Post on 13-Dec-2015
Selling Your Ideas in the Absence of Authority
Elaine Seat, PhD, PE
elaine.seat@circlespring.com
Objectives
At the end of this session you will:
– Understand how people gain power
– What you can do to influence others
– Get a plan of strategies for starting to get power and influence
Session Outline
• Understanding where power comes from
• Understanding what power and influence are and are not
• Understanding which influence tactics work
• Characteristics/traits/behaviors that work and don’t work
• Getting a plan to improve your own personal influence
What Is Power?Power is the potential to
influence behavior
Power is all about relationships and the dependence between
people
Why Power Matters
People who have POWER and use it effectively;
- attain desired jobs more quickly
- make more money
- are promoted more quickly
Power and Influence Myths
• Power & Influence are inherently slimy
• Rationality is the best form of influence
• Power stems solely from one’s position
• Involving others & sharing power weakens your own position
• First impressions & good manners are old fashioned
Types of Power
• Expert
• Connection
• Legitimate
• Reward
• Coercive
• Information
• Referent
Influence Tactics
• Ingratiation• Consultation• Exchange• Inspiration• Personal Appeal
• Pressure• Logic (Rational
Persuasion)• Legitimizing• Coalition
Understanding Your Power
Position Personal
Types of Power
Legitimate Reward Coercive Connection Information Expert Referent
InfluenceTactics
Legitimi-zation
Exchange Pressure Coalitions RationalPersuasion
RationalPersuasion
InspirationalAppeal
Consultation
PersonalAppeal
RationalPersuasion
Ingratiation
PowerSource
Consequences of Influence Tactics
Tactic (in order of use)Resistance
Outcome %Compliance Outcome %
Commitment Outcome %
Rational Persuasion 47 30 23
Pressure 56 41 3
Personal Appeal 25 33 42
Exchange 24 41 35
Ingratiation 41 28 31
Coalition 53 44 3
Legitimizing 44 56 0
Consultation 18 27 55
Inspirational Appeal 0 10 90
Six Characteristics that Derail
• Insensitive to others, abrasive, intimidating
• Cold, aloof, arrogant
• Betraying Other’s trust
• Overly ambitious, playing politics & always trying to move up
• Unable to delegate or team build
• Over-dependent on others (e.g. a mentor)
Five Qualities for Promotion
• Attractiveness
• Conscientiousness
• Extraordinary Personal Effort
• Personal legitimacy
• Agreeable-ness
Do Looks Really Matter?
Five Skills for Gaining Power
• Introducing Others
• First Impressions
• Being an Expert
• Social Networking
• Build your interpersonal skills
The Spiderweb
The Spiderweb
The Spiderweb
The Spiderweb
The Spiderweb
Social Networking
• Have a positive outlook on asking for help and soliciting support
• Go beyond work and be active in other groups
• Manage the contacts you make
• Be a Friend – support others
The Bottom Line
Having Influence is about:- valuing both emotion and the task- getting to know lots of people- getting your part done well & on time- seeing the world as a place of abundance instead of scarcity- making your engineering know-how be one of a many tools in your toolbox
Getting your own Plan
1. List 3 personal characteristics you have that are a plus with your P&I
2. List 3 personal characteristics you have that hinder your P&I
3. Of the 3 that hinder, which one are you most willing to change?
4. What specifically are you going to do differently? When will you start?
Summary of Key Points
• P&I are what enable to you make a difference
• Relationships and learning the skills to build relationships are important
• You can learn skills that will help you achieve P&I
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Selling Your Ideas in the Absence of Authority