art and science of influence · the art of influence • location options for influencers ......
TRANSCRIPT
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
• 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