Influencing Skills

This topic is part of the Influencing Skills section. Preceding topics that you might find useful are 10 Key Actions To Boost Your Credibility and Your Brand At Work.

Influencing is a critical skill

Influencing is a critical skill. It allows to us to have a voice and to create impact wherever we are in the organisation, regardless of our place in the formal hierarchy.

With flattening organisational hierarchies and ‘matrix’ working, there is less opportunity to get things done simply by issuing directions and commands. In addition, leadership, particularly in Western cultures, is shifting from ‘tell’, ‘command’ and ‘instruct’ towards leadership through ‘buy in’, commitment and engaging, motivating and empowering others.

With influence, our ability to shape and to make things happen is not restricted by our formal role or level of seniority; we can join with and work through others to achieve more.

With effective influencing skills we can:

• Lead and manage our teams more effectively - by inspiring commitment, motivating and engaging, rather than ‘telling’
• Gain co-operation, support and resources from people who do not report to us
• Win support for our ideas, proposals and projects
• Gain approval for resources, investment and financing
• Build strong relationships that will support us and our objectives
• Be sought out to contribute to debate, analysis and decisions
• Improve our chances of ‘having a say’, providing input and shaping rather than having decisions or change just being imposed on us, and
• Demonstrate that we are suitable for greater responsibility and career advancement.

To use influence is to get what you want without power or compulsion. When you speak, others listen.

Using power alone to get things done doesn’t usually bring out the best in people; collaboration is generally seen as more productive and more conducive to building commitment. Power is best left for times of crisis, when taking sole responsibility for outcomes, when consensus can’t be reached or subordinates lack skills or experience. You might like to refer to the topic: Power.

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