Moments of Influence Throughout our lifetime we will encounter instances where someone has either ask for our advice or have an obvious need for guidance. These times I refer to as moments of influence; here we get an opportunity to help someone and make them better. Every one of these encounters should count; we should have the attitude that we only have one chance to get it right and this instant is it. People come to us when they feel they don't have any other option or because they trust our judgment. Every move we make and every word we utter is recorded. They intend to walk away feeling better, satisfied, and more confident in themselves and their situation. It is important that we are empathetic but also honest. The words we convey should be factual but encouraging. Likewise, our delivery should address the specific issues but at the same time convey the big picture. When people visit us, we should be attentive and show that we are concerned about their situation. That means stop what you are doing and pay attention to what they have to say. Sometimes just moving from behind the desk sets the tone that we care and is available. Being compassionate also means we do not treat the dialogue as a business deal where we give the impression that we are watching the clock and hastily pushing towards a decision. Though we need to show that we care, we also should be honest, letting folks know the good, bad, and ugly. If they are the problem, they need to know that. It may take a little while for them to accept and digest that insight but they will walk away more knowledgeable about their circumstances. Anytime we provide people advice we should stick to the facts as much as possible. This requires that we provide references where people can validate if they are hitting the right targets. Also helpful are examples and templates that they can draw perspectives from. When we inject our personal beliefs we should make sure we label them as such so that people do not take them as the gospel and think that is the only acceptable way. Even though we need to give people the truth, our message should be hopeful making them see the best in their situation, having the feeling that what they are going through may be bad but it could be much worst. When we offer people guidance we should not beat around the bush or stray from the topic. We should focus on addressing the specific reason why they come to see us. Anything else, we are wasting time and giving them the impression we do not know what we are doing. Furthermore, our message should not be so narrowly focused that it
makes people ignorant to the bigger picture. They should know how their situation fits into the grander scope. This normally broadens their perspective and gives them a greater understanding of their situation. These moments of influence should be taken seriously; we are helping people to make important life and career decisions. The objective is to provide them the necessary guidance and resources to own and fix their issues. Even better use their experiences to help others who are facing the same situations. Moments of influence are instances of opportunity, a chance to help someone help themselves. JPED