Five ways to influence without authority
Always remember that everyone has a different tolerance for change. That said, when people resist ideas, the reason is typically made apparent by asking the following questions:
Leading a team of your peers is definitely a biggest challenge and it undeniably puts all of your leadership skills to the test..
When you demonstrate that you believe in the value of their work, and when you’re willing to work through any obstacles you encounter, your team will respect your integrity – and they’ll want to work hard with you, and for you, to achieve results.
Influence is essential in all aspects of life, and constantly at play in the workplace.
Let’s look at some of the most important things you can do to anchor this core skill set to your business advantage.
1. Master the Group Process
Five ways to influence without authority, Learn to lead discussions and proactively manage different personalities. You never know what past experiences – good and bad – team members have had with one another.
2. Empower Team Members
Five ways to influence without authority
When you empower someone, you’re essentially saying that you trust that person. When people feel trusted, they may naturally want to take on more responsibility for the outcome, because they’ll share in the spotlight when success is achieved.
Empowerment, then, is a great motivator, and it can be used to recognize the efforts of team members. When leading your peers, be creative with reward and recognition – sometimes assigning a task or granting a level of authority can serve as a very effective reward.
3. Analyse resistance to change
● Is the problem that you are trying to resolve clear to the other party—along with the full implications of inaction?
●Have you been clear enough about what you want and the specific benefits of doing things the way you are suggesting?
●How much sacrifice or risk-taking do you expect from the other party?
There are two types of power—positional and personal. While the use of positional power is sometimes necessary, an overuse of it will quickly destroy one’s personal power, leading to a dictatorial style of leadership.
You can develop personal power by focusing in two areas:
● Relationships: It is proven that people tend to have an easier time adopting ideas of people they like. So look for ways to build relationships at every turn.
● Expertise: Before people will adopt your ideas, they need to believe that you are credible. So always do your homework properly, get the facts right, make sure you talk to the experts and gather information. Do whatever you can to learn more about all parts of the organization and not just your own.
5. Persuation
Persuasion is absolutely not a one-shot effort. Always be prepared to pitch the same idea on multiple occasions using a variety of means, settings, media and with multiple improvements based on what you hear each time.
Always remember that if your role is to influence others in a significant way you need to employ many of the same skills. It is not at all complicated, but takes mindfulness and careful thought, particularly when under stress and pressure. This approach can significantly increase the odds of getting your good ideas adopted.
