1. Paul Vaughan, Regional Director, RCN West Midlands
“Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another”
Napoleon
Find the passion and make it happen: a short guide to influencing skills
Paul Vaughan, Regional Director, RCN West Midlands

2. Sources of power The power of/to… Leading Beyond Authority.
Position
Personality
Ideas
Intellect
Communicate
Connect
Invest
Reward
IA:85
Leading Beyond Authority.
J. Middleton
IA: 90
IA:60
BA:10
BA:10
BA:90
IA:80
IA:80
BA:80
BA:90
IA:40
IA:90
IA:60
BA:100
BA:60
BA:100

3. People who influence others seem approachable (Summers)
Influencing people
Influence of a person who is liked is greater that that of one with the power to reward and punish – (Lewin)
People who influence others seem approachable (Summers)
Liking and influence are linked

4. Successful influencing
Getting the result that meets your needs and the needs of your employer or all the parties involved in the issue.
Achieved by gaining mutual agreement and ensuring that the process doesn’t damage the relationship you have with your employer or others in the organisation:
“You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time”
J.S Knox

5. Passion scale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Key Question:1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Key Question:
How passionately do you feel about your issue?
Not at all
Feel passionately

6. Focus for your journey Circle of Commitment Circle of Influence
Circle of Concern
Covey, S. R. 1990
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York. Fireside

7. Key knowledge and skills for successful influencing
Good communications skills including listening, questioning, analysing and presenting information clearly
Knowledge of how to plan and prepare for what you want to achieve
An understanding of what the person you are planning to influence feels is important to them in relation to your case or issue
An insight into some of the questions they may raise during your efforts to influence them

8. Vaughan’s 9 Step Model for Influencing
See handout

9. Where would you like to use your influence?
What do you want to influence?
Who do you want to influence?

10. Identify your goal Key Question: What are you looking to achieve?
Are you clear about what you want to achieve?
Write a simple, clear statement that states the essence of what you are aiming to achieve
How will you know when you have achieved it?
What will it feel like, look like and what will it sound like when you have achieved your goal?
Identify your bottom line and include any alternatives?
If you cannot get exactly what you want, is there something else that would come close?
Have you written it down and told other people what you goal is?
By writing it down and telling others what you are intending to do there is a greater chance that you will do it.
Key Question:
What are you looking to achieve?

11. Assess your current situation
Issue
Who is involved?
Current policies
Who does the issue affect?
What is the impact on those whom are affected?
What are the current gaps in practice?
Key Action:
Undertake an assessment of what currently happens in your workplace

12. Is what you want to achieve realistic?
Check if you “R” Smart
How does what happens in your place of work compare with what happens elsewhere?
Is what you want to achieve realistic?
Depending on what you find out you may have to adjust your original goal

13. Gather evidence to support your case
What is the current main intervention for the patient condition?
Is there an alternative treatment to consider?
What are the clinical outcomes from the various interventions?
What statistically evidence is there to support your position?
What are the resource or budget implications?
Are there any Nice Guidelines/Clinical Guidelines relevant?
What do your patients think? How does the current situation impact on them?
Mortality rates/number of patient complaints
Develop a 'story' that helps to atriculate the impact and the benefit to patients.
Key Questions:
What sort of evidence will help you make the change in practice you are seeking?

14. Identify and map your key stakeholder
Identify those who have an interest or a “stake” in what you are trying to achieve
Identify who has the power to grant your request
Consider how they can help you
Key Questions:
Who has the power to make the change in where you work?
Who else can help you influence them?

15. Stakeholder analysis tool
Key Stakeholder
Is opposed to your issue
Will let what you are trying to do happen
Will help you to achieve your goal
Have the power to grant you your request
SH: 1
✗/✔
SH: 2 ✗ ✔
SH 3:

16. Develop three key messages for influencing
Know what evidence to use to get the best results
Gather your selected evidence, relate it to your goal and use it confidently and professionally
Select the three most powerful pieces of evidence and develop your key messages around them
Key Action:
Make your messages specific for your stakeholders
Select the best evidence to influence your stakeholders

17. Group exercise
MAKING
A DIFFERENCE
Tell the person next to you what you do? What difference do you make to the team or your patients/clients?
How easy did you find it to capture the essence of your contribution?

18. Develop three key messages for influencing
Arrange Evidence to Achieve Goal (AETAG Template)
What are you hoping to achieve: State your outcome from Step 1
Start with your strongest reason for being granted your request
Evidence to support your reason
Second strongest reason for being granted your request
Third strongest reason for being granted your request
Summary of your case (Just make two or three simple statements here, no more than 150 words)
Sound bite: A one line statement to finish. (This needs to be a powerful statement that captures your main reason for being granted your request: no more than 30 words)
Key Action:
Use this tool for constructing your key influencing points.

19. Test out your key messages
Practice the reasons/arguments you plan to use on someone – speak it out loud
Get feedback on your overall objective and on your arguments
Ask your “guinea pig” to come up with questions/objections and readjust as necessary

20. Meet with the person you want to influence
Consider how you will manage this meeting
Plan the time, venue, have examples to hand, be assertive
Agree how and when you will be informed of the outcome

21. Managing the meeting Create state Clear perceptions and good judgement
Self awareness and control
Ability to analyse/balance different views
Openness to others

22. Principles for influencing
Make the pie bigger
Focus on the interests, not positions
Separate the people from the problem
Insist the results based on objective standards

23. Review the results
What have you achieved?
Seek feedback and capture what worked well
Record your learning from the experience in your portfolio

24. Strive and thrive top tips
Write down the worst thing that could happen
Ask yourself, if I wait, how much better will things be?
Break tasks down into small pieces and start tackling them
Reverse prioritise to say no to the less important tasks
Set deadlines for yourself and share these with others
Broccoli or Brussels Sprouts Principle

25. What would you attempt to do if you knew that you would not fail?

26. Warning
WARNING

27. Some people want it to happen, Some wish it would happen,
Others make it happen
Michael Jordon

28. Join the RCN Call RCN Direct: 0345 772 6100 or visit