Authentic Global Solutions

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Influence is a huge part of leadership and one of the main competencies of a Business Analyst. If you have not read our blog on the influencing competency of a Business Analyst, you can read it here.

Starting today, we are going to look at the several strategies that you can deploy for achieving influence is a variety of situations.

EMPOWERMENT

This is about making others feel valued by giving them praise; involving them in a process, plan or decision. It is a form of delegation of authority. When you empower a person or a group you are more likely to influence their performance because empowerment encourages them to become creative and take ownership/responsibility which consequently drives performance. Empowered individuals are likely to feel a greater sense of autonomy and purpose which aligns with their values. Empowerment builds confidence, fosters a sense of community and citizenship.

Empowerment can be achieved by:

• Asking others to contribute ideas in a decision
• Accepting others’ suggestions
• Getting others involved in a process to reach a conclusion

INTERPERSONAL AWARENESS

This is basically empathy. It is about identifying the concerns, goals, or style of another person and positioning your ideas to address or align with their needs and priorities. This is a key component of emotional intelligence as it sustains our ability to relate to or get on with others. It is also about acceptance and awareness of how others communicate (verbally and nonverbally) and the ability to balance this with your own thoughts and emotions. It is a cornerstone of effective communication. Effective communicators are able to listen to others, put others at ease and ultimately earn their trust. This then improves their ability to influence others. An influential person is one who is aware of the dynamics at play in their interactions with others and has the ability to adapt the interactions in an accepting and inclusive manner.

Interpersonal Awareness can be achieved by:

• Asking questions and taking time to understand the concerns, fears or priorities of others
• Anticipating how a person might react to ideas or information in a given situation
• Adjusting or tailoring you approach or communication methods to meet the needs or style of the other person

Next week we will look at three more influencing strategies:

• Bargaining/Negotiation
• Relationship Building
• Common Vision

_{Some of the styles discussed have been adapted from Mcber & Company’s profile of Influence Strategies.}

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