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Influence Without Authority How to build effective relationships and create strategic alliances
Hello, how are you? In 1994, the LAB SSJ met Allan Cohen, professor emeritus at Babson College, author of the theme “Influence without Authority.� Since then, we have been representing in Brazil the influence model he developed. Our experience with businesses development programs have shown us the importance of this matter for varied audiences, from young professionals to leaders. Therefore, we decided to disclose, in a practical and straightforward way, the basic concepts of influence without authority. In the following pages of this pocketbook, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the challenges involved in the processes of influencing and understanding that much of the success depends on our ability to influence people over whom we do not have any kind of formal authority.
Enjoy yourself!
Influence without authority Influence is the ability to mobilize people to make things happen. Influence has to do with trade, with something that can be exchanged for things that people value. A person claiming something today may be the same person who you will need in the future, perhaps to implement a project, to find resources or to create a satisfactory working relationship with bosses. Whatever the job, people expect their workmates to contribute according to reasonable limits, and this is the interaction that leads anyone to influence and be influenced. The influence is particularly important when cooperation is needed and there is resistance, or when what is asked is hard to the other person or very difficult to obtain.
To get cooperation through influence is vital in today’s world. The point is that nobody gets what he/she wants, even with formal authority if he/she does not know how to influence - especially with people whom we do not have direct authority. There lies the key to success or ... failure. Who has never needed the help of someone from another area to complete a task but did not get this help? Who has never carried out a project without the collaboration of the other members of the group? Who has never had a great idea, but on account of his/her position in the company, had to ask the support of a superior not interested in hearing or understanding his/her point of view?
It is easy to recognize such situations in our daily work. Everybody knows what they want to achieve. However, it is common not to know what to do “to get there” or even not to know who are the key people who must be influenced to achieve these goals. So, what to do? Firstly, we must recognize that no one does anything relevant alone. Very seldom can somebody carry out an activity with the help of nobody. Everyone depends on others to implement ideas, sell projects or complete his/ her work. Therefore, the processes of influence are essential to mobilize leaders, workmates or subordinates. It is great when you know in advance how to get cooperation! All you need to do is ask. But sometimes, it is not so simple. There are some points to take into consideration to be effective and to create relationships where everyone wins: • Influence has something in common with reciprocity, to give something valued by another person in exchange for something valued by you.
• Connect with others is important. If you cultivate good relations, you will have more chance of finding the right people with willingness to help. • To have common sense and show competence in your assignments is a basic assumption to influence the work environment. • Put the company’s goals above personal goals makes you gain credibility in attempting to influence in addition to help you protect your reputation among people who you influence. • Usually, the difficulty in influencing somebody depends on you. Sometimes the issue is in not knowing what to do which is relatively easy to solve. • Any person may be more influential than he/she thinks. When the relationship is good, you need not make a conscious diagnosis, plan carefully how to approach others or be subtle in implementing your project. But sometimes you have to think how to achieve what you want.
Influence, not manipulation It is important to distinguish influence and manipulation. Manipulation is unethical and often generates unpleasant oppositions. In contrast, influence can be practiced by all without causing any damage. Attempts to influence are not manipulative if you can tell your intentions to your possible ally without losing your power of influence.
Influence • Be aware of what you do to influence. • To adapt the arguments and language to the others interests. • Not to mention your goals if not asked about. • Strive to be interested and concerned about others. • Do a special favor that you would not do to anyone. • To realize favorably the benefits.
Manipulation • To pretend interest and concern for others. • To lie about your intentions. • To lie about the benefits. • To commit yourself to do something you have no intention to keep. • To search weaknesses and vulnerabilities of others using it to force her/him to breach his/her own values.
Reciprocity:
why it’s so important? Anything you want to achieve successfully will involve some kind of exchange. Reciprocity, a universal idea that people should receive the equivalent in return for what they offer, is the principle that permeates all human relationships.
Men are social beings and easily create cooperative arrangements involving future benefits. Somehow, we hope to get back the cooperation we have extended to someone. We are able to remember the benefits offered, to monitor relationships identifying cheaters,
and we possess a strong sense of justice. Over time, we fail to relate to people who do not return what we expect. Feelings as trust, gratitude and loyalty regulate the trading of favors, especially among people who meet repeatedly, as in the work environment. Thus, some help that does not mean much to the one who offers can render a valuable contribution in a situation of future need. It is interesting that mutual cooperation involves benefits to others with costs for those who do the favor. However, those costs are compensated by the benefits got on other situations. In this dynamic of exchange, favors returned later compensate the costs involved.
From the evolutionary theory point of view, mutual cooperation has evolved from the naturally struggle for survival among individuals defending their diverse personal interests*, since the best gains were achieved by cooperators working oriented by reciprocity. In this sense, reciprocity can only be used with advantage for species that have long life and form stable groups, such as monkeys, for instance. Thus, the art of giving and receiving, cooperating with others without immediate prospect of benefit is part of any process of influence. * To learn more, the “Prisoner’s Dilemma� model developed by Robert Axelrod and William Hamilton (The Evolution of Cooperation, 1981), explains the manifestation of cooperation among people concerned about their own survival
Mutual cooperation is observed only when: 1. There is a high probability of reunion among the participants so that they can repay. 2. There is individual recognition, so that you can tell who gave favors and who are the cheaters and thus reward appropriately.
3. Favor costs so little for those who do and means a lot for those who receive.
Barganing Chips Currency exchange is a metaphor for everything that is valued by people. The bargaining chip represent resources that can be exchanged so are considered the basis of influence. It is through
bargaining chips that you get what you want and give in return what other people want. Without this bargaining chips that others value, you have nothing to change, and the influence is only possible
when you have what others want. The exchanges presuppose mutual benefit, and compensation equivalent payment, but these effects are not quantifiable neither have term; They are based only on trust. One way or another, we always expect a return. Although this concept seems simple, trading for attempts to influence turns out to be a complex process. How to pay a workmate for his willingness to help in a report? Is it enough to tell the boss that his help was important, or a simple “thanks� will do? It is not easy to imagine what the other person considers to be equivalent to what was offered. Considering the value of things is different from person to person. The value of the bargaining chip is based on the perception of others. The same thing can be valued for different reasons and by different people. Thus, the first step is always to try to understand what the other person values.
The most common types of bargaining chips: Inspiration bargaining chips reflect inspiring goals that add value to the work done by someone. Vision: is when you inspire others to see the larger meaning that is behind your cooperation, usually in relation to the future vision of the company. Excellence: is when you offer someone the opportunity to accomplish a high quality work, making the person feel pride in the excellence of the result. Integrity / moral / ethics: assign tasks, making the person feels he/she is doing what is right according to his/ her values and according to what she/ he considers ethical. To Make he/she feel good is already a reward.
Bargaining chips related to tasks are directly linked to the work performance and the satisfaction that comes from well performing assignments.
Bargaining chips related to job positions involve the position the person holds within the company, and can assist in the work and advance their careers.
New features: in companies where resources are scarce or difficult to be obtained, a valuable bargaining chip is to provide new resources for people to achieve their goals.
Recognition: people feel good when they are recognized for their work, therefore, sharing the credits with others is a valuable bargaining chip.
Challenges: to give someone a chance to perform challenging jobs is one of the bargaining chips most valued by people in the workplace, especially if the person can be successful in more complex issues.
Visibility: people contribute more when they have an opportunity to be noticed by the most powerful people in business.
Assistance: people generally respond favorably to anyone who offers to relieve tasks that are more complex or difficult to solve. Quick response: to respond quickly to urgent requests can be valuable to a workmate or superior who need to resolve important issues. Information: people value relevant information to help them improve their performance or manage key issues.
Reputation: this bargaining chip directly affects the effectiveness of the work. God reputation offers various opportunities such as being consulted on ideas or be considered for designing new projects. By contrast, poor reputation can hinder or even obstruct their job performance. Contacts: build satisfying relationships leads to a network of contacts that can be activated when necessary.
Bargaining chips in relationships are more bounded to strengthen relationships with others than to fulfill the organizational work. Inclusion: people value proximity, so they are receptive to those who are more open and warm. Comprehension: people like those who listen and pay attention to their most important issues. Personal Support: people enjoy and will remember a gesture or a word of support in times of stress. This consideration becomes an important bargaining chip.
Cautions There are situations in which the bargaining chips can be used inappropriately: •
To disregard what you have to offer: information, technical resources, customer knowledge, etc.
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Do not use what you control and does not require permission to be used: gratitude, recognition, respect, helping others, etc.
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Do not give what the other person values just because you do not consider it important.
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Do not perform anything beyond what is expected of you.
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Do not deliver what was promised: to exaggerate or lie.
Barriers to influence
There are situations where your natural understanding about “give-and-take “ is not enough and you feel in a blind alley. Despite your enthusiasm in trying to get what you want, the more you force, the more resistance you will find. Regardless of your skills as influential, it is sometimes impossible to overcome certain barriers, either for the lack of awareness of the situation and the ability to mobilize a resistant person, or for the lack of attitude and courage. Anyway, it is important to note that in most cases the barriers are within the influencer/ influential person. The big challenge is to overcome your feelings and reactions in order to make an accurate diagnosis of what is needed, and so learn to overcome fears and inappropriate notions that paralyze you. Influence is doing what must be done for you to achieve cooperation, not impose your values on others. What do you prefer, to be right or to be effective?
Influence is doing what must ve done for you to achive cooperation, not impose your values on others. What do you prefer, to be right or to be effective? In most cases, the barriers are within the influencer.
Understand some reasons why it may be difficult to achieve what you need to perform your job well
External barriers • Formal Power: A great difference between your job position and the job position you want to influence. Sometimes the difference is so great that you do not have what to offer. • Difference of objectives: the people who you want to influence have goals and priorities very different from you. They do not care about your reasons for having expectations incompatible with yours, thus it is difficult to find something in common. • Incompatible guidelines: when people are charged and rewarded for things that don’t let them respond to what you want within the organization. Their goals are simply not compatible with yours. • Rivalry: When people you want to influence are very competitive and do not want you to be successful, even though your success may be beneficial for the company. For personal issues, feelings obstruct the ability to judge properly.
Internal barriers • Focus on wrong information: to have focus on what you want to accomplish, instead of giving focus to what the person you want to influence values. • Blinding Attitudes: a) To think that others should recognize your reasons naturally; b) To reject persons for free, judging them for their defects; c) Apart yourself or be hostile because the other people’s objectives, discarding valuable information which you could be used in your favor to influence others. • Fear of the reaction: to assume that others will react negatively before even trying. • Inability to focus on what is important: no clarity about what you want and about the people that should be mobilized; to insist on secondary or irrelevant points, in general, symbolic things.
When you feel that there are barriers and difficulties, we must step back and think of a way to influence that works. How? Using the Influence model.
Influence Model
The influence model is a guide for dealing with particular situations.
• You do not know the other person.
Using the influence model is especially useful when:
• Your request is unpleasant or difficult to meet.
• The person or group is tough.
• You do not have another chance like it.
• You have a fragile relationship with the person or group.
The six-step of the Influence model 1. Assume everybody as potential allies Winning people who do not have the obligation to cooperate with you is the greatest challenge in processes of influence. To show resistance to the toughest people for free, assuming them as adversaries is not the best approach to influence. To treat others as enemies will generates rivalry and conflict, which can make your work a hard assignment. And imagine that the other is a fool or worse does not lead anywhere, only creates resentment and possible retaliation. To be apart will only restrict your influence power. The relationship should be beneficial for everyone, so “do not close the door” to people you might need in the future.
2. Clarify goals and priorities It is important, before anything, that you know what you want, both for you and for people or groups that you want to influence.
A fundamental distinction is to separate what would be good to get and what is absolutely necessary to do. To have a good performance and meet expectations at work is a basic condition for influence. The ideal is to know how to associate your personal goals (visibility, rewards, etc.) to the company’s needs.
3. Evaluate the others’ behavior To adopt the right influence approach, firstly it is necessary to understand what drives the other’s behavior. If you want to know their expectations or what kind of repertoire he/she has, ask friendly questions that encourage an opening between you. Establishing trust is the first step towards the flow of information among people. Observe their discourse and what their interests are, find out about what they are charged in their function, so you can understand their reasons and to avoid the tendency to blame their personality or character in order to justify behaviors that are displeasing or that you do not fully understand.
4. Identify relevant bargaining chips - yours and those of others People vary greatly as how they value things. What is important to others may not mean anything to you. It is therefore necessary to examine carefully what is relevant for people who you want to influence. What they show interest in? What are they signaling by their discourse? What they say, firstly, when they explain why they do not want to collaborate? This information is meant to find out which bargaining chips are most valued. Knowing that such bargaining chips matters to others is essential to a successful trading.
5. Dedicate yourself to relationships Stay tuned to relate in the way the other prefers to interact and not in the way you like best. And if there is a history of mistrust, caution is needed. Confidence is the key element in relationships. The most successful people in influencing are those who show genuine interest in the others’ well-being and know
how to connect in a way that everyone wins. The secret is to collaborate and achieve results at the same time you help others to achieve their goals. And it doesn’t have to be only on great occasions - small grants have much to enrich relationships. It is important to learn how to do it naturally.
6. Influence by the acts of giving and receivingr If you focus only on your own needs, all you are going to get is isolation. The best strategy is to establish good relationships and be receptive to other’s requests. So you create a good reputation and earn credits over time. Being well regarded by others for offering what they want or need may guarantee future return when necessary. However, you must know the dosage of your dedication not to run out of time and resources you also need to fulfill your own goals.
The acts of giving and receiving are good for all in the work environment
3 Diagnose the other person’s world
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Manage relationships
Influence by giving and receiving
6 4
2 Align with the organization’s goals
Identify the relevant currencies – yours and the other’s
How to know what others want Assume that everyone is your potential ally
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Aspects to consider about the others’ behavior: •
Responsibilities
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Priorities at work
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How she/she is evaluated and evaluate others
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People and departments with which she/he interacts
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Career aspirations
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Work and communication style
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Work concerns, uncertainties and pressure
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Prior professional experience
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Training
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Personal interests
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Values
Understand the most common attitudes that block the effectiveness at each stage of the influence model: Do not assume others as a potential ally To think badly of the most difficult people to influence is the most deadly trap that someone might fall into. Even when negative attributions are not spoken aloud, people communicate somehow what they think about others. This only makes that the other be closed and you can no longer get what you would like from him/her.
Do not clarify your goals and priorities A big mistake is to mix personal goals to organizational objectives. When personal victory
becomes more important than collaboration, the intense desire to succeed can bring damages to the relationship with others, reducing the chances of achieving what you most want. The point is that whoever does his/her jobs right, in due course, will be recognized naturally.
Do not evaluate the others’ behavior Not to take into consideration what is important to the other, especially in the workplacewhere company guidelines shape the goals, concerns and needs of people, may be a step toward failure.
Do not identify the others’ bargaining chips To ignore that others may value a number of things or to think that they value the same things as you is a way of limiting the chances of being successful. If you consider only one bargaining chip, for example, you may see no other means of exchange.
understanding, respect, help, etc. can be offered for free, without permission from anyone. The majority of people have more things available than they imagine.
Do not analyze your relationship with a potential ally
Do not accept the others’ bargaining chips Sometimes, understanding and knowing what the other values is not enough if you are not willing to meet the person’s needs or are uncomfortable to give what she/he wants - a compliment, for example. If you don’t overcome your feelings, your power to influence will be much less than it could be.
Do not measure the resources you have in relation to what the other wants Many of the bargaining chips desired by others are the ones which you have in abundance without realizing it. Prestige, status, recognition,
To ignore the benefits of positive relationships can block trades. Without establishing trust and credibility in dealing with potential allies, it becomes harder to prove your good intentions. It’s useless to pretend interest in others or to try being nice in the last minute. If the approach sounds false, trying to influence will only create more mistrust.
Do not perceive how you want to make your trades Not to determine a trading strategy or not being aware of the resources you can gather to make positive trades can create barriers when it’s time to use influence. Disregarding the other’s interaction style or forcing cooperation over other’s interests can weaken the trust, making even the most attractive agreements be rejected.
Tactics Of
influence Tactic is the way of influence approaching, is the behavior adopted to exert influence. The tactics employed to influence include any action that someone uses to achieve
goals. In influence processes, tactics can be combined with the bargaining chips. Below, we list some of the main influence tactics that have already been classified:
Rational persuasion In this tactic, rational argument, credibility and trust are key ingredients to convince the other, therefore the ability of expressing yourself is essential. This tactic is more effective when people have common goals.
Being nice In this tactic of influence, the person behaves in a pleasant, friendly or helpful way to bring in the other a favorable perception of him/her favor before making his/her requests. However, the favors or compliments should be perceived as sincerely to the effectiveness of influence. So, being nice is considered a long-term strategy of influence.
Legitimating With this tactic, the person claiming the right to make the request through legitimate parameters, such as policies and rules of the organization, the authority of the job position and tradition to influence the other. The legitimacy of a claim can be verified with some kind of formal document, such as standards, policies, contracts or plans. Another way is to indicate that the request has the support of an authority or that it has been approved by a higher board.
Be inspiring In this tactic, the speech seeks to inspire others through values and ideals that arouse enthusiasm and commitment. No tangible reward is promised, only the prospect of feeling good for participating in actions with noble and fair purposes.
Consultation When using the consultation, the person seeks to involve others in the planning of strategy, activity or change for which their support or assistance are desirable. The other’s point of view adds some value in favor of a single purpose. This process illustrates the apparent paradox of gaining influence giving influence.
Alliances The alliance is used when a single individual can not influence alone. He seeks the help of others to persuade someone to do something or uses the support of others as a reason for your request to be accepted. Asserting someone unwilling that the task is supported by people he likes or respects is an example of how this tactic can be employed.
About
influence The influence is a process that involves knowing the other sufficiently to understand what he/ she values; be clear about what you need and make trades in which everyone wins. Therefore, it is essential to have empathy, putting yourself
in someone else’s shoes and understanding their perspectives and reacting from the circumstances experienced by them, with real interest in their issues. Many people focus only on formal authority and believe that power resides in the ability to say “no�,
Influence is a powerful way to create allies and achieve goals, build an environment of collaboration and mutual support, with consistent results.
when in fact the real power comes from knowing when and how to say “yes”, and to seek ways of saying “yes” more often. What is necessary to be influential? Resources! The more resources you have which others want, more power of influence you will have. But the power to say “yes” requires you to know your interests, abilities and achievements as much as those of people who you want to influence.
The best use of power is when you do not have to use it. You raise your power and influence when you allow people to act with autonomy, letting them influence you as well. You can not always give what people want but you can try, and that will be appreciated. The idea is not to turn everyone into great friends, but to transform difficult relationships - which may obstruct the work to be done successfully - in acceptable working relationships.
Summing up, you should: 1. Do a diagnosis on the interest of others 2. To find out what bargaining chips you control 3. To care about the relationships Basically, influence is a powerful way to create allies and achieve goals, build a collaborative and mutual support environment, with consistent results.
Managing Up Is it possible to be more effective with your superior and so gain more freedom of action, supporting and challenging jobs? Incredible as it may seem, the effectiveness of your manager is part of your work. You are also responsible for helping your boss to be a more effective and better manager for you. Your relationship with him should be much more a partnership than a superiorsubordinate relationship. When you are partners, work flows much better. And the best way to influence your boss is always to be aligned with his/her objectives and interests. Thus, what bargaining chips do you control? Although each boss has unique concerns and interests, there are some universal bargaining chips which most bosses value in a
subordinate: • • • • • • •
• •
To perform above and beyond what is expected. To have your boss not worrying about your area. To consider political factors of the organization. To protect your boss in any tricky situation. To be a reliable source of relevant information about the company. To give information about problems. To represent your boss in other areas so that he/she can perform in important activities. To support and defend the decisions of the boss to the peers’ team. To prevent problems rather than waiting for them to happen.
Bibliography AXELROD, R. & HAMILTON, W. The Evolution of Cooperation. In: Science, 211(4489):1390-6, 1981. COHEN, A. & BRADFORD, D. Influence Without Authority – 2nd edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2005. COHEN, A. & BRADFORD, D. Power Up – Transforming organizations through shared leadership. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1998. SANTILLE, A. Efeitos de nível hierárquico e gênero no uso de táticas de influência interpessoal nas organizações. São Paulo, 2007. YUKL, G. Leadership in Organizations. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1994.
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