ROBIN SHARMA ON THE POWER OF INFLUENCE
Use this as your default approach to gaining control over staff.
Robin S. Sharma (b. 1965) is an author and the founder of Sharma Leadership Consultancy. The following quotation of his identifies the difference between hard power and soft influence:
Leadership is … about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team-mates and customers.
Robin Sharma
Power can be used to compel people to do as you request. However, it can create a culture of fear and produce unhappy working conditions. On the other hand, influence seeks to persuade people to do as you request. It may take longer to achieve results but it creates a more harmonious relationship between manager and staff.
WHAT TO DO
- Only resort to power if influence fails. In times of genuine emergency go straight to power.
- Prepare the ground for using influence effectively by creating a good relation with each member of staff. Show an interest in their work, career, training, family, pastimes. But, most importantly, find out what motivates them and supply it.
- Identify the common interests and/or shared history you have with your staff, e.g. did you go to the same school, university? Do you have the same interests such as music or football? Did you share a similar training experience?
- Let people believe that you are one of them. People respond better to people whom they think share their values and beliefs. If you appear too intelligent, they will wonder whether you can ever really understand them.
- Make people feel relaxed and comfortable in your presence. Show that you are interested in what they have to say by using active listening, e.g. asking questions and seeking clarification about what they’ve said. This is a much better way to influence people than talking at them.
- Allow staff to play a part in any decision that affects them (see Quotations 51 and 54), however small. This reassures the person and they feel respected and valued. They are then more likely to support your decision.
- Use reciprocity and exchange favours, e.g. ‘If you work over an hour tonight, you can leave early on Friday.’
- Demonstrate your expert knowledge, without showing off, and people will be impressed and more willing to listen to you when discussing anything that is covered by your expertise.
- Seek out the views and opinions of staff and praise them for their ideas and insights when appropriate.
- Try to arrive at a win/win solution rather than seeking a win/lose result when dealing with staff. There is nothing unethical in using a bit of reward power to win their co-operation (see Quotation 71). Just ensure that you don’t let staff charge too high a price for their co-operation.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
- Who are the unofficial staff leaders that I need to influence?
- If I get the unofficial leaders on board, will they deliver the staff’s support or do I also need to work directly on the staff myself?