INFLUENCE MATTERS
In a fast moving and interconnected world, it will increasingly matter in the future. At some point, we all need to convince / persuade others to adopt either an idea / course of action or strategy, regardless of your position power in the society or company. The ability to positively influence others is key. Today you'll discover which one is your natural INFLUENCE STYLE and how it can serve you and your goals even more.
Please choose your preferred answer out of the options below (without too much over-thinking).
When you need to influence others, YOU:
A insist that your ideas are heard and you challenge the ideas of others
B put forward your ideas and offer logical, rational reasons to convince others of your point of view
C look for compromises and make concessions to reach outcomes that satisfy your greater interest
D build relationships and connect with others through listening understanding and building coalitions
E advocate your position and encourage others with a sense of shared purpose and exciting possibilities
Your answer is ____
While working with leaders and influencers world-wide for the past 14 years, I use the research done y Stanford University and several model based on Innovative Pathways & applications based on DISC Behavioral model which help me coach clients who need to raise their Influential skills across their organization matrix. Here the answers, find YOUR style:
•If your preferred style was A your INFLUENCE Style is Asserting, and it can be very useful when dealing with crises, when response time is determining.
•If your preferred style was B your INFLUENCE Style is Convincing and it can be useful when our counterpart needs accuracy, structure, sequence, logic and date is essential.
•If your preferred style was C your INFLUENCE Style is Negotiating and it can be especially useful if you have a larger vision and you give-in certain aspects along the way in order to pursue an even bigger goal and vision (though make sure you know/create that vision before).
•If your preferred style was D your INFLUENCE Style is Bridging and it's an excellent style when dealing with complex matrix and you have no authority over people you'd like to influence.
•If your preferred style was E your INFLUENCE Style is Inspiring and it helps you get people on board not only with their minds, also with their hearts and talents to move forward.
A more detailed Influence Style indicator assessment can confirm your first pick, though for now I'd like to suggest these TWO steps to leverage your style and get even better results:
•Be strategic. Pick one of your critical stakeholders, the one you need to win over to achieve an objective or overcome an obstacle? And decide on what influencing style might be more effective as you interact with him or her. Examples: If you're in a crisis-mode situation where people are relying on you to be decisive and fast and resolve soon, an asserting style may be more effective. Though if you attempting to convince a though CFO, consider using a convincing approach, which is based in logic, data and expertise. If you're working cross-functionally in your matrix you may need to win the support of a peer, a bridging or negotiating style may be the best choice.
•Raise self-awareness about your gaps and decide to either work on them or team up with someone who can help you complete a strong team. If you need help raising self-awareness you can contact us, we can help. Remember no awareness = no change.
Being an effective influencer and used in a smart way serves everyone. Used in a manipulative way is neither productive nor sustainable. The difference is: manipulation hides an agenda from someone (even partially), on the other hand genuine influence and persuasion involves two parties who are aware of the agenda, about possible pains and of course about possible GAINS!
Influence matters.
Gabriela Müller Mendoza
Executive & Organizational Communications Coach -Trainer- Speaker
Global Leadership Diversity Specialist
"Unlocking full potential and dissolving barriers to excellence"
www.powerful-change.com
Twitter @gabrielamueller