Influencing and Communicating With Leaders and Peers

Our Objectives Building Relationships Outlining the Levers of Influence Preparing Your Pitch

Building Relationships

Building Relationships Know Your Manager and Peers: Spend time learning their interests and priorities Learn their pet peeves and avoid them Don’t talk negatively about your colleagues Understand and support their: Strengths Weaknesses Priorities and Goals Work style (e.g., Is your manager a reader or a listener?) “Managing your Boss,” by John J. Gabarro and John P. Kotter, Harvard Business Review The 360 Degree Leader: Developing your Influence from Anywhere within the Organization, by John C. Maxwell

Levers of Influence

Influencer The true measure of leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less. - John Maxwell

Levers of Influence People will attempt to change their behavior if: They believe it will be worth it (motivation) They can do what is required (ability) You can influence motivation and ability through personal, social and structural sources

Six Sources of Influence Motivation Ability Make the Undesirable Desirable Surpass Your Limits Harness Peer Pressure Find Strength in Numbers Design Rewards and Demand Accountability Change the Environment Structural Social Personal

Personal Motivation Help people find intrinsic satisfaction: Immersing them in the activity Tapping into people’s sense of pride and competition Linking new behaviors to their values

Personal Ability Ensure that people have the ability to change: Breaking behaviors into clear, specific and repeatable actions Creating time and space to practice new skills Providing immediate feedback against clear standards

Social Motivation Use peer pressure: Cultivating the support of “opinion leaders” Surfacing undiscussables through public discourse Removing people from existing networks and placing them in a new, supportive network

Social Ability When individuals need the support of those around them to change: Getting entire groups to change behavior together Co-opting others by turning your problem into their own Having participants teach one another new behaviors

Structural Motivation Extrinsic rewards should compliment other strategies: Linking rewards to specific actions (not outcomes) Using small, heartfelt tokens of appreciation Using punishment judiciously – start with a warning but never bluff

Structural Ability Shape the environment to make change easier: Changing the physical environment Making a small amount of important data visible to reinforce behaviors Eliminating choice altogether

Applying the Influencer In small groups, pick one of the challenges you shared at the beginning. Work together to determine how you might apply this model to that case.

Preparing Your Pitch

Communication Discussion How do communication skills affect your ability to have an impact? Why is it difficult to communicate effectively? Executive vs. peer audiences?

Focus on the Audience Are you communicating up, down or across? Are they: Experts? Educated decision-makers? Customers? Collaborators? Frame your case – tell them why they should care

Characteristics of Executive Audiences Busy Distracted Impatient Thinking about something else Prone to tangents Have multiple agendas (some open, some hidden)

Conveying Your Message – Make It Stick Keep it simple and brief Lead with results/impact Use stories to support findings and recommendations Make the ask clear Deliver the unexpected (w/o being gimmicky) Use alternative media as appropriate

How Do You Fail? No explanation of significance No roadmap Not knowing your stuff Gaps in logic Excessive detail Gimmicky

How Do You Succeed? Do not share everything you know – but be ready to provide depth and complexity when asked Answer questions efficiently – if you don’t know the answer, do NOT make one up Be prepared NOT to get through everything: You will be interrupted The audience may focus on one issue and never let go Make your most important points early

Examples of Effective Communications Jared Fogle – Subway Celebrity Derek Sivers – Starting a Movement Alexis Ohanian – How to Make a Splash in Social Media Others? http://sivers.org/ff http://www.ted.com/talks/alexis_ohanian_how_to_make_a_splash_in_social_media.html

Effective Communications Strategies For communications to be successful, you must move beyond one-time communications: Repeat, repeat, repeat Explore different mediums of communication Meet people where they are Do not assume that hearing equates with understanding or action Communicate throughout any initiative, not just at the beginning

Next Steps

Action Planning What is one action you will take upon returning to work? What support will you need to accomplish this goal?

Stay Engaged! Center for Government Leadership: Daily Pipeline Annenberg Leadership Seminars Excellence in Government Fellows program Fed Coach Daily Pipeline Service to America Medals

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