Being technically good at your job is extremely important, but isn’t enough in today’s business world. Strong people skills are also essential- meaning that you need to know how to influence and impact people in a powerful and positive fashion. Influencing (despite what some people think) isn’t about manipulating or controlling others, it’s about getting people to do things willingly by communicating well. Your power to influence is the difference between career brilliance, and career mediocrity.
This topic is by no means restricted to those with management responsibilities, as we all need to know how to influence others in order to succeed in the workplace-whether that’s building good professional relationships, getting assistance and support with a project, or even getting a project green-lighted in the first place! And remember- it isn’t just helpful in physical offices- in fact getting people ‘on-side’ and co-operating with your vision and goals is even more important in a virtual team where cohesion is crucial.
How many of the 10 Traits do you have?
1. Effective influencers don’t shy away from trying to influence people even though it may cause conflict. After all, it’s very easy to influence those who are already on-side, but the real gains in your career are when you make a positive impact with someone who isn’t naturally disposed to what you’re saying.
2. Great influencers are curious and charming. They make people feel special and show interest in other people’s lives and experiences. This is not a calculated manipulation, but rather because they are genuinely interested in what makes people tick.
3. They always have the information ready to back up their proposal, as well as a Plan B and
are prepared to answer questions and objections to their ideas.
4. They exude calm confidence. If you appear worried or tentative, it will be near-impossible to influence people to get behind you. Work on building your ‘executive authority’ through body language, voice tone, and delivery. Often it’s not what you say, but how you say it.
5. They display genuine passion, which encourages other people to believe and support them. The best influencers manage to convince, convert, and even sell, without ever trying to force people to agree.
6. They keep abreast of industry news, key people, and events for maximum credibility. To influence, you can’t be caught flat-footed: you need to know more (or make people feel that you know more) about your sector than anyone else in the room. Study up on the movers and shakers and the latest developments in your field.
7. They’re super-adaptable. An influencer understands that ‘there’s more than one way to skin a cat’, as the saying goes. If one technique isn’t working, try another. They’re not afraid to drop ideas in favour of new ones- or to adopt other people’s ideas either.
8. They encourage and praise others. We all like praise, and we’re all much more likely to be influenced by those who we believe genuinely value our work. (The key here is GENUINE- most people will see through praise which is fake or overly calculated.)
9. They understand reciprocity, and are very happy to do people favours in the understanding that it will make people more disposed to returning the favour in future.
10. Master influencers know when to strike. They prepare extremely well, research their audience, and time their proposal/application/request at the time most likely to succeed.
Every single positive step of your career comes down to your power to influence- right from the first interview where you influenced the hiring manger to believe you were the best person for the job. Each success is directly linked to your power to influence those around you- so it’s worth getting it right! At Zestfor we specialise in teaching influencing skills in the workplace and how to create a plan to maximise your influencing potential, so get in touch if you want to find out more.
Until next time,
Julia
