Influencing without authority is one of the most valuable skills you can learn and there are many useful forms of influence that you could be taking greater advantage of. Six sources of influence are positional, expertise, resources, informational, direct, and relationships.
Jo Miller details these further here and below are some highlights.
Expertise influence: The influence that comes with your background, experience, qualifications and career accomplishments. Nora Denzel is a member of the board of directors for Ericsson, Saba and Outerwall. When she spoke to senior technical leaders at a women’s conference, she reminded them that, “It’s not what you know and it’s not who you know. It’s who knows what you know.” Find appropriate and effective ways to promote your accomplishments.
Relationships influence: The influence that grows as you build great working relationships with those you rely on to get your job done, and everyone else that your role touches. Dr. Sophie Vandebroek, Chief Technology Officer with Xerox, said, “It’s not enough to have a bright idea. I have seen too many projects led by great, passionate people fail because they tried to be a lone influencer. You have to get the right people in the boat with you. You have to engage the entire human fabric.”
Are you leading a project or team without formal authority? Do you have some great ideas but you need others’ support to successfully execute? Would you like to learn more about influencing without authority? If so, join WEST and Ank Stuyfzand for an interactive workshop to explore the key factors for becoming more influential; ways to build credibility, strengthen relationships, and enhance your communication style... all to increase your ability to influence those critical to your success.
