In project work, where authority and responsibility don't always ride side by side, the lack of formal authority over project stakeholders and other players, calls for managers to use influence to make sure goals are met. Successful project managers resort to negotiating, cajoling, “wheeling and dealing,” inspiring, swaying and lobbying to get what they want. In short they use various techniques to influence others, in the interest of meeting project goals.
Who needs to be influenced on projects? Here are a few prime targets:
- Clients.
- Funding Entities.
- Government Agencies.
- Upper Management.
- Matrix Managers.
- Project Team Members.
- Vendors, Prime Contractors and Subcontractors.
- Outside Consultants.
All require influencing as the project unfolds in order to reach proposed objectives.
Using influence for the good of the cause is not new in itself, but influence management as a managerial discipline is a relatively new twist. Originally conceived and aimed at high level staff personnel for gaining greater clout within upper managerial echelons, the concept has grown to take in matrix management positions and line jobs as well.
Influence Management in a Nutshell
Here is a wrap up of influence management principles:
1. Play up benefit. When the other party perceives a benefit in collaborating with you, the probability for “buying in” is enhanced. Playing up benefit requires two steps: (1) identifying the other party's benefit (more challenge, prestige, visibility, contact with upper management, chance for promotion, transfer, etc.), then (2) emphasizing the benefit in conversations so that the message will be received.
2. Steer clear of Machiavelli. Influencing is most effective when manipulating is avoided. When others perceive they are being maneuvered, they set up defense mechanisms and react adversely. Manipulation may work in the short run, but over the long haul, it rarely pays off. Effective influencing is done with sincerity and integrity.
3. Go beyond “I think I can.” It's been said that “to try is to admit the possibility of defeat.” Successful influence managers don't waste their time questioning whether things can be done. If something needs doing, efforts are aimed at how the task will be performed and what needs to be done to make it happen.
4. Put an umbrella over your moves. Effective influencing hinges on strategic planning. Formal and informal plans need to be laid our for dealing with the major project stakeholders. Some of the techniques used include regular meetings, special project boards or committees and periodic one-on-one reporting.
5. Tune in to what others tell you. Listening skills are key to influencing others. Successful influence managers learn to identify others' expectations and perceive how given action will contribute towards fulfilling those expectations. Listening provides the insight needed for tailoring your influence efforts to meet project needs.
6. Size up your plans for congruency. Congruency makes a difference. Make sure there is a fit between proposed actions. Test your plans for consistency, coherence and confirmity from the standpoint of each of the major project stakeholders.
7. Remember “different strokes for different folks.” Before you go about influencing others, be sure to adapt your approach to fit each person's individual characteristics. A laid-back person may get turned off if you come on too strong. Or a competitive self-starter may react negatively to a step-by-step how-to approach. Size up your targets and adjust your presentation to the individual's needs.
8. Watch your language! Be careful with what you say and how you say it. Influencing others requires being on the upbeat. Screen out pessimism and other forms of negativity. Put conviction into what you say to increase the impact of your message. Use positive feedback to help create a cooperative atmosphere.
Effective influence management depends on what must be done as outlined in these eight principles, but also on how the influence is applied. Remember that influencing can be applied in varying degrees and styles. For instance:
- Super subtle. This borders on the subliminal. You attempt to influence other parties without their knowing they are being influenced. Typical approaches are: seeing that others receive literature that is supportive of your proposal or including them in programs that will likewise nudge them in your direction.
- Moderately subtle. The moderate approach uses some of the same techniques applied in the super-subtle mode, but without covert cloaking. Literature may be distributed, yet its purpose is openly and clearly defined. Programs such as seminars are also used, but the reason behind the effort is apparent to all. Informal forms of coaching are also used in this mode. Seed planting (tossing out ideas to see if they take) is also common.
- Subtle as a Mack truck. Here the fact that you are trying to influence the other party is completely up front. The “dog-and-pony-show” approach is sometimes used in this mode to try to impress others. Or a meeting may be called expressly to deal with a given topic. Or a frank one-on-one face-off may be used to move the other party in your direction.
Influence management can also be sized up from the standpoint of need. For instance:
(1) “Just to make sure” (Additional reinforcement to insure against backslides).
(2) “Inevitably, this must be dealt with” (Planned moves handling situations that normally appear on projects).
(3) “There is a crying, desperate need” (A concentrated effort to face a situation that must be handled through influence management.
Adam Said to Eve
“The world is changing” (reportedly first said by Adam to Eve as they left the Garden of Eden together), is one reason for the expanded use of influence management. Although the world has always been changing, each generation's mutations are different. For instance, the present trend towards fewer hierarchy levels and more participative “horizontal” management causes managers to increasingly rely on techniques such as influence management to reach projected goals.
The tendency towards “lean” participative organizations, means that the traditional company pyramid becomes shorter and wider, calling for more interaction between members of the organization. The hierarchy tends to be relatively loose in this participative mode, calling for less formal techniques such as influence management.
Here's How
There are numerous ways to practice influence management. Here are some of the techniques managers use to influence others:
• One-on-one: Informal or formal coaching used to move the party to adopt your cause. Chats are sometimes sufficient. In other cases, a planned series of conversations is needed.
• Use others to influence: an appeal to third parties to carry out the influencing. This approach is helpful when, for personal or political reasons, direct contacts are ineffective.
• Influence the group: using group pressure to sway opinions. Some parties are particularly susceptible to peer influence in groups (in meetings, for example).
• Repeat and persist: the never-saydie approach to influencing. Repetition can sometimes establish a beachhead towards influencing others.
• Open new channels: re-routing your message. If what's being done isn't working, try sending your message through different media or people.
• Plant and nurture: the slow-andeasy approach to influencing. This technique assumes that other people need time to let ideas mature (especially if the ideas are new ones).
• Use big impact: the dog-and-pony-show idea. A showtime approach can make the difference in some cases.
All these how-to suggestions are enhanced in effectiveness when the benefit for the other party is stressed. What's in it for the other person. Remember that influencing others is a selling challenge and is only effective when the other party “buys in.”
Whether through the subtle art of nudging and nurturing or more dramatic approaches designed for impact influence management is an increasingly important skill in project management. Since the project manager coordinator or leader rarely has full authority over all project stakeholders, appeals to the art of influence are required to meet the classic goals of cost, schedule and quality.