You can use a four-step process to influence others:
- prepare your case – Take the time to define exactly what you want. Clarify your purpose, position, and objective. This will help you be more clear and precise in your discussions with stakeholders – helping you to get what you want. Next, identify the stakeholders you want to influence. You can then prepare responses to anticipated points of resistance from these stakeholders.
- ask for what you want – The most important thing to remember is to be clear. It will also help to create a unifying goal or objective to rally all the stakeholders.
- make your case – You can use various techniques to make your case: customize the message, use questions to elicit or focus the discussion, acknowledge opposing perspectives then move on, use logic and evidence, and provide options that people can agree to without compromising their position or dignity.
- ask for commitment – Assess each stakeholder's readiness to commit. This will help you decide which approach to take. If you think a stakeholder is ready to commit, simply ask her to confirm her intention. And clarify what it is she will be responsible for.
The scope of these steps is broad and there can be overlap between them. If you face resistance or need to do more work before moving forward with a stakeholder, you may even have to perform some steps more than once. Think of these steps as overarching, and apply each as necessary.
As a leader, you use influence to gain commitment and support for organizational goals. Following the four steps can help you do this. The steps are to prepare your case, ask for what you want, make your case, and ask for commitment.
