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Influence

Definition

Influence implies an intention to persuade, convince, influence or impress others (individuals or groups) in order to get them to go along with or to support the organization’s direction.  The "key" is understanding others, since Influence is based on the desire to have a specific impact or effect on.  A specific type of impression to make, or a course of action taken to get others to adopt.
 

Behavioral Descriptions
Proficiency Level 5

  • Causes major changes that affect agency-wide operations.

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  • Influences positive relationships with key individuals, top executives, customer groups, or external stakeholders (e.g., legislatures, interest groups, national unions/employee associations, professional associations, the public).

  • Negotiates decisions or solutions that affect the actions of other organizations or the public at-large.

  • Sways opinions of entire population of people in an organization or its stakeholder groups.

  • Actions result in more favorable public opinion, improvement in public perception and increased support for programs and services.
Proficiency Level 4

  • Influences actions that change or affect a major area of business.

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  • Facilitates communication and cooperation between major functional and stakeholder groups.

  • Smoothes working relationships between various stakeholder groups.

  • Persuades key people in multiple functional or programmatic areas to change decisions, opinions, attitudes, or behaviors.
Proficiency Level 3

  • Influences more than one team, stakeholder group, caseload, etc.

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  • Facilitates agreement on issues among multiple cross-functional groups or subordinate teams.

  • Induces members of several small groups, sub-functions, or small programs to modify activities or procedures.

  • Convinces professional or management staff in separate but interrelated areas to compromise on something.
Proficiency Level 2

  • Influences others in a team, a small stakeholder group, a caseload, etc.

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  • Influences a number of staff, managers, peers, internal customers, or a limited population of external customers to do something they wouldn’t do otherwise.

  • Facilitates positive dialog within a small work unit, project team, local operation or program segment.

  • Helps others reach agreement and make compromises.
Proficiency Level 1

  • Influence has effect on one or two others, affects one’s individual activities.

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  • Engages in dialog that has an impact on one’s individual activities.

  • Influences one or two other people – a manager, a peer, a customer, or a coworker.
Suggested Activities for Development

  • Volunteer to negotiate a problem with a customer.

  • Attend an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) workshop.

  • Meet with someone whose negotiating skills you would classify as win/win. Find out what she or he does and apply what you learn to similar situations.

  • When preparing for a negotiation, practice in front of your manager, colleagues, or family members.

  • Do some brainstorming and list a number of ways that you could act to influence a situation, then consider which are most likely to be effective.

  • Ask for feedback from people who did not support an idea or proposal you developed. Find out what you could have been done to persuade them.

  • Videotape yourself participating in a role-play where you are persuading someone to take action. Review it and give yourself feedback on your approach.

  • Invite your manager to observe you in a meeting where you will be negotiating or influencing a group. Ask for feedback.

  • Negotiate a contract with a customer.

  • Volunteer to serve as a mediator.

  • Volunteer to work on a cross-functional team.

  • Make a presentation to senior management about providing an innovative product or service to customers.
Recommended Courses
Additional Resource

  • Negotiating and Influencing Skills: The Art of Creating and Claiming Value by B. C. McRae (Sage Publications, 1998). Subject: negotiation, influence.

  • 25 Role Plays for Negotiation Skills by S. Asherman, I. G. Asherman, & S. V. Asherman (Human Resource Development Press, 1995). Participants think and act like negotiation experts.

  • Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It by J. M. Kouzes & B. Posner (Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1993). This is a guide to help managers understand the fundamental importance of credibility for building personal and organizational success, and for fostering trust within work, family and the community.

  • Facilitation Skills for Team Leaders by C. L. Martin & D. Hackett (Crisp Publications, 1993). Offers easy-to-understand concepts that will be immensely helpful to all team leaders. Lead your team into organized productivity.

  • Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by R. Fisher, W. Ury & B. Patton (Penguin Books, 1991). This book offers a concise, step-by-step proven strategy for coming to mutually acceptable agreements in every sort of conflict.
Behavioral-Based Interviewing Questions