1. Leading Through Influence
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Minnesota CTE Monthly Webinars
Leading Through Influence
Jeralyn – Intro
Leading through influence means developing a network of strong relationships built on trust and respect, and understanding how to present your ideas and your research in the right way- to the right person- at the right time.
It’s about understanding the power dynamics within your particular business/department/unit/consortium and knowing which decision makers need to be on-board with a clear direction before any group discussions begin.  
It’s about leveraging your own knowledge and experience in a way that makes others feel comfortable relying on  you for insight and information that they will use to make their decisions.  
And, perhaps most importantly, it’s about being transparent in your own work so that others know and understand where you’re coming from and why you’re suggesting the direction and strategic goals that you are. It’s about sharing ALL OF THE BUDGET and all of the plan.

2. Leading Through Influence
Today’s Topic
Influence Currencies
Managing Up … and Sideways
Model of Influence
Resources

3. Currencies of Exchange
Influence without Authority
Currencies of Exchange
Influence based on exchange and reciprocity—making trades for what you desire in return for what the other person desires.
5 Types of Currency
1. Inspiration-related
2. Task-related
3. Position-related
4. Relationship-related
5. Personal
Influence model is based on exchange and reciprocity—making trades for what you desire in return for what the other person desires. Influence is possible when you have what others want.
1. Inspiration-related
2. Task-related
3. Position-related
4. Relationship-related
5. Personal
Source: “Influence Without Authority” by Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford

4. 5 Types of Currency Inspiration
Source: “Influence Without Authority” by Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford

5. 5 Types of Currency Task-Related
Source: “Influence Without Authority” by Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford

6. 5 Types of Currency Position-Related
Source: “Influence Without Authority” by Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford

7. Relationship-Related
5 Types of Currency
Relationship-Related
Source: “Influence Without Authority” by Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford

8. 5 Types of Currency Personal-Related
Source: “Influence Without Authority” by Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford

9. Managing Up … and Sideways
People must work together other across reporting lines – and across departments.

10. Managing Up … and Sideways
Influencing Your Boss
1. Match your behavioral style.
2. Be a proactive communicator.
3. Accommodate weaknesses.
4. Do the best job you can do.
5. Likewise, keep a good attitude.
6. Don’t react to a bully.
7. Know the boss’s place in the organization’s “pecking order.”
1. Match your behavioral style. Observe your boss’s behavioral and communication style. Is he/she she fast-paced and quick to make decisions? Does he/she consider decisions slowly and deliberately? The more you can match your style to your boss’s style, the more he/she will really hear what you’re saying.
2. Be a proactive communicator. Find out your boss’s preferred method – , in person drop-ins, or lengthy memos – and be sure to pass along information regularly. Most bosses don’t like to be caught off guard. Even if your boss doesn’t require it, keep him/her updated.
3. Accommodate weaknesses. If you know you have a boss who’s disorganized, instead of grousing about it, help him/her to stay on top of things. If your boss is often late to meetings, offer to start the next meeting for him/her. If your boss is slow to respond to requests, continue to work on a project while you wait to hear back. Will you be hiding your boss and enabling bad behavior? Maybe, but you’re offering much-needed support to succeed. Most bosses will appreciate it.
4. Do the best job you can do. Too many times people will start to slack off or stop performing well because they feel entitled with a bad boss. Don’t do it. Keep your mind focused on top performance.
5. Likewise, keep a good attitude. Go home and complain to your spouse or friends all you want, but when in the office or workplace, stay upbeat and engaged. You never know who is watching or listening.
6. Don’t react to a bully. Remember that bullies get their power from people who are afraid. If your boss is a yeller, criticizer, or judge – stand firm. If you’re doing the best job you can do, keep your head held high and don’t give in to bullying. Ask questions, try to understand, and work to diffuse a difficult situation instead of cowering or responding in anger. It takes practice, but the results are worth it.
7. Know the boss’s place in the organization’s “pecking order.” If your boss is well-regarded and well-liked, he/she probably does a very good job of managing up, too. As a result, you will be considered the “problem” if you complain about this person to his/her superiors. Weigh your options carefully before taking any action.
Source: University of Connecticut Health Center, Employee Assistance Program

11. Working with Others Across Departments
Managing Up … and Sideways
Working with Others Across Departments
1. Build Trust With Your Co-Workers.
2. Cultivate Reliability Through Consistency.
3. Be Assertive, Not Aggressive.
4. Be Flexible.
5. Be Personal.
6. Focus on Actions Rather Than Argument.
7. Listen to Others.
1. Build Trust With Your Co-Workers. Influence is most often and most easily carried through trust. Only when a co-worker trusts you will he or she be open to your influence. If you're in a higher position in the company hierarchy, it's possible to convey a demand or assign a task that must be carried out by your employee, but true influence suggests a free will component. If you assigned the same task but didn't carry a higher authority, would your employee still listen to you and believe that the task is necessary to execute?
This hypothetical may not be relevant to your situation, but regardless of your position in comparison to the positions of your co-workers, if you want a healthy and influential working relationship, you're going to have to cultivate trust. The easiest way to do that is to be open and honest, no matter what. State your opinions, disclose your apprehensions, and don't keep secrets. It's as simple as that.
2. Cultivate Reliability Through Consistency. Inconsistency is the fastest way to ruin your reputation. Consistency, on the other hand, is slow but sure--if you execute your tasks effectively and on time, day after day, eventually people will come to rely on you. The same is true when you execute a consistent style of leadership, setting consistent expectations with your employees and giving consistent rewards for good work. People will come to rely on your behavior and expect you to be a consistent performer.
That consistency is vital for building influence. Otherwise, you'll have an air of unpredictability about you, and people won't know whether to trust or impugn your suggestions. If you're consistently motivated by the same principles, people will trust that your ideas are solid and reliable as an extension, and that will make it easier to get people on your side. Consistency is especially important when you're in a lower position, since it demonstrates a degree of dedication.
3. Be Assertive, Not Aggressive. Being assertive is the only way to get your ideas noticed, especially when you're competing with others for visibility, such as in a meeting. However, there's a difference between being assertive and being aggressive. You'll need to present your thoughts and ideas with a high degree of confidence, indicating your convictions, but any excessive degree of confidence could be mistaken for needless arrogance, which will compromise your perceived authority. Tread carefully, especially when you're unfamiliar with your audience or if you're presenting your thoughts on an area outside of your expertise.
This assertiveness should extend as a general quality to all your interactions, regardless of whether you're speaking to employees above, below, or at your level, and regardless of the conversation format. Being assertive, so long as you truly believe in what you're saying, is a way to cultivate a reputation of authority and earn the ability to influence your peers and employees.
4. Be Flexible. Flexibility is also important. While this may seem like it conflicts with the need to be assertive--after all, it's difficult to assert yourself fully if you're open to changing your opinion--being too stringent or adamant in your beliefs will work against you. In this case, people will come to see you as a stubborn, immovable monolith, incapable of believing in anyone other than yourself. This can decrease the respect people have for you and compromise your overall influence.
Instead, work actively to show your flexibility while holding firm on your beliefs. Negotiations and compromises are often the best ways to do this. Stay rigid in your beliefs when someone contradicts you, but work with them to find a mutually acceptable solution. When people believe you to be flexible, they'll be more likely to listen to you even if they're stubborn in their own right.
5. Be Personal. A little personality goes a long way, especially when you're trying to build influence in the workplace. This is especially important when you're in a higher position, as a boss or a supervisor. If you isolate yourself, or try to build your perceived authority by distancing yourself from the others, it might only serve to alienate you and put you in a position where you're viewed with distrust or even resentment.
Instead, go out of your way to have personal exchanges with your employees and co-workers. You don't need to build friendships, but there's no reason why you can't get to know each other. Personal working relationships are important for cultivating a sense of team, and if people see you as another person on the team, they'll be more receptive when you disclose your ideas or opinions. The key here is to seem imperfect, approachable, and human.
6. Focus on Actions Rather Than Argument. Trying to build influence through words is useless. Even a leader with perfect diction and a background in rhetorical strategy can't hope to win the influence of his or her peers through speeches and arguments alone. If you're going to build influence in the workplace, you need to speak through your actions, or at the very least have the actions and history to back up whatever it is you're saying.
Part of this comes into play when you build consistency. Working hard consistently and getting consistently good results shows people that you're able to walk the walk. Demonstrating your ideas through real examples is the next step in this process. Instead of arguing about how your structure will work in theory, put it to the test. Show instead of tell.
7. Listen to Others. Finally, remember that influence is a two-way street. The more you believe in the people around you and incorporate their ideas into your vision, the more they'll believe in your ideas and incorporate them into their work habits. If you want to build up this kind of relationship with your co-workers and employees, you first have to listen. Listen to everyone's opinion, and encourage people to speak up, especially if they don't often voice their opinions. Take time to respect and acknowledge everybody's opinion, and let people know that you value them.
This creates an atmosphere of mutual trust, mutual respect, and mutual teamwork. If you're spearheading the initiative to build this environment, they'll come to see you as a leader, and your opinions will naturally be heard, acknowledged, and respected as a result.
Influence is an extraordinary asset in the professional world, but remember, your goal here should be to become more respected in the workplace, not to increase the likelihood of getting others to do your bidding. One is a respectable journey to greater prominence and productivity, while the other is simply a Machiavellian power trip.
Source: “7 Ways to Build Influence in the Workplace,” Inc.

12. Focus on Action Approx. 3 min.
Example of quickly influencing a group of people you do not know
Approx. 3 min.

13. Jill
Source: “Influence Without Authority” by Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford

14. Snapshots from Minnesota CTE
Troy Haugen Career & Technical Education Coordinator Lakes Country Service Cooperative
5-7 minutes

15. Implement Your Influence
ACTIONS ON THE JOB
1) Do your research
You need to understand how decisions are made in your company, when they’re made, and who’s involved in those decisions — at every level of the organization.
Observe formal, informal structures at your campus/school.
Who has influence? Where are the communicators?
2) Have conversations
We can change the world if we start talking to one another.
Remember to listen.

16. Implement Your Influence
3) Build Your Social Capital
Use soft skill networking to build up the coalitions that you’ll need in the future
Show up– be present, both in work and at work-related events
Show the “institution” that you are an important asset and can approach problems, propose solutions, be part of the bigger picture
Cultivating relationships with the people whom others trust and respect

17. Implement Your Influence
4) Observe Guidelines
Put it out there. Communicate clearly what you need.
Be transparent -- always. No hidden agendas. Don’t withhold information.
Do your best AND be willing to let go. (Resiliency required.)
5) Strive for Balance
Humility AND self assurance
Questions AND answers
Bring information AND a open mind to learning
Share WHY AND WHAT in needed actions

18. Resources for Leading Through Influence
Book: “Influence Without Authority” by Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford
Book: “Leading Without Authority” by Aditi Chopra
Course: “Leading without Formal Authority,” Lynda.com
Event: CTE Works! Summit 2018 – Sessions about Leadership Development D

19. Resources for Managing Up
Articles: “Managing Up,” Harvard Business Review
Webinar: “Influence: Managing Up, Across, & Down,” Harvard Business Review
Book: “HBR Guide to Managing Up and Across”
Course: “Managing Up, Down, And Across Organization,” Lynda.com