Whether managing people, relationships, situations, teams,
products, processes, your temper or yourself, someone has written a book
guaranteed to make you an expert. Since
there are far fewer managers than people being managed in this world, however,
I’ve often wondered why so little attention has been given to influencing “from
the bottom up” rather than to managing from “the top down.” In that we are all human, whether or not we
manage, I would like to propose seven “keys” to making yourself more
influential as you interact with others.
1)
Recognize it is your responsibility to SELL an
idea, NOT someone else’s responsibility to BUY the concept. Good salespeople identify and relate to the
needs of the buyer, not their own needs.
While making a sale will obviously benefit the seller, a buyer must
recognize why he or she will benefit from his or her buying decision before a
sale will ever be consummated. Remain
positive and upbeat, focusing on what YOU can do to “make things right” rather
upon what others could do to make things fail.
Until you truly “sell” change, you will be but an implementer rather
than an initiator.
2)
Consider how change will impact “the whole”
rather than how it might advance your personal objectives. Since most people are hesitant to abandon the
status quo, if you want something to be different than it is, you must convince
others that the promises of change are better than the comforts of staying the
same. In order to initiate change, every
individual must take full responsibility for being understood. If you wish to influence another’s actions
you must clearly demonstrate how resultant change will positively impact that
individual, the organization, their environment, and their future
3)
Present a realistic cost-benefit analysis of your
idea as you define and communicate value. Whether it be a major corporate decision or a
family vacation, be prepared to have a realistic discussion on the cost of
change as well as the results of change.
Acknowledge that implementing your idea will probably mean that someone
else’s idea was not used. Recognize that
whenever anything has changed in history, the benefits of change have
outweighed the costs. It is your job to
clearly communicate this if you expect to be heard.
4)
Treat those you are communicating to with the
same respect and courtesy you would like yourself (OR that you would utilize
with a customer). Recognizing
that the person to whom you are communicating IS your customer when presenting
an idea or concept will help you be a better salesperson. Within your personal relationships, “dictating”
might be a quick remedy…but selling (rather than telling), discussing (rather
than imposing)…will be much more effective over the long run.
5)
When a conclusion is reached, whether or not you
fully agree with it, adopt the final decision as your own. Many ineffective influencers will “own”
decisions with which they agree and “credit others” with the ones they may not
have wholeheartedly supported. Remember
that you will not always “win” when influencing upwards, but you will gain
tremendous credibility if, after all the discussions and debates, you own any
solution that is not illegal, unethical or immoral. We can always live to fight another day as
long as we don’t impale ourselves upon the sword of principle today.
6)
NEVER advance an idea without having a sincere
belief it will make a difference…regardless of who might receive the credit. If we lose sight of the result of our ideas,
focusing instead on getting credit for the concept, we often discredit others
to make ourselves come out on top. When
we consciously make others feel that they are right or responsible, rather than
continually elevating ourselves into a role of infallibility, our ideas have a
better chance of implementation.
Assuring our desired results are realized will provide for better
long-term rewards than will being recognized for short-term contributions.
7)
Rather than focusing on what has (or has not)
happened, dream about what has yet to occur. Far too many individuals are haunted by what
went wrong… losing sight of what went right…as their ideas come to
fruition. When we are mired in a world
of failure we cannot possibly reach out towards success. When we focus on “what did not happen” it is
difficult to consider what could still be done differently to alter results
before they become “final.” When we
accept “what is” we cannot realize “what could be.”
We all invest tremendously in the acquisition of
knowledge. Until we learn to sell our
ideas, however, rather than expecting others to simply buy them from us, our
knowledge will never be leveraged into positive change. We must look forward rather than
backwards…convincing others to travel along the winding road with us…if we ever
expect to influence change. We must acknowledge
that we are capable of achieving more than we might think possible (as long as
we are willing to invest our time, talent and abilities into realizing the
transition) if we expect to initiate change.
It is not enough to recognize change is needed for us to
become all that we might wish to be. We must
understand the ramifications of complacency (as well as the rewards of
transformation) and the gains of doing something (which must be greater than
the pains of doing nothing) if we are to grow and succeed (or influence and
motivate others to thrive). We will
never be able to encourage others to grow unless (and until) we recognize our
own potential.
