Influencing Skills

Influencing Skills

• 1.
  1 | MTL: The ProfessionalDevelopment Programme Influencing Skills INFLUENCING SKILLS Diverting others to your point of view MTL: The Professional Development Programme
• 2.
  2 | MTL: The ProfessionalDevelopment Programme Influencing Skills Attribution: All images are from sources where a Creative Commons license exists for commercial use. All icons are on subscription from thenounproject. All clipart is from free sources. The MTL Professional Development Programme is copyright of Manage Train Learn. Influencing Skills Introduction: Influencing skills are of crucial importance to those who manage others because they are an alternative and more effective way of motivating people than using force, bribes, and threats. In this topic, we’ll look at 7 key features of influencing skills.
• 3.
  3 | MTL: The ProfessionalDevelopment Programme Influencing Skills 1. WHY INFLUENCING WORKS It is now widely recognized that, in most situations, authoritarian ways of managing people do not work. Instead of getting people to do what we want, the authoritarian approaches of "I know best" and "I'm in charge" cause antagonism, anger and a job not done. In place of dictating skills, people who want to work with others use influencing skills. These skills use non- forceful techniques to work with people rather than against them. As a result, relationships improve, people feel valued and the job gets done. Let people come to their own conclusions Flickr attribution: /rappaportcenter/6964900104/
• 4.
  4 | MTL: The ProfessionalDevelopment Programme Influencing Skills 2. CONSCIOUS INFLUENCE While most influencing happens without people noticing it, it only becomes a skill when practised consciously. To do this, you must know what end result you want. You must know where the other person is in relation to this end result. And you must believe that you can close this gap in non- forceful ways. There are 3 strategies open to you: a. you can tell someone what they should do, say, or think b. you can set them an example of what to do by doing it yourself Or c. You can use influencing skills. A key ingredient of Influencing Skills is the look of authority and credibility. There’s a hat here if you want it… Flickr attribution: /imnothinginparticular/8011464429/
• 5.
  5 | MTL: The ProfessionalDevelopment Programme Influencing Skills 3. BUILD RAPPORT Establishing rapport with someone is an important pre-condition to influencing them. If you don't build rapport, they won't even listen to you, let alone change in the way you want. One of the key skills in rapport-building is matching. It is based on the principle that, when we are like others in thought, feeling, and behaviour, they like us more, find us attractive, and are prepared to trust us enough to be influenced by our ideas and actions. Finding areas of common interest Flickr attribution: /sbeez/6537091597/
• 6.
  6 | MTL: The ProfessionalDevelopment Programme Influencing Skills 4. LIKING The link between liking someone and influencing them is well-established: Dale Carnegie wrote a best-selling book exploring this link called "How to Win Friends and Influence People". You can't, of course, force people to like you. But one of the surest ways to get others to like you is to make up your mind to unconditionally like them first. You will also find others start to like you if you concentrate on the things you have in common rather than the things that make you different. It was late at night and my battery died… Flickr attribution: /ninameigs/5349564534/
• 7.
  7 | MTL: The ProfessionalDevelopment Programme Influencing Skills 12 Ways to Win People toYour Way of Thinking 1 The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it. 2 Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say "You're wrong." 3 If you're wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. 4 Begin in a friendly way. 8 Dramatize your ideas. 7 Let the other person feel the idea is his or hers. 6 Let the other person do a great deal of the talking. 5 Start with questions to which the other person will answer "Yes". 9 Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view. 10 Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires. 11 Appeal to their nobler motives. 12 Throw down a challenge. (from Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”)
• 8.
  8 | MTL: The ProfessionalDevelopment Programme Influencing Skills 5. MEETING THEIR NEEDS We all look to others to satisfy our needs, whether they are physical, social, recognition or emotional needs. If you can identify what others' needs are, you can meet their needs while you meet yours. So, if your teenage son or daughter has an untidy bedroom and you know they need money for a pop concert, they can easily be influenced to tidy it up in exchange for cash. Equally, if their primary needs are social, you might allow them to invite their friends to their room as a way of influencing them to tidy it up. You can influence others to tidy their room Flickr attribution: /erynegphotography/6827514628/
• 9.
  9 | MTL: The ProfessionalDevelopment Programme Influencing Skills 6. BRIDGING THE CHANGE GAP All influencing is about changing people's behaviour, thoughts, and attitudes. Most of us only change when we believe there is more to be gained in the effort of changing than in staying as we are. Where there is no immediate or obvious need to change, we tend to stay as we are. Doing what we've always done is easier and safer than changing. That's why, if you want to influence someone to change, you have to use some subtle but powerful tactics. Make it easy for them to move from here to there Flickr attribution: /elvizlow/8420180748/
• 10.
  10 | MTL: The ProfessionalDevelopment Programme Influencing Skills Could You Resist Sexy Change? In her book, "The Change Masters", Rosabeth Moss Kanter argues that if you want others to accept a change, you must make the change appear more attractive, even “sexy”. This means making the change more… Triable Forexample,“we’llrunapilotfirst”. Reversible Thentheycangobacktotheoldwayif theydon’tlikeit. Divisible So,iftheydon’tlikeoneaspect,wecan ditchthatandkeeptherest. Concrete Tellthemhowitaffectstheirbottom line. Familiar Explainthechangeintermsthey understand. Congruent Startfromwhat’salreadyhappening andworkingwell. Sexy Makeitfeelattractive,fashionable, exciting,enticing,fun,anddaring. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
• 11.
  11 | MTL: The ProfessionalDevelopment Programme Influencing Skills 7. ARISTOTLE'S THREE APPEALS The Greek philosopher Aristotle used three tactics to influence others. He called them three "appeals" and they are ethos, logos, and pathos. The first appeal, ethos, is based on your reputation and credibility. The more credible you are, the more you can influence others. The second appeal, logos, is based on the reasons you give for people changing. Logos appeals to people's heads. The third appeal, pathos, is based on how the change will make people feel. When you use all appeals together, you have a strong case for succeeding in influencing. Ethos, logos, pathos Painting of Aristotle by Jusepe de Ribera (Wikipedia)
• 12.
  12 | MTL: The ProfessionalDevelopment Programme Influencing Skills This has been a Slide Topic from Manage Train Learn AFinal Word There is no such thing as a guarantee that when you use influencing skills, people will change. People who are heavily committed to where they are now may never change no matter how hard you try. But at least in the process, you will not antagonise them. And if you can succeed with those who are ready to change, in time, you may succeed with the rest.