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 and take notes and make clear decisions about the actual action you will take.
- Pause. Stop right now. Make a clear decision that you are going to pay full attention to this list of actions. I strongly recommend you decide to act on at least 3-5 today.
- Decide which stakeholders to focus your mind on. You may have many you need to win over, but which one would you most like to have on your side?
- Brainstorm a list of all the things this stakeholder is not doing that you want them to do. If you could make a wish, which items on your list would you most want them to do?
- What’s their agenda? Write down as many things as you can think of that your stakeholder is aiming to achieve. In total, not just in connection with you. Make this list as long as you can.
- From this long list, identify the top 2 or 3 things that they seem to be pushing quite hard, the things that are most important to them.
- Compare your two lists, what you want them to do, and what they are aiming to achieve. How does your wish list help or hinder their priorities?
- Get some unbiased input. Who can you go and check your assumptions with about what your stakeholder is trying to achieve? Now, go talk to them. Put your emotions to one side, put on a curious attitude and start listening.
- Reflect on how you have tried to influence them in the past. In fact, make some notes rather than just think about it. Writing things down will help to crystallise your thinking.
- Here’s a tough one. What advice might your stakeholder give to you to help you to influence them more effectively? Go on, pretend to be them for a moment and get their input.
- Think of someone who is really influential with your stakeholder, apart from people more senior to them. How do they do it? Write down the advice they might give you to help you to influence your stakeholder.
- Even better, go and ask them. Be nice to them, flatter them a little and ask for their help. You never know, they may even be able to help you win over the stakeholder.
- Make a nice long list of all the benefits that your stakeholder will gain if they do what you need them to do. Pick out 2 or 3 that you think might be most attractive to them. Now, imagine how they would describe these benefits to you – using words that they might use.
- Who else is going to benefit if your stakeholder does what you need them to do? Make a list of these other beneficiaries. Go talk to the biggest winners and enlist their help to win over the stakeholder.
- Ah, here’s a difficult one for you. Make a list of all the reasons why your stakeholder shouldn’t do what you want them to do. If you are to win them over, you’ll have to tip the balance in your favour.
- Identify 2-3 people around your stakeholder who are going to be really annoyed if you succeed. What do you think their strategy is to stop you getting what you want? How might you counter this? Again, write down your thoughts.
- Stoke up your own motivation. Make a really long list of all the ways you will benefit if you are able to succeed in winning them over. For a moment, imagine life as it will be when you’ve succeeded.
- Put yourself in the shoes of the most influential person (from Action 10). What strategy and plan would they use to influence the stakeholder? Again, write down your action plan.
I’ll leave you to it now, and I hope these actions have helped. Over the coming weeks and months, I hope to be able to share many more practical ideas to help you to become more influential.
The Gautrey Influence Blog
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