6 Increase Your Influence at Work
He then goes on to explain how he arrived at the $2 million
figure and how they might get the bank to give it to them.
In this example, Fran is applying persuasive communication with
the goal of influencing the thinking of his peers about an important
business matter. And because he is interested in the success of the
company, we’d expect that Fran would direct the same line of per-
suasion communication to his boss, the CFO:
‘‘I’ve gone over the numbers several times,’’ Fran tells the CFO
in a meeting later that week, ‘‘and it seems clear that we’ll need
close to $2 million in additional cash in order to support this
fall’s anticipated sales orders. A larger bank line of credit would
be the easiest and least costly way to provide that financing. I
have all of my analysis on a spreadsheet. Would you like to see
it?’’
Persuasion is a form of communication that enlists logical or
emotional appeals—or both—in order to get certain things or to
affect the beliefs and behaviors of others. Though persuasion is
popularly associated with advertisers and salespeople, almost
everyone in an organization from top to bottom employs persua-
sion at one time or another. For example:
? A CEO tries to persuade the board of directors that a change in
company strategy is necessary.
? The general manager of a manufacturing unit engages in
persuasive communication with her functional managers and
staff, hoping that they will adopt her enthusiasm for a new
program of quality control.
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Influence, Power, and Persua sion 7
? A staff person tries to persuade his boss to invest in new
software that will make people in the office more productive.
? A department manager persuades a peer that her participation
in a joint effort will benefit both departments.
In getting what we want from others, persuasion is a tool that
we all reach for with great frequency. If you stop and think about
it, you can probably identify daily instances in which you have been
on either the giving or receiving end of persuasion, both at work
and at home.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Do you see how the three related concepts introduced in this chap-
ter—power, influence, and persuasion—fit together? If you don’t,
the graphic model depicted in Figure 1-1 will give you a clearer
FIGURE 1-1. POWER, INFLUENCE,
AND PERSUASION.
Power of Position
Influence
(Soft Power)
Persuasion
Power
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8 Increase Your Influence at Work
picture. Note that influence, like the power of position, is a form of
power. It is aided by the tool of persuasion. Both forms of power
aim for the same thing—to get what we want from others—
although through different means.
CHAPTER REVIEW
To review what you have learned, take the following open-book
review quiz.
1. Power was defined here as the ability to get what we want by virtue of
command or compulsion. Describe one example of the effective exercise
of power in your workplace by you or by someone else.
2. Influence was defined as a means of getting what we want without
command or compulsion. Describe one occasion in which you success-
fully exercised influence. What was the result?
3. Describe one situation in your workplace in which the use of influence
would be more appropriate and effective than the application of formal
power—that is, ordering someone to do something.
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