5 ways you can influence more effectively

The ability to influence effectively is a vital competency for managers, particularly when it comes to ensuring the success of big strategic initiatives.   In high-stakes situations, such as a company-wide change program, restructure or roll out of a business-critical technology system, it’s important to get key stakeholders on side from day one. Winning support for major projects like these, however, isn’t always easy–particularly with today’s flatter management structures, where leaders may find themselves having to influence people over whom they have no direct control.   The rise of geographically dispersed teams is an added complication. Persuading peers to support an initiative that could radically affect the way they operate is that much harder when you are having to build relationships in the virtual space, with people you may never have met. Matrix organisational structures, where boundaries between roles are fluid and employees may have dual reporting relationships, can also be difficult to navigate.   In this scenario, employees are typically drawn from different functional disciplines to make up project teams, while still retaining their original role – making it difficult to identify where key stakeholders sit and what their perspective on initiatives might be. So, what are the influencing skills and techniques you need to rise to the challenge and drive strategic initiatives through successfully? Identify key stakeholders Work out who the key stakeholders for your project are likely to be. Think about who will be supportive, who will fall into the ‘neutral’ camp and who is likely to meet you with resistance.   Don’t limit your list to the movers and shakers in the business.   Make sure you also include the influencers who can open doors or give you access to the data you need to support your case.   Assess where you already have relationships and where you will need to invest time in building them. List all your key stakeholders and try to prioritize them in terms of their importance to the success of your project. You could rate them on a scale of 1 -10 so that you can you can see at a glance who the key players are and how much work you need to do to get the right people on side. Take a strategic approach Once you have a clear picture of the stakeholder situation, you need to start planning how you will communicate and build relationships.   If you’re working on an initiative that is critical to the success of the business going forward, stakeholder engagement isn’t something that can be left to chance–or indeed to one person alone. Everyone in the project team needs to take responsibility for making sure all the right people are consulted, informed and involved, to whatever degree is appropriate. Draw up a timeline for on-going communication with all the relevant parties, thinking carefully about what level of communication different people will need, how frequently you need to engage with them to maintain momentum and what approaches or channels you will use. Flex your influencing style We all have a preferred influencing style.   Maybe you are someone who likes to focus on presenting the facts and figures to make a compelling business case.   Or perhaps you prefer to whip up energy and enthusiasm by telling stories and painting a vision of what the future could look like.   It’s important to recognize, however, that the people on the receiving end of your influencing efforts will have their own preferences around how they like to receive and process information.   Some will want a formal presentation, with the pros and cons and all the salient details set out in black and white.   Others will prefer a more discursive approach and will want to talk through the implications informally, before going away to reflect on their response.   The best influencers are able to draw on a toolkit on influencing techniques and approaches, picking up on subtle signs about how best to deliver their message and adapting their style to suit the audience and the env ironment. Understand other’s perspective Try to step back from the situation and put yourselves in other people’s shoes.   You may recognize that the planned initiative is going to make a positive difference to the business, but others may not see it like that.   Think about how the planned change or new initiative will affect the people you need to engage.   What impact will it have on the way they go about their work?   What concerns are they likely to have, for their own role, and for the way their teams operate and are structured?   Engaging in an open debate about the issues is more effective than trying to wrestle people into submission. Ask lots of questions and genuinely listen to what people have to say. These honest conversations will help you build trust and buy-in and will probably help to generate insights and ideas that will lead to a better outcome in the end. Aim for a win-win situation In business, as in life, it’s not always possible to get exactly what you want. But you are more likely to achieve a successful outcome for your initiative or change program if you can find a way to deliver mutual benefit. Find out what is driving colleagues’ agendas and what is behind any resistance or lack of buy-in you may be encountering. They may be under pressure to deliver their own projects to tight deadlines, for example, and are concerned that your plans will get in the way. Try and show people how your proposals align with their own strategic or departmental goals. If you can identify what all parties involved stand to gain, you will have more chance of getting people engaged and achieving a win-win situation. If you would like to find out more about our Influencing Strategies Program,  download a brochure here Pam Jones is a Professor of Practice at Ashridge Executive Education. As a member of the Ashridge Open Programmes management team, Pam has responsibility for the design and delivery of a suite of influencing and performance management programmes. Before joining Ashridge Pam worked internationally with HSBC based in Hong Kong, and with Monash Mount Elisa Business School in Melbourne. Hult offers a range of highly skills-focused and employability-driven business school programs including a range of MBA options and a comprehensive one year Masters in International Business. To find out more, take a look at our blog Understand your ability to make an impact—and influence others. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .