A Few ideas to Increase Your Influencing Skills - Become influential in any line of work.
We are constantly consciously or unconsciously influencing or being influenced. Refresh your approach in an open structured way, tailoring the style as needed.
1. Neutral
It sounds obvious, but working from a sense of neutral, physical openness will ground you and help clarify the bigger picture before attempting to influence. Think about how you want to come across as a calm centred individual, passionate and enthusiastic but realistic in your goals. Considering your physicality, your tone of voiceand natural open body language will only support your case in influencing.
2. Power
What power do you have? Your personality, your character, your friendship and alignment through working relationships are powerful. Realise what power you have beyond the personal. Even if you feel that you are lacking in positional power, does your objective give you an authority to not only influence down the chain but upwards too?
3. Look for support
Are there colleagues in allegiance, who can assist? Can you gather support to influence even the most resistant? Listen for signals of interest and make people feel they have been genuinely heard and that they are involved.
4. Foot in the door
If the ‘ask’ feels too great, work on the objective in stages. Getting someone to come around to your way of thinking in a gradual way, with realisation of the benefits, is often a good way of ensuring long-term engagement and commitment.
5. Listen and let go
Listening is a highly influential skill. Rather than entering any negotiation or meeting with a jam packed personal agenda, let a little space into the proceedings by allowing others to speak first. Really listen to them with your full attention and vocally summarise their main points. This sets up common ground to work from and gives you time to settle into the discussion - not to mention making them feel truly heard. It also helps you let go of your defences a little.
These are some basic tips for successful influencing, but it’s easy to feel that you lack power.
Inhabiting belief in the benefits of achieving your objective will focus your language and success in communication.
