Practice the Art of Influence!
10 June 2008
Read by 1655 persons
Have you ever found yourself in an important strategic meeting, only to realize after a few minutes that the decision had already been made before the official meeting? You missed something…Nothing more frustrating!
Power plays are inevitable in any organization. They may even be at the heart of your management role. You therefore need to have influence, but it would be naive to think you can achieve this without entering the political game. But this can be complex.
The art of influence is practiced at all levels of your career and can even become a major asset as you progress. In this regard, good political skills are an essential ingredient in your success. But be careful, they must be used with integrity. I am not talking about intimidation, scheming, manipulation or control of information, no… I am thinking rather of the power of persuasion, the ability to convince, negotiate, and create alliances.
Knowing the Organization
If you are new to the company, first find a good coach who is familiar with its workings. Because you need to thoroughly understand the organization to be able to act at the right time. Getting your ideas across is a challenge; it is important to consider the context. If it is favorable, you will succeed. So, look at how power is organized within the company, analyze the challenges and obstacles that present themselves to you, identify the areas where you can exert influence.
You will thus obtain a global vision that will allow you to decode the networks, the more or less tacit alliance games, and to analyze the psychological reactions of the actors. Imagine that you have to make an important change in the way your team works… To achieve this without too much friction, you must target the people who have a positive influence in the team, work to convince them, by forming a committee for example. Their support and collaboration will be essential to the success of your project.
You must therefore know how to defend your positions and adapt your strategies and tactics according to the context and the people involved. This means, of course, that you must develop your ability to lead a team, to build a support network, to reach an agreement…
Sharpen your political skills!
Don't try to do what is impossible for you. First try to know your motivations, your ambitions, your doubts, your talents. And know that one of the main levers of influence is your credibility; this is obtained first by proof of your competence, which is based above all on your achievements, and by the consistency of your actions.
That said, to have influence, you must develop various political skills. At the top of the list, as important as know-how, come interpersonal skills. This includes the ability to build cordial relationships (networking, friendliness, humor), listening, empathy, respect, frankness, transparency and honesty in communication, etc.
The art of cultivating your network is another skill to acquire. It is a question of obtaining support, forging alliances with important players, knowing how to target the right people.
I obviously include negotiation skills in these political skills. To demonstrate this skill, you must be able to correctly assess the intentions of the other person, not wanting to win at all costs – even if you know your cause is just – not being categorical in your demands, knowing how to honestly acknowledge your mistakes and your limits. So, no dictatorship! That would be to condemn yourself to failure. Instead, you should seek to achieve consensus, not make enemies but accomplices… To do this, you must demonstrate leadership above all, but also demonstrate an ability to manage conflicts, openness to alternative solutions, flexibility, a sense of justice and fairness, not to mention humor which will allow you to de-dramatize many situations.
I would conclude by saying that these political skills are not necessarily innate. It can be learned! You can of course take training courses. But in my opinion, the best teaching is the one you will learn from your failures and your victories.
Posted on May 26, 2008
orhri.org
Power plays are inevitable in any organization. They may even be at the heart of your management role. You therefore need to have influence, but it would be naive to think you can achieve this without entering the political game. But this can be complex.
The art of influence is practiced at all levels of your career and can even become a major asset as you progress. In this regard, good political skills are an essential ingredient in your success. But be careful, they must be used with integrity. I am not talking about intimidation, scheming, manipulation or control of information, no… I am thinking rather of the power of persuasion, the ability to convince, negotiate, and create alliances.
Knowing the Organization
If you are new to the company, first find a good coach who is familiar with its workings. Because you need to thoroughly understand the organization to be able to act at the right time. Getting your ideas across is a challenge; it is important to consider the context. If it is favorable, you will succeed. So, look at how power is organized within the company, analyze the challenges and obstacles that present themselves to you, identify the areas where you can exert influence.
You will thus obtain a global vision that will allow you to decode the networks, the more or less tacit alliance games, and to analyze the psychological reactions of the actors. Imagine that you have to make an important change in the way your team works… To achieve this without too much friction, you must target the people who have a positive influence in the team, work to convince them, by forming a committee for example. Their support and collaboration will be essential to the success of your project.
You must therefore know how to defend your positions and adapt your strategies and tactics according to the context and the people involved. This means, of course, that you must develop your ability to lead a team, to build a support network, to reach an agreement…
Sharpen your political skills!
Don't try to do what is impossible for you. First try to know your motivations, your ambitions, your doubts, your talents. And know that one of the main levers of influence is your credibility; this is obtained first by proof of your competence, which is based above all on your achievements, and by the consistency of your actions.
That said, to have influence, you must develop various political skills. At the top of the list, as important as know-how, come interpersonal skills. This includes the ability to build cordial relationships (networking, friendliness, humor), listening, empathy, respect, frankness, transparency and honesty in communication, etc.
The art of cultivating your network is another skill to acquire. It is a question of obtaining support, forging alliances with important players, knowing how to target the right people.
I obviously include negotiation skills in these political skills. To demonstrate this skill, you must be able to correctly assess the intentions of the other person, not wanting to win at all costs – even if you know your cause is just – not being categorical in your demands, knowing how to honestly acknowledge your mistakes and your limits. So, no dictatorship! That would be to condemn yourself to failure. Instead, you should seek to achieve consensus, not make enemies but accomplices… To do this, you must demonstrate leadership above all, but also demonstrate an ability to manage conflicts, openness to alternative solutions, flexibility, a sense of justice and fairness, not to mention humor which will allow you to de-dramatize many situations.
I would conclude by saying that these political skills are not necessarily innate. It can be learned! You can of course take training courses. But in my opinion, the best teaching is the one you will learn from your failures and your victories.
Posted on May 26, 2008
orhri.org
