Why is influencing so difficult today?
Many seem to struggle with gaining the influence they need in order to advance their results. The causes are many and varied. They include…
- Pace of change
- Scale of change
- Pressure all around
- Complex structures
What obstacles stand in the way of you gaining the influence you need to enhance your position?
Stakeholder Influence Process
One of the easiest ways to become more influential is to think through what you want to achieve, who can help you and what you need to do in order that you may move forward on your goals. This simple process was fully explored in the book [intlink id=”1016″ type=”post”]Advocates and Enemies[/intlink].
This is not a difficult process; it simply needs to be done.
Now we focus on three of these steps.
Step 1: Focus
Assess your priorities and focus your Influencing Goal
Good influencing goals for this process are those which…
- Are a top priority for you
- Requires many people to think, feel or act differently
- Need to overcome tough opposition
- Plan of action over several months
- Important to other people as well.
Not so good influencing goals are ones which…
- Needs one person to say yes
- Can be achieved in one meeting
- Belong to someone else
- Easily understandable logic which everyone can agree to
- More of a wish
Can you think which of these items on these lists could be in the wrong place?
Step 3: Analyse
This is a simple task to challenge your thinking and assessment of the situation. Usually ideas start to flow quickly about what you can do to enhance your position and the risk that you will succeed.
Step 4: Plan
Here are some suggestions to guide the development of your strategy…
- Concentrate on impact
- Shift the greys
- Move up and right
- Movements inside the boxes
- Advocates are top priority
- Critics make great opponents
- Ignore your Enemies
- Remember the indirect routes