Influencing Techniques Flashcards
Legitimizing
*Legitimizing is using authority to influence.
*Authority includes organizational rules and procedures, laws, regulations, traditions, customs, and higher authorities.
*Legitimizing is the easiest form of influence if you have role power.
*It can result in quick compliance, but it can also appear heavy-handed.
Application:
–> Refer to policies, procedures
–>Cite higher authority
–>Allude to higher authorities even if you don’t have specific authorization to proceed
–>Establish rules, procedures, or protocols that others agree to follow
–>Gain support from higher authorities and get tangible evidence of their support.
Pitfalls:
(-)Will not work on people, whose nature is to resist authority.
(-)Overusing may cause resentment, resistance .
Stating
*Stating means, simply, saying what you want or what you think.
*It is the simplest influence technique of all.
Application:
–>Make a polite but direct statement of what you want; resist the urge to be apologetic
–>Do your homework- facts
–>Anticipate and address potential arguments
–>Assert your position with confidence
–>Leave no room for negotiation or refusal; avoid tentative phrases (“I think, I feel, I was hoping you
would”)
–>Don’t phrase your statement as a question (“Can I ask you?, Would you mind?, Don’t you agree?”)
–>Demand in an unthreatening way
Pitfalls:
(-)Don’t substantiate or explain too much; if you do more than the minimum, you are using logical persuading
Logical Persuading
- Using logic, facts, evidence, data, and rational arguments to influence.
- Many people feel comfortable with this technique because it reflects the intellectual basis of the scientific revolution, and logical discourse is usually taught in schools.*
Application:
–>Work through the problem carefully to ensure that your case is well supported.
–>Examine your assumptions and anticipate the influencee’s assumptions and objections.
–>Explain why you are making your request.
–>Relate the current situation to previous situations that were resolved using a similar approach.
–>Empathize and probe for understanding if you sense
emotional resistance.
Pitfalls:
(-) Ineffective when emotional issues or biases prevail.
(-) If the influencee needs more proof, go find it.
(-) If the influencee defends an irrational position, shift to another technique.
(-) Avoid arguments; arguing is not persuasive, it is divisive and emotionally charged.
Consulting
*Influencing through collaboration - inviting the influencee to contribute to a concept, approach, proposal, or strategy. When people contribute to the plan, they feel some ownership of it and will, therefore, be more committed to it.
*You can also use consulting by asking for someone’s advice on solving a problem and then asking or encouraging them to implement their suggestions.
Application:
–>Formulate your own proposal and state it in broad terms
–>Identify the problem and your own assumptions clearly, then state exactly what you need form
the influencee.
–>Listen carefully as the influencee responds
–>Use the influencee’s inputs to create a synergistic proposal- one that integrates your original ideas and the influencee’s ideas
Pitfalls:
(-) Be honestly open to input from others – avoid using consulting to manipulate
(-) If your request for the influencee’s assistance and ideas doesn’t seem genuine, you will lose the other person’s trust and will damage the relationship
Modeling
*Way to show people what you want, either by behaving in the manner you wish for them to behave or by demonstrating the actions you wish them to take. When you influence others by modeling, you act, in essence, as a teacher, coach, or mentor.
*Modeling is a powerful technique because of our tendency to adopt behaviors and beliefs that we observe to be successful for others.
Application
–>you must “practice what you preach”
–>Determine where the influencee has needs and would respond to assistance and offer suggestions or advice based on your experience
–>Be a coach and mentor; share your knowledge and experience and be accessible and supportive
–>Give constructive feedback
–>Provide opportunities for practice
Pitfalls:
(-) Failing to “walk your talk”
Socialising
*Socializing means behaving in a warm and friendly manner so as to encourage cooperation from strangers.
*Socializing establishes a basis for appealing to friendship. It sets the stage for asking for a favor, if not now, then in the future.
Application:
–>Build your social knowledge
–>Show an interest
–>Listen actively
–>Identify and talk about the things you have in common
–>Talk about your interests
Pitfalls:
(-) Can easily backfire if you aren’t sincere.
Appealing to friendship
*Asking for assistance based on friendship or membership in a group relies on the natural human tendency to help friends.
Application:
–>Recognize and acknowledge any inconvenience your request may cause the person and be sensitive to his or her needs in return.
–>State how important the cooperation is
–>Be willing to reciprocate; consider doing something for the influencee first.
–>Continually build the friendship by showing genuine interest.
Pitfalls:
(-)Can appear manipulative
(-)Overusing can damage relationships
(-)Avoid appealing to friendship if the other person would be at risk by complying
Appealing to values
*A way to influence people based on their values, feelings, and emotions. *You make such an appeal by conveying a strong vision (or excellence, achievement, etc.) or by presenting your case with enthusiasm and conviction. *Appealing to values is good for stimulating extraordinary efforts.
Application:
–>Build trust and a common ground.
–>Evaluate your own vision, convictions, and values
–>Appeal to the influencee’s higher values.
–>Convey enthusiasm and conviction.
–>Always behave in a manner that is consistent with your vision.
Pitfalls:
(-)Unless you feel strongly about the issue, you will not succeed using this technique
(-)Be sure that your appeal is consistent with the influencee’s values
(-)Don’t be insincere in appealing to values, it will likely be detected
Exchanging
*Exchanging is trading something of value for the influencee’s support or cooperation; in other words, it is negotiating as a form of influence. *You ask a person to do something for you and offer an incentive.
*Exchange can stimulate agreement when the influencee is otherwise ambivalent about your request.
*It can build mutually beneficial relationships, but you must have something to barter.
Application:
–>Find out what the influencee’s needs.
–>Think win-win
–>Make your exchange offer explicit
–>Make the benefits of exchanging evident
–>Follow through on what you agree
Pitfalls:
(-)If you don’t understand the “currencies of exchange” (e.g., gratitude, quick responses, support, visibility, resources, expertise, information), your negotiating may be ineffective.
(-) If you don’t reciprocate, you will quickly lose credibility
(-)Avoid exchanges with friends who might consider explicit negotiating to be unfriendly.
Alliance building
The influence of an alliance is often greater than the sum of the influence of individual allies. In building an alliance, you strengthen your power base and increase the force of your proposals through a network of supporters. You accomplish something that you could not accomplish on your own.
An alliance can be more or less official. You may discreetly build the alliance through a series of one-on-one contacts, letting prospective allies know that you need their support and possibly mentioning who else is on board.
Application:
–>Ensure that prospective allies agree with your purpose or at least have something to gain by helping to achieve it.
–>Get one or more powerful or highly visible people on board first
–>Give the alliance some visibility and prestige.
–>Mix the power base; include some people with legitimate authority, some recognized experts, etc.
Pitfalls:
(-)Alliances require time and energy to maintain; don’t assume that once on board, always on board.
(-)Beware of conflicts between prospective allies
(-)Before “ganging up” on someone – your boss, in particular – try other, less threatening techniques.
