•To consider the sources of influencing power available to you•To identify different influencing styles to apply

Objectives for the workshop

Sources of power

Kotter (1985) Power and Influence

Identify the sources of resistance to your authority in: •Making decisions•Giving approval•Managing others

Building your influencing strengths

Sources of power

Kotter (1985) Power and Influence

Who consults you regularly?

Who follows your advice?

Which senior managers recognise your contribution, and show they value it?

Building your influencing strengths

Sources of power

Kotter (1985) Power and Influence

Identify tangible and intangible resources which you can give or withhold access to

Building your influencing strengths

Sources of power

Kotter (1985) Power and Influence

How would you rate yourself at:

•Speaking at meetings?•Active listening for understanding?•Modelling collaborative dialogue?•Ensuring others take seriously what matters to you?•Avoiding being passive or aggressive in discussion?•Holding the attention of a group or larger audience?

Building your influencing strengths

McCaffery (2004) The Higher Education Manager’s Handbook

PushOther party Pull

Move a

way

Basic influencing styles

Objective

Persuading Proposing

•Putting forward ideas, suggestions and recommendations•Asking questions that present a position

Reasoning•Giving reasons and facts in support of one’s position•Disagreeing with another’s ideas or casting doubt on the position of others

Push styles (1)

Push styles (2)

AssertingStating expectations

•Communicating demands, expectations, needs, requirements or standards

Evaluating•Judging others (negatively or positively) based on one’s personal standards or intuition

Applying incentives and pressures •Offering something to motivate or get agreement•Applying pressure to gain agreement or to change•Using authority or status to exert influence

BridgingInvolving and supporting

•Asking for information and opinions•Supporting and encouraging others•Being responsive to questions and concerns

Listening•Summarising what you heard another person say to test understanding•Reflecting back the underlying feelings of the speaker•Asking for clarification

Disclosing•Selectively sharing private information•Admitting mistakes and accepting criticism non-defensively•Letting uncertainty show; asking for help

Pull styles (1)

AttractingVisioning

•Describing exciting possibilities or ideal outcomes•Sharing hopes and aspirations

Finding common ground•Pointing out common goals and areas of agreement•Stories of heroes, villains, broken dreams, fulfilled fantasies…

Pull styles (2)

Moving away styles

Disengaging•Postponing•Refocusing discussion, staying cool and objective, injecting humour or otherwise reducing tension without avoiding controversial issues

Avoiding•Minimising or dismissing differences of opinion•Changing one’s position or withdrawing to avoid confrontation or conflict•Changing the subject, suggestion bureaucratic procedures or referring to others to avoid controversial issues

From Confusion to Renewal•Provide a vision and a direction•Sell solutions, don’t tell!•Focus on the first steps•Set demanding but attainable goals•Keep feeding back results quickly•Use cross-functional teams•Reward new behaviours / performance•Positive and clear leadership•Team building events•Develop and communicate strategy and direction•Identify and work on barriers

Preventing slippage back to Contentment•Keep providing feedback – both internal and external•Encourage and stimulate•Keep refining and transmitting the vision•Continual change•Stretching targets avoids complacency•Create permanent environmental scanning mindset•Senior management ‘walk the talk’•Continual change•Personal development – ongoing learning/new ideas coming in•Personal responsibility for success & your part in it