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2006 | Buch

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Influencing

Skills and Techniques for Business Success

verfasst von: Fiona Elsa Dent, Mike Brent

Verlag: Palgrave Macmillan UK

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

The ability to influence and communicate effectively with both colleagues and external partners is a crucial skill. This book is about the ability to influence people. Built around the authors' useful model, it will help you review and reflect upon how you perform as an influencer; and discuss and review skills, styles, approaches and techniques.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

1. Introduction

The Importance of Influencing

Abstract

In our work at Ashridge we meet hundreds of managers from all over the world. They all face many different issues in their work, but one common theme seems to have emerged over the past few years — whatever their position. The ability to influence and communicate effectively with both colleagues and external partners has become a crucial skill. These managers talk to us about the need to be able to influence when they have no formal authority, or what to do when they have moved from a position where they once had that authority but don’t have it any more. One manager explained that she had formerly worked in an organisation and a country where she had formal authority and could tell people what to do. Now she works for a company where that formal authority simply does not work. She has to learn new ways of communication and influencing, and to be honest, it is not an easy thing to do.

Fiona Elsa Dent, Mike Brent

2. Understanding Your Influencing Environment

The Big Picture

Abstract

Understanding and awareness of your influencing environment is vital to your success. What works in one business context may or may not work in another. Like all aspects of influencing this takes thought, analysis and awareness.

Fiona Elsa Dent, Mike Brent

3. Influencing Skills and Attitudes

What Do You Bring to the Party?

Abstract

Certain key skills and attitudes are essential for effective influencing. An understanding of these skills and attitudes, together with an awareness of your own ability in the areas, is helpful for successful influencing in today’s complex organisational environment.

Fiona Elsa Dent, Mike Brent

4. Influencing Style

Tough Guy, Best Friend, Bull in a China Shop or Idealist?

Abstract

The approach used for influencing others will almost certainly have an impact on the outcome of any influencing discussion. Adopting the appropriate approach at the beginning of an influencing discussion can have a hugely beneficial effect upon the process and final outcome of the discussion. It is important that the person/s you are attempting to influence must feel that you wish to enter into a win-win relationship. Typically when influencing others we tend to have a preference in terms of the style we adopt. Sometimes this is an advantage:

► When influencing people we know they get what they expect
► Predictability
► Self confidence when using our preferred style at the start of the process and discussion
► Comfort with the approach

Fiona Elsa Dent, Mike Brent

5. Awareness of Others

Standing in Their Shoes

Abstract

One of the key elements of the Model is awareness of others. We find in our seminars and consulting work, that many managers can have a fairly large blind spot here. They just do not seem to be that interested in reading others and adapting their style to the other person. They have an approach and they stick to it, irrespective of how effective that approach actually is.

Fiona Elsa Dent, Mike Brent

6. Approaches and Techniques

Using Your Toolkit

Abstract

In this chapter we offer a number of tried and tested tools and techniques. No one of them will guarantee success but used with skill they will help you to become a more effective influencer.

Fiona Elsa Dent, Mike Brent

7. Deciding on and Implementing Your Influencing Strategy

Putting It into Practice

Abstract

We have now reached the stage when it is important to focus on how you plan to approach all the various people you need to influence in order to get buy in to your ideas. There are a wide variety of approaches that we all use on a day to day basis all of which can involve aspects of influencing about your issue. Hopefully by raising your awareness of the variety of influencing approaches and also encouraging you to think about the most appropriate approach for the person and situation this will help you to plan an effective influencing strategy for your influencing issues in the future.

Fiona Elsa Dent, Mike Brent

8. Conclusion

Tips, Techniques and Misconceptions!

Abstract

As we have seen from the previous chapters effective influencing is a complex and challenging process. There are no right and wrong ways; there are no magic answers; however there are certain overriding principles which if adhered to will undoubtedly assist you in achieving a successful influencing outcome.

Fiona Elsa Dent, Mike Brent

Backmatter

Titel: Influencing
verfasst von: Fiona Elsa Dent
Mike Brent
Verlag: Palgrave Macmillan UK
Electronic ISBN: 978-0-230-59668-9
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-54561-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230596689