During a recent interview I was asked an interesting question:   "Colin, what one thing, above all else, do you want people to learn about influence?"   Having been working in this field for a great many years, there were an awful lot of ways that I could answer this. The subject is huge, and I'm still learning. Which means, I've got plenty of things to choose from. But it didn't take very long, because in fact the answer is pretty central to my whole approach to influence, and why I am different from many others who work in this arena. Read More

You know, the only way you are going to become more influential is if you get moving. Action has to happen in order for things to start changing for you. The list below is intended to stimulate your thinking and lead you to action. Behind all of those is the serious intent that you do something that will help you to become more influential, gain more buy-in from your stakeholders, and start to move quickly towards your goals. As you read each suggestion, make sure Read More

Do you understand the politics around your role? Can you respond confidently when someone makes a move against your interests? No? Well, you're not alone. I'm starting to think that the most significant factor contributing to failing to deliver in a large organisation, is the inability to understand and manage the politics. Lack of leadership skills doesn't come close. A couple of days ago I was talking to Kate. She is an ambitious and talented senior project manager. Hard working and with a reputation for making things happen and getting things done that reaches far across the senior management community in her bank. Despite this track-record, she keeps getting surprises. Project get knocked off course because of the political manoeuvring by powerful people. No amount of technical capability can help her to prepare for these moves. Yet she hasn't got a clue how things are working. Not only is this causing her grief now, she is also beginning to realise it could be career limiting. At a high level, my FOUR key suggestions to overcome this problem were:: Read More

When it comes to becoming influential, you need to go through a number of steps. Firstly, it will pay huge dividends if you get crystal clear on what you are aiming to influence. This includes moving from a hard goal, to a soft goal, and then backing it up with evidence criteria. With that clear, it become much easier to identify who the key stakeholders are – those who have the power and interest to help or hinder your progress. Without doing this, most people seem to focus on the stakeholders who Read More

Petty politicking in the workplace breeds disharmony and damages the culture of an organisation. If you don't want to join in and are looking for a more positive and constructive way to turn these incidents around, try this seven step process. Read More