Using High Powered Influencing Techniques

Now that we’ve looked at eight different techniques for influencing others, I’d like to share two examples to illustrate how powerful these methods are when used properly. The first is an example of collaboration that I experienced as a customer service manager for the Travelers back in the 1990s. I had team of customer service representatives who wanted to have a four-day workweek rather than the traditional five eight-hour day schedule. I got my boss to agree to a pilot (a great way to a new idea in motion – propose it as a “pilot,” so it can be more easily abolished if it fails). I decided to turn the scheduling over to the team, since the employees were the ones who wanted the program. I collaborated with them and they with each other to create a schedule that everyone could at least live with, if not be excited about. It worked beautifully. They knew that I was taking a risk turning over the decision making to them and that this was an opportunity for the team. They were highly motivated to do it right. They hashed the schedule out, making sure we had adequate coverage at all times. Taking a hands-off approach, I was supportive, yet couldn’t be blamed for the schedule.

Unfortunately, in the second case, I was not so brilliant. While at the Travelers, we created a new auditor position for customer service. As you can imagine, this was not a popular initiative with the staff, although everyone understood the need for such a program. The other customer service managers and I decided to select the first auditors from our teams, rather than post the positions as usual. The person would fill the role of auditor for only six months, to avoid being typecast and to give others the opportunity to take the position. I had a very detailed and knowledgeable employee in mind who I approached for the position. Knowing she knew all about the role, without much discussion I asked her if she was interested. She turned me down flat. I was stunned. She was typically very agreeable and supportive of the team. I chose another person and sometime later asked the first employee why she had not accepted my offer. She essentially told me, without using these terms of course, that I had failed use reasoning or acknowledging with her. In my haste to fill the position, I never explained to her why I had selected her, how well she had done thus far in the department, and how good I thought she would be in the role. What an eye-opener this was for me! Thank heavens I’d at least had enough sense to ask her about this, because my type A personality was quite strong at that time and I needed to hear this feedback. People respond to acknowledgement and praise, and it’s so easy to give! In this case, it was essential to offer, having cost me my first choice in that critical new role.

Take the time to consider the influencing techniques and don’t be afraid to employ them. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover how much easier things can be.

Last Resort Techniques for Gaining Compliance

You’ve probably heard the saying that you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. But what if you don’t have any honey or the honey didn’t work? Vinegar may be what you have to turn to. With our techniques for gaining support, there are two last resort methods that you may have to use: using position power and applying pressure. The reason these are last resort tactics is that they don’t result in commitment from others, but simply compliance. The person goes along with us because he feels he doesn’t have another choice, and this is less than ideal for all parties.

Of the two options, using position power is the preferred method. As I discussed a couple of weeks ago, position power is your potential to influence based on the position you hold in the organization. It could be based on the formal job title you have and your place in the organizational structure or it could result from the role you’re playing at that time, such as heading up a project team. With position power, you make it clear that you have the authority to require the individual to comply, based on your title. The military is known for using this compliance technique, often because there isn’t time to use the other methods. In the heat of the battle, the commanding officer must take charge and act quickly. So you can see that this technique has its place. It can also be used in similar situations where compliance is needed and the relationship you have with the other person is not critical, such as when a store manager requires a problem customer to leave.

The other compliance gaining tactic is to apply pressure to the other party, using threats or persistent reminders. Power struggles at work can sometimes lead to this. I can recall a time when a manager who was my peer put off completing a performance appraisal on an employee that had transferred from her department to mine. When the employee’s evaluation came due, I had to finalize and deliver it, but it needed significant input from his former manager. After several reminders, I had to tell her that I would take the matter up with our boss if she did not comply by a specified date. I think she took me seriously, because she did complete the appraisal before my deadline. While I did not want to create animosity with my peer, my role and reputation as a leader were more important to me. I felt the support and respect of my staff were more important than my relationship with the other manager.

So keep these eight practices in mind when you need or want support from others: reasoning, connecting, and collaborating; acknowledging, trading, and coalition building; and using position power and applying pressure.

More Techniques for Gaining Commitment from Others

We’ve been looking at specific techniques for gaining commitment from other people for the initiatives we’re trying to accomplish. Last time, we addressed reasoning, connecting and collaborating. Today we consider a different set of techniques that work well when we need other approaches. They are acknowledging, trading, and coalition building.

When we acknowledge someone we recognize his contributions, efforts, or accomplishments; give credit for her contribution to an effort; or express understanding and concern for any inconvenience involved with carrying out our request. People love to be appreciated for what they do and who they are. This simple gesture is so easy to make and too frequently overlooked. It’s so much easier to criticize, it seems, than to praise. The key to this skill is to make the recognition sincere. Acknowledging is a simple, yet powerful way to build support at work, at home, and in the community.

The next strategy in this tier is trading: offering something in return for a person’s support and help. You’ve most likely heard the question, “What’s in it for me?” This method taps into that common thought and directly answers the question by your offering something in exchange for the individual’s support. Lawmakers have used this process for years! The way to make this work is to find out what you can trade that would be valued by the other person. Does she need your support for one of her ideas? Does she need you to cover a shift, train a new person, or oversee a committee? Strive to make the trade a win-win situation, and you’ll have a greater chance of successfully gaining commitment.

Finally in this set of techniques is coalition building which is using the support of other parties to gain commitment from someone. This involves mentioning credible people who support our plan or proposal, bringing someone with relevant expertise along to support us, or asking others to provide evidence in support of our proposal. This approach is sixth on our list because it can appear to be manipulative or seem as if we are using other people. Coalition building can be helpful if we need the support of someone who does not know us well, but who does know the party that is part of our coalition.

We have one final set of strategies that can be used as a last resort when seeking the commitment of others, so be sure to stay tuned.