38 Increase Your Influence at Work
an engineer’s or a bench scientist’s new product idea was turned
down by an immediate superior, he or she could appeal to a
higher-level decision maker.
3
That type of openness is commend-
able, but seldom seen.
One way to level the playing field of influence is to develop a
network of support. It’s easy for a lone employee who lacks power
to be ignored or discounted; it is much harder to ignore someone
who enjoys the support of many in the organization. The ‘‘strength
in numbers’’ concept is widely understood and implemented by
unions, coalitions, and alliances. A union steward has more influ-
ence over management than he would as an ordinary employee. A
coalition of environmental groups has greater clout with a congres-
sional representative than would any member group on its own.
When a start-up pharmaceutical company allies with a larger com-
pany that has broad distribution, its potential market impact is
greatly multiplied. You too can enhance your influence by building
a supportive network.
Whether people recognize it or not, just about everyone in a
workplace participates in a network. Your network includes the
following people:
? Those with whom you collaborate and share information—for
example, the informal group that meets for lunch occasionally
to swap ideas for cutting through red tape
? Those on whom you depend when you’re in a jam—for
example, the woman in the warehouse you call when a
replacement part must be rushed to a key customer
? Those who depend on you to make them look good—for
example, the colleague who relies on you to create the elec-
tronic spreadsheet models she cannot figure out how to do
? Those with whom you’re personally simpatico—for example,
the guy in the finance department who was on your college
rowing team
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Ta c t i c s 39
? Those with whom you share important workplace goals—for
example, the four people on your product development team
You won’t find your network on the organization chart. That
chart indicates official reporting relationships. Your network is un-
official, ad hoc, unmapped, and held together by mutual needs,
common aspirations, and personal bonds. It operates in the spaces
between the tidy chart boxes. Don’t be surprised if your network
includes peers and people above and below you in the pecking
order of authority.
So, you already have a network. But how much does it contrib-
ute to your influence? Logically, your network contributes to the
extent that its individual members:
? Have influence of their own
? Are recognized as important contributors to key organizational
goals
? Have expertise or knowledge valued by management
? Are reckoned to be trustworthy and reliable (two foundation
attributes of influence)
? Are supportive of you and your ideas
? Enjoy access to decision makers
The more your network reflects these qualities, the greater its
potential contribution to your personal influence. Obtaining stand-
ing in a network with these qualities requires effort on your part.
You cannot claim it as a matter of right but must earn your place
by:
? Being trustworthy and reliable in your dealings with others
? Providing support and doing favors for network members when
asked
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40 Increase Your Influence at Work
? Returning the favors done for you
? Contributing ideas and leadership
? Working with others toward shared goals
A network like the one we’ve described has no natural cap on
member numbers, nor is it limited to particular departments or
operating units. As an instrument of your influence, it will ideally
extend into every area of the organization where you’d like to have
an impact, and from which you’d like to gather information and
support. So keep your eyes open for potential new members of
your network. When you find them, get to know these people on a
personal level. Then find ways to help them be more successful in
their work. Share your ideas and gain their support. If you do this
deliberately over a period of months and years, you will build per-
sonal influence and an army of support.
EMPLOY PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION
Persuasion is a process of communication through which one per-
son alters the beliefs, attitudes, or actions of others. In organiza-
tions, it’s difficult to find a person with substantial influence who
lacks the ability to persuade.
Persuasive communication has less to do with verbal fluency
than with (1) understanding people’s needs and interests, and (2)
using language and arguments that address them effectively.
....................................
IT ALL GOES BACK TO ATHENS
The roots of persuasion as a discipline go back to fourth-cen-
tury BCE Athens, where Aristotle developed and taught his
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Ta c t i c s 41
Rhetoric as an audience-centered approach to gaining the as-
sent of listeners. Later published as three books, Aristotelian
rhetoric was studied by aspiring politicians and leaders of the
Greco-Roman world as well as public figures of the Renais-
sance, and it continues to be read today. Book II of Rhetoric
is concerned with the art of persuasion, which Aristotle re-
garded as having three enabling elements for the orator: cred-
ibility, the emotions and psychology of the audience, and
logical reasoning. Those three elements are as potent today
as they were in the golden age of Greece.
....................................
Understanding
People with no sales experience often think of successful sales-
people as motormouths—manipulative ‘‘slick talkers’’ who can sell
refrigerators to Eskimos. This perception is inaccurate. The truth is
that effective salespeople spend less time talking about what they
have to sell than trying to understand how they can help customers
satisfy their needs, achieve their goals, or overcome problems and
frustrations. And when they actually get around to describing their
products or services, they put less emphasis on the features of what
they’re selling than on the benefits that customers will experience.
This approach to other people begins with listening.
Good communicators know that they learn nothing while
they’re talking. Consequently, their initial conversations with peo-
ple are used to probe, to clarify, and to signal that they are giving
people their full attention. For example:
Probing
? ‘‘What is the biggest problem you’re having?’’
? ‘‘Have you thought about simplifying that process?’’
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42 Increase Your Influence at Work
? ‘‘What do you need to get this job done by the end of the
month?’’
Clarifying
? ‘‘I don’t understand. Could you run that by me again?’’
? ‘‘You said that your team doesn’t have enough resources. What
resources are you talking about?’’
? ‘‘I’m trying to understand if this problem is our fault or
someone else’s. What do you think?’’
Signaling
? ‘‘If I understand you, the end-of-month deadline isn’t realistic.’’
? ‘‘So, you think that we could completely eliminate that step
without reducing quality, right?’’
? ‘‘I’m with you so far. Tell me more.’’
Skilled communicators let other people talk. They know that
this is the best way to get those people to reveal their interests,
concerns, goals, and aspirations. Understanding these opens the
door to persuasion and influence. Try to apply the three listening
tactics just described—probing, clarifying, and signaling—the next
time you engage in a conversation with your boss or coworkers.
See what you can learn.
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A PRACTICAL TEST
How well do you understand the people with whom you
work? Try to answer the following questions:
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