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Influence Through Consultation
Consultation as an influence style that can be effective in a variety of cultures and situations. Consultation requires a person to seek another’s input and be willing to modify one's behavior based on that input. When using consultation to influence others, the primary concern is to gain their commitment to achieve an objective or goal. People are more committed to implementing change when they give input.
How do you use consultation to influence others?
Present a tentative proposal or a conceptual “work in progress” and be willing to modify it: Presenting a concept as a proposal offers others an opportunity to suggest improvements and honestly state their concerns. To gain influence and commitment, it is important to respond to others concerns and implement some of their suggestions while simply acknowledging others.
State your objective and ask the followers how they can help: If you expect others to resist change, use rational persuasion (discussed in Culture of Influence, Part 1) and ask how they can help you achieve the goal. Remember that they will ask themselves “What’s in it for me?” and consider again, “What are they afraid of losing?”
State the objective, but let the followers develop the implementation plan: When members of the culture are capable and committed to the goal, implementation of the objectives can be left to the members. They will often find a solution you would not have thought of or considered.
Influence Through Coalitions
Influence through coalitions taps in to both primary human drives: to connect and belong. It is recommended when a single person has difficulty or can’t influence another person alone. When applying influence through coalitions, an influencer enlists the help of others to persuade. The more people a person can get on his/her side, the more influential s/he is likely to be. This method can be used peer-peer, employee-boss, manager-employee, CEO-Board of Directors, etc. We see this method being used today extensively through social media -- i.e., the response to the confederate flag after the AME church shooting in Charleston, SC.
When using influence through coalitions, use the following guidelines:
Tell the person you would like to persuade your idea: It’s best to first enlist supporters from most influential to least influential and from least resistant to most resistant. The larger the coalition, the lower the resistance is likely to be, even with those who might normally offer greater resistance.
Take someone with you when you make the request for support: This step is particularly important when you expect resistance. Support of an idea is more credible if it is present in person rather than just in name.
Encourage Discussion: Ask others to communicate their support openly to others who are part of the culture.
Ask others to follow up: If resistance still exists, have others speak to the person who continues to resist. Persistence overcomes resistance.
Ask for support from a higher authority: Getting support from a higher authority in an organization leads to greater credibility and decreased resistance.
Using these steps, you can creatg a culture where consultation and coalitions build cultures of collaboration. When members of a culture are consulted for their opinion, they take ownership of a goal and so will protect, defend, and help achieve that goal. When coalitions are built to influence others, cultural relationships are strengthened, relying on the primary human drive of connection. Together, consultation and coalitions build a culture that drives performance that ensures success for everyone.