There are many common mistakes when it comes to influencing. In the work I do, arguably the most common one I see is that of not knowing what you want to achieve (I covered this in the first article in this series, Exactly What Do You Want?). Another important one to watch out for is failing to attempt to influence once you’ve decided what you want to make happen.
To avoid this danger, you first need to make sure you understand why it might happen. Then you can take steps to minimise the risks. Potential reasons include…
- Inability to make a swift decision (or rather, not knowing what you want to achieve).
- Excessive information collection and analysis.
- Waiting for everyone to agree that the attempt should be made.
- Waiting for permission to proceed.
- Fear or discomfort with the potential consequences.
- Lack of confidence in your abilities.
- Hopelessness — they’ll never agree to that.
- Too busy, distracted, or it’s not a big enough priority.
- Low level of personal commitment to what you want to achieve.
Pause for a moment and recollect a time when you didn’t get moving towards something you wanted to influence. Which of the reasons above were prevalent? Were there other reasons why you didn’t get moving? Be honest with yourself and think of the reasons behind other failures to attempt to influence.
If you’re struggling to think of a time when you failed to act, instead think of all the things you want to influence now but haven’t yet started to act on.
Having thought about it for a while, can you add any items to my list above?
Do you notice any themes to the reasons you experience? Rank the list above (plus any you’ve added) in terms of how much you use them.
Here’s the final question before you disappear into the related reading — what can you do to minimise the risk that you will not attempt to influence? Put another way, what can you do to prevent your top three excuses hindering your progress?
The Gautrey Influence Blog
Ever felt overlooked, unheard, or stuck in office politics? You’re not alone. The Gautrey Influence Blog breaks down the real-world strategies behind leadership, influence, and power—giving you the tools to be heard, respected, and successful. Join 35,000+ professionals getting ahead the smart way—subscribe now..
