Create roadmap to influence your workplace
The most difficult era of creating workplace influence is here. We are constantly trying to grab a minute of fame and posting on digital media. There cannot be possibly another generation which has digitally recorded single most details of their life and showcased that as an achievement. It also means that everyone around us is super distracted and only worried about their own circle of influence.
Does it matter to create an influential personality at work? Will it help you get promotions, better sales numbers, more convincing power or edge over peers?
Well, truth be told, having an influence may not really have a direct impact on any of these.
So, why does one need to create an influence at all?
To be an informal leader, to be a go-to person who people look up to for help, to be recognised by your name instead of your position, you need to create an influence at work. It does always cascade beyond work though. Now the question is, how do you create this aura of influence around you where everyone is talking and trying to be an influencer at work and in social circles. With so much of a visible distraction, power pulling and shorter attention span, a clear strategy and roadmap to create influence needs to be followed.
Personal connections: Unless you are personally connected to people, the possibility of influencing them goes minimum. Now, given the daily grind and busy schedules of everyone, it is difficult to build and maintain personal connections. Try social media for connects and less intrusive technology of emails and WhatsApp. Sending forwarded messages is not connections though. People like to hear real context, not a junk over chewed thought.
Listening skills: In every workshop of influence and persuasion, I always make people work on listening intently with right body language. Biggest resentment at the workplace is, "No one listens here." If you practice focused listening, it helps to create an impression of being helpful. That's the second step of becoming influential. If you come across as a person who "at least listens", you have already started influencing in a good way.
Persuasion vs manipulation: Be very clear that using your influencing self to do something good at work is not equal to manipulation. People see through manipulation and maybe once or twice someone can manipulate but not always and never to everyone. As long as you do not come across very authoritative and commanding, people like to work with a leader who is not. Influence is used to pursue people and best persuasion skill is to make an inclusive environment.
People's motivation: Everyone has a level of motivation. Without that, there is no influence on building. The most crucial point here is to understand that people have different motivations at the same workplace. For some, it would be for getting recognised while for others, it is to viewed as responsible. It needs attitude and perceptions, and temperaments differ of each person. In quest of creating influence, one has to understand each stakeholders' mindset and ensure that you are getting close to managing it.
Increase knowledge: Personally speaking, this one is my strongest recommendation. If a person comes across as knowledgeable and has command on the current trends of business, it simply helps. Expertise and the know-how can be built over a period of time. Attending certain seminars, networking meetings and conferences will slowly make you an expert of your subject. A strong recommendation is to write about your expertise in a blog or various online platforms. Thanks to technology, distractions are high yet getting people hooked is possible.
Influence is an extraordinary skill mastered by ordinary people daily. You have to be true to others, not force your way through people and understand that influencing is a two-way street. If you believe and listen to others and work on upgradation of skill and knowledge, it is sure to establish you as an influential person regardless of your designation.
Source | Daily News Analysis | 11th October 2018
Regards
Mr. Pralhad Jadhav
Master of Library & Information Science (NET Qualified)
Research Scholar (IGNOU)
Senior Manager @ Knowledge Repository
Khaitan & Co
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