Art and Science of Influence

ASPE Web Seminar

David Mantica

Agenda

The Science of Influence

• What it is

• Manipulation verses Influence

• Psychology of organizational behavior

– Power basis broken down

• Cognitive bias impact on influence

– Cognitive dissonance

– Cognitive biases broken out and how to deflect

• Economist Magazine Schumpeter Article

Agenda The Art of Influence

• Location options for Influencers

• Non-verbal verses verbal in influence

• Professionals skills required

• Critical skills of the Influencer

– Putting people at easy

– Read people

– Be transparent

– Provide solutions/ideas

– Accept the final decision (even NO)

• Influencers are executors not manipulators

Science of Influence

What is Influence

• Denotation:

– The capacity to have an effect on character, development

or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself

(noun)

– Have an influence on / persuade (verb)

• Connotation:

– Getting someone or a group to do something that you

believe is right that will help the group, team or

organization for the better

Influence vs Manipulation

Power* is…

The ability to do or act; the capability of doing or

accomplishing something by using command or control

over others.

* Source: Dictionary.com.

http://bankofinfo.com/impact-of-power-on-others/

More Basic Look at Power Corrupting

• Researchers believe power has a somewhat

dehumanizing effect on people and the powerful are

more self-focused and less empathetic

– Powerful people or people who think they are powerful

show less motor resonance. Can’t imagine things from

other perspectives

– Powerful people don’t think they are better they just don’t

think about others

– Happens to anyone who feels powerful not just rich or

famous

Six Power Bases

• Coercive

• Expert

• Information

• Positional

• Referent

• Reward

– How to do influence people using these power bases

– How do you use these power bases to influence

Coercive Power Base

• Most negative type

• Least effective at getting results

• Uses negative influences – demoting, degrading,

humiliating, or withholding other rewards

• Creates resentment and resistance among followers

Expert Power Base

• Highly specific

• Comes from skills or expertise

• Depends on the workplace’s need for those abilities and

knowledge

• Limited to a person’s area of expertise, training, or

qualifications

Information Power Base

• Situation and temporary

power

• Comes from having

knowledge or holding specific

information

• Requires keeping up-to-date

with new research

• Demands being well-informed

• Involves persuading others

Positional Power Base

• Most important kind of power

• Most obvious form of power

• Referred to as legitimate power

• Involves formal authority provided by job position

• Includes power possessed due to work responsibilities

• May include the use of uniforms, offices, or other

symbols

Referent Power Base

• Most effective power base

• Second least obvious power base

• Often called charismatic power

• Uses influencing abilities to attract others by building

loyalty based on charisma and interpersonal skills

• Involves the ability to influence others to identify with the

holder’s personal qualities

Reward Power Base

• Obvious power base

• Ineffective if overused

• Involves giving rewards to

others including benefits,

time off, gifts, promotions,

increases in pay or

increases in responsibility

• Abusers can be seen as

too pushy or trying to

move things along too

quickly

Organizational Types

• Command and Control

• Matrix

• Self-organization

– Structure of each type

– Impacts to being and influencer in each type

• Pro and con

Cognitive Biases Impacting Influence

• Cognitive Dissonance

– The gap between what we believe and information that

conflicts with it

• Brain lights up with confirmation information

• Brain goes dark with disconfirming information

• Two Primary issues

– Applying cognitive basis without realizing it

– Relying on habitual mental tools (heuristics) to make

decisions

Endowment Effect

Loss or Regret Aversion

Social Proof

Reciprocity

Confirmation Bias

Art of Influence

Location / Tools options for Influence

• Telephone

• Email

• Social media / blogging / White papers

• Face to face

• Conferences / Trade shows

– Influence a market or industry

– Influence the interest in something

– Influence the direct of a company

Communication

Channels

• Words

• Tone of Voice

• Body Language

Professional Skills for Influencers

• Emotional Intelligence

• Negotiation

• Facilitation

• Conflict understand and control

Best Practice #1

• Putting People at Ease

– Body language, tone of voice, language

used

• Use these tools to get people comfortable

– Smile / use positive demeanor

• Focus on your point of reference

– Don’t cross the door mat line

Best Practice #2

• Read People

– When you do number #1 put people at

ease you gain an advantage

• More comfortable someone is the more

information they provide

• The more information you get

• Reading someone helps you knock down

“walls” faster and get to the “heart” of the

situation

Best Practice #3

• Be Transparent

– Remember the story of the Emperor’s Robe http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheEmperorsNewClothes_e.html

• Leaders seldom get honest feedback

• Honest and direct, use best practice #1 in

how you deliver

• Use facts and tie back to specific goals

• Your influence goes through the roof when

you do this right

Best Practice #4

• Provide Solutions / Ideas

– The goal is to move forward so give

direction on how to move forward

• Don’t be a “chicken little”

• Give solutions and discuss which solution

you would do and why…show “skin in the

game

• Accept the final decision even if it isn’t your

choice or suggestion, move to execution

Best Practice #5

• Don’t be a manipulator / strategy person

– Manipulators point out problems, seldom

offer solutions and NEVER execute

– Strategy people, give solutions and ideas

but never execute

– Influencers: move ideas to action,

influencers are executors