Influence is not a dirty word Pt1 PDF  | Print |  E-mail
Written by Carol McGowan   

"Leadership is influence" John C. Maxwell

The ability to influence is a very important skill to have in business and as the quote states it is an integral part of leadership either formally or informally. However over the years it has drawn some nasty press because it has been used ineffectually or inappropriately. In this article we will seek to understand exactly what influence is. In part 2 we will take and more in-depth look at specific influencing tactics and their respective benefits and more especially there intent.

What is Influence?

The dictionary defines influence as the capacity to have an effect on the character development or behaviour of someone or something. The dictionary also states that it is the power to shape policy or ensure favourable treatment from someone especially through status, contacts or wealth.

Before seeking to influence a situation it is important to understand what you would like to achieve. There are 3 recognised possibilities, which are:

• Commitment – obtaining agreement for a decision or request with appropriate action to support the agreement. This means that both behaviour and attitude are positively impacted.

• Compliance – this results in a willingness to act even though there is apathy or ambivalence rather than enthusiasm. This means behaviour has been influenced but not attitude.

• Resistance – this means that there is no willingness to respond so neither behaviour nor attitudes have been impacted.

Of course ideally the idea is to obtain commitment or at a minimum compliance and certainly to avoid resistance wherever possible. An important consideration is what is the motive behind seeking to use influence. Usually it is about seeking to achieve a business objective, personal benefit or an important priority.

How to Enhance your Ability to Influence

There are at least six things you can do to help to develop your ability to influence.

Action Description and Relevance
1. Build up courage to ask the difficult questions It can be hard to put yourself on the line however if you develop the ability to ask the difficult questions when required you will enhance your ability to influence. It is a way of demonstrating your willingness to face challenges and others will notice. Of course this needs to be done prudently. It may take time but the benefits are worth it in the long run.
2. Look at the big picture not just your own personal agenda It is very tempting to use influence in order to achieve your own personal agenda. If this is the method you choose to adopt people will become wise to it and your ability to influence will be significantly reduced. If you are able to present your position/ perspective outlining the benefits on a larger scale you are more likely to achieve success.
3. Approach the situation impartially What this means is you need to be able to present an unbiased account of what is required. This has relationship to not focussing on your own personal agenda with consideration being given to how all potential stakeholders may be impacted and potentially benefit by what you are proposing.
4. Demonstrate humility This means you are not seeking to control the conversation or discussion in relation to what you are proposing. This requires that you be willing to listen, absorb and consider a variety of points of view. You are not there just to promote your own perspective but to listen to others
5. Be persistent and follow-up A tendency can be to assume that people understand and agree with what is being said. This can be risky. It is important to follow up and gauge what the level of understanding is. You may need to do more work in order to be able to gain the commitment you require.
6. Be candid not cruel It is important to be honest about the reality of a particular situation. However there is a need to also be considerate of the impact on others. If you seek to influence at all cost then people will get hurt along the way and you may cause damage and inhibit any future opportunities you may have to influence a situation.

 The ability to influence is impacted by two key factors of expertise and trust. This can be explained as follows:

Ability to Inflience = Perceived level of expertise + Degree of trust

This article provides some understanding of what is influence, what is its purpose and how to develop the ability to influence. In the next article a description of the difference between Reactive and Proactive Influence Tactics will be provided with an explanation of the types of tactics that can be used with the methods used and each ones particular intent.

Carol McGowan is a Business and Life Coach, Counsellor and Educator. Her passion is helping individuals and businesses to make successful transitions. Carol has over 35 years experience in business and has released a book called Aspiring to Good Business. She may be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Information about Carol can be found at www.besa.com.au
 

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