And, do you notice that these same people appear to be schmoozing with others continuously? That's because taking the initiative to build relationships within the organisation, or even with project participants and stakeholders, isn't just important for project communication, but it's also crucial in setting the stage for influencing.
During a recent discussion with a newly assigned project leader, I thought about this when the topic of authority came up. The project leader asked me, "How can I get these guys to do what I need them to do? I have no real authority over them, and their manager has many projects lined up for me." Most project leaders find themselves in this quandary at one time or another. The best way to address this conundrum is through a thoughtful and tactical use of influence.
To use influence in a tactical manner requires forethought. A typical approach is to first clearly identify the task you need accomplished. Then, figure out the party or parties that you need to sway. (This isn't always the person who will ultimately complete the task, but it may be someone with direct authority over that person.) Finally, if possible, frame your approach by selecting the influencing tactics that you deem to be most effective for that individual.
An example of this is when one of my peers bought a colleague a drink and then proceeded to find out what made him "tick." Armed with this knowledge, my peer was able to get the colleague to do him a favour without a wealth of justification. Call it greasing the wheel, influence peddling, or office politics, the fact remains that this project manager was able to succeed where others failed.
There is a wealth of research about influencing tactics. Researchers of note are Marwell & Schmitt, Marsha Katz, and Levine & Wheeless. Common influencing tactics include:
- Reward/punishment: Offer something desired or threaten something that's not desired. (This is the most basic way to influence.)
- Positive experience: Desire to achieve or meet some interest
- Ingratiation: Create a positive frame of mind by being likable or pleasant
- Debt: Call in favours (e.g, "You owe me.")
- Altruism: Ask a favour, or better, do me a favour
- Moral appeal: Do this because it is the right thing to do
- Duty: Declare that it's their job/duty to do it
- Audience use: Ask in front of others
- Reasoning: Explain the problem, its source, and impacts
- Understanding: Develop goodwill by understanding peoples' circumstances
- Emotional appeal: Play to the person's emotions
- Flattery: Build a person up (this always works with me)
Understanding how influencing tactics work and being prepared to use them when necessary will help you achieve your goals. However, any tactic can backfire if someone perceives that you're using them. This is where building a relationship by networking with colleagues is important. Also, you should prepare to reciprocate any favours that you receive. If not, you may find it much more difficult the next time you attempt to use influencing tactics.
Scott Withrow has more than 20 years of IT experience, including IT management, Web development management, and internal consulting application analysis.
