Developing our ability to influence.
Which of us has never questioned their ability to influence and persuade others? In this two minute article we look at some potential ways of developing our ability to influence.
An awareness of your own preferred approach to influencing and the strengths and weaknesses of that style can increase your success in persuading people.
Confidence to articulate our views does not necessarily come naturally
Some like to influence….
Developing our ability to influence.
Some people like, or even need, to have impact on others. They enjoy being in the spotlight and may be happy to take the lead. They are comfortable articulating their views and may be confident to use others to achieve their aims. They will readily contribute their ideas in team discussions.
Some prefer more subtle approaches…
Others prefer to keep ‘under the radar’ and work in consultation with others. That does not necessarily mean that they have no influence, but they may have more subtle ways of persuading others.
If you feel uncomfortable directly influencing a group of people, you may find that persuading someone who is influential in that group around to your point of view will have the impact that you want.
What might improve our ability to influence?
Those who enjoy influencing
Those of us who enjoy influencing others may not always achieve the sustained result that we are seeking. If that is the case, we could ask ourselves some useful questions.
Did I:
• Understand what the others were looking for in the way that I presented my case?
• Make sure it is the right time and place to have the discussion?
• Listen fully to the others’ points of view and really consider them?
• Give others enough time to consider my proposal before deciding?
• Ensure they really bought-in to my proposal?
Those who do not enjoy directly influencing
Those of us who do not enjoy directly influencing others may still need to do so in our role. Building confidence is an important element of this. Having an awareness of why we may not enjoy influencing can help.
You may like to ask yourself these questions:
• Do I feel that others are bound to have better ideas than I have?
• Have I gathered as much evidence as I can to support my argument?
• Am I afraid of upsetting others?
• Do I think that others will laugh at or dismiss my ideas?
• Have I taken the opportunity to persuade those most open to persuasion first?
• Can I find a champion for my cause that has more confidence to persuade than I have?
Confidence to articulate our views may not necessarily come naturally. It can be built gradually. Reflecting on a time when you have successfully persuaded someone to do something, however small, makes you realise that you can do that. Reflect on that and build upon what has worked well. Make sure that you have all the evidence that you can get to support your argument. Some people are persuaded by logic and evidence, while others may need you to pull at their heart strings with a more emotive approach.
We would love to hear what techniques work for you.
You might also find our article on developing our decision making skills of interest.
If you or any colleagues would like to hear more about how we support both the assessment and development of individuals, please contact us on: viv.walton@deardenassessment.co.uk