INFLUCING DECISIONS
" THE EFFECTIVE INFLUENCER NEEDS TO BE A GOOD TEACHER . GOOD TEACHERS REALIZE THAT COMMUNICATING KNOWLEDGE IS OFTEN A GREATER CHALLENGE THAN POSSESSING KNOWLEDGE ."
WHEN PRESENTING IDEAS TO DECISION MAKERS , REALIZE THAT IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SELL – NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO BUY .
In many ways , influencing ultimate decision makers is similar to selling products or services to external customers . They don ’ t have to buy – you have to sell ! While the importance of taking responsibility may seem obvious in external sales , an amazing number of people in large corporations spend countless hours ‘ blaming ’ management for not buying their ideas . Former Harvard professor Chris Argyris pointed out how “ upward feedback ” often turns into “ upward buck-passing ”. We can become “ disempowered ” when we focus on what others have done to make things wrong and not what we can do to make things right .
The effective influencer needs to be a good teacher . Good teachers realize that communicating knowledge is often a greater challenge than possessing knowledge .
FOCUS ON CONTRIBUTION TO THE LARGER GOOD – AND THE NEEDS OF THE DECISION MAKER – NOT JUST THE ACHIEVEMENT OF YOUR OBJECTIVES .
An effective salesperson would never say to a customer , “ You need to buy this product , because if you don ’ t , I won ’ t achieve my objectives !” Effective salespeople relate to the needs of the buyers , not to their own needs . In the same way , when influencing decision makers , focus on the impact of your suggestion on the overall corporation . Don ’ t assume that executives can automatically “ make the connection ” between the benefit to your unit and the benefit to the larger corporation .
STRIVE TO WIN THE ‘ BIG BATTLES ’ – DON ’ T WASTE YOUR ENERGY AND ‘ PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL ’ ON TRIVIAL POINTS .
Do a thorough analysis of ideas before ‘ challenging the system ’. Don ’ t waste time on issues that will only have a negligible impact on results . Focus on issues that will make a real difference . Be especially sensitive to the need to win trivial non-business arguments on things like restaurants , sports teams , or cars . You are paid to do what makes a difference and to win on important issues , not to win arguments on the relative quality of athletic teams .
PRESENT A REALISTIC ‘ COST-BENEFIT ’ ANALYSIS OF YOUR IDEAS – DON ’ T JUST SELL BENEFITS .
Every organization has limited resources , time and energy . The acceptance of your idea may well mean the rejection of another idea that someone else believes is wonderful . Be prepared to have a realistic discussion of the costs of your idea . Acknowledge the fact that something else may have to be sacrificed in order to have your idea implemented . By getting ready for a realistic discussion of costs , you can ‘ prepare for objections ’ to your idea before they occur .
‘ CHALLENGE UP ’ ON ISSUES INVOLVING ETHICS OR INTEGRITY – NEVER REMAIN SILENT ON ETHICS VIOLATIONS .
Enron , WorldCom and other organizations have dramatically pointed out how ethics violations can destroy even the most valuable companies . The best of corporations can be severely damaged by only one violation of corporate integrity . Hopefully , you will never be asked to do anything by the management of your corporation that represents a violation of corporate ethics . If you are , refuse to do it and immediately let upper management know of your concerns .
When challenging up , try not to assume that management has intentionally requested you to do something wrong . In some cases , a seemingly inappropriate request may merely be the result of a misunderstandings or poor communication . Try to present your case in a manner that is intended to be helpful , not judgmental .
REALIZE THAT POWERFUL PEOPLE ARE JUST AS ‘ HUMAN ’ AS YOU ARE – DON ’ T SAY , “ I AM AMAZED THAT SOMEONE AT THIS LEVEL …”
It is realistic to expect decision makers to be competent ; it is unrealistic to expect them to be anything other than normal humans . How many times have we thought , “ I would assume someone at this level …” followed by “ should know what is happening ”, “ should be more logical ”, “ wouldn ’ t make that kind of mistake ”, or “ would never engage in such inappropriate behavior ”? Even the best of leaders are human . We all make mistakes . When your managers make mistakes , focus more on helping them than judging them . Treat decision makers with the same courtesy that you would treat customers – don ’ t be disrespectful . While it is important to avoid ‘ kissing up ’ to decision makers , it is just as important to avoid the opposite reaction . A surprising number of middle managers spend hours ‘ trashing ’ the company and its or other co-workers .
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