I recently moved into a new house and found myself evaluating a room that's needs painting. "Is the color close enough to avoid a primer? It would save time to jump right to a coat of the new stuff. But would it really if I had to add a second coat because the old color showed through? Ok, time for a base coat of primer!"
That same day I found myself teaching our Influencing class to a group of front line managers and it occurred to me that the same conversation applied. You cannot skip the base coat! All the fancy influencing approaches fall flat if you haven't checked the boxes on these top five fundamentals of influencing:
- Communicate Like a Pro: Good communication is key to getting people on board with your ideas. Listen up when others speak, ask questions, and try to see things from their point of view. When it's your turn to talk, keep it simple and straight to the point. Clarity can be very influential.
- Make Friends, Influence People: Building strong relationships with your colleagues is a must for influencing them. Take the time to get to know the people you work with, understand what makes them tick, and work together to achieve common goals. Trust and respect are mandatory elements in being influential so focus on building trust in every interaction.
- Show Off Your Skills: Want to influence people? Show them what you're made of! Share your experiences, skills, and hard earned lessons with others and be willing to offer guidance and support. Just be careful not to brag or condescend as that fine line can cost you if you offend people by assuming you know more than they do. Show your confidence without being a know it all.
- Give Credit Where Credit is Due: Encourage and motivate your coworkers by recognizing their hard work and achievements. A little praise goes a long way in creating a positive and supportive work environment. This approaches creates a sense of reciprocity when it's time for them to really listen to your ideas.
- Be More Flexible: To be an effective influencer, it's important to stay focused on your goals while also being open to change. Be willing to listen to feedback and adjust your strategy as needed to get the results you want. Being flexible will make it easier for others to get on board with your ideas.
Good luck with these and swing by if you'd like to help me paint this weekend! LOL!
For more information on our influencing programs please email dcullerton@pmaphil.com
Click here for a sample report of The Influence Style Indicator assessment.
