All of us have the capacity to get what we want and need even if those around us and above us have more power. For us to be able to get what we want for us and our team to be successful, we have to do an inventory of power and influence. Keep in mind, in the spirit of relationship management, people should always feel good after they do business with us.
Power – PUSH
There are several bases of power that enable us to PUSH to get what we want and need:
- Position – our position gives us the authority
- Expertise – our expertise gets people to do what we want and need
- Resources – our access to important resources gets us the respect of others
- Information – the information we have access to gets others to want to deal with us
- Personal – we are nice, so people like to work with us
Influence – PULL
There are several influence strategies that enable us to PULL people toward us and our perspective.
- Logical persuasion – our ability to frame requests using data and facts
- Common vision – the way we link what we need to the greater good
- Impact management – using some drama and excitement to get people motivated
- Organizational awareness – our ability to know who is influential in our circles
- Interpersonal awareness – our knowledge of what is important to those around us
The more we know about ourselves and others, the better able we are to get win wins for everyone. This week, do a little power and influence inventory. You will certainly benefit!