing skills, we have had thousands of people self-assess or rate others on their influencing skills. 74% say they could improve on their networking and an incredible 34% cited it as their weakest influencing skill area. So, if you don’t like going to those “events”, or fabricating an excuse to go talk to someone while you have more important tasks to focus on, you are by no means alone! [...]

Engaging with Critics

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:12:33 GMT

In the lexicon of my new book, Advocates and Enemies, a Critic is an individual who you have a great relationship with (trust, openness and frequency), but they disagree with what you are seeking to achieve. Because of the strength of your relationship with them, these are special friends who can provide immense benefit to help you stretch your performance and pressure test your proposals. If the relationship is poor, they will more likely be an Enemy (okay, a strong word to use, but provocative by intent). So engage positively with Critics because they can help you so much. [...]

Advocates and Enemies: How to Build Practical Strategies to Influence Your Stakeholders

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:08:33 GMT

Ok, we're excited about this one. As many of you know, Colin has been working in the area of power and influence for over eight years. A key theme through all of this work is Stakeholder Management. In that time, he has been learning more about the simple application of the approach. We are now delighted that he has written a book, Advocates and Enemies. [...]

Self-Development Packages for Organisations

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 19:41:40 GMT

Lately, we have been helping a number of organisations to implement cost-effective programmes to develop the influencing capability of their people. Subject matter workshops are ideal, but sometimes budgets do not allow this. If this is the case for your organisation, your solution may be to talk to us to build a bespoke package. [...]