Do you have the right influence?
Are you being listened to? Or are you waiting to be heard?
Thinking that your time will come or that you will speak up next time?
Throughout my professional and personal life, there have been times when I thought (usually hours after a situation and with the added benefit of hindsight), “I wish I’d said that…” or “I should have said that more implicitly”…
I’m sure I’m not the only one.
A realization that has come with time and experience (but not too much) is that practice makes perfect and there are times when speaking up for ourselves is not only needed but necessary.
Though there are over 7 billion people in this world, our unique voice deserves to be heard and our perspectives are taken into account throughout every facet of life.
The ability to influence for positive impact – whether at work, at home, or even within relationships – is crucial to being able to develop personally and professionally.
But what is influence anyway, and how can we gain more of it? You can also watch me talk about influencing for impact on YouTube by clicking on this link here.
Understanding influence
There are various definitions, some I’m not too fond of, but I like the ability or power to inspire or motivate an individual to act in one way or the other.
This can be done via hierarchy and position, but there are much more subtle (and effective) ways to do this, regardless of who we are and the position we hold.
Increasing influence
Influence is directly linked to our interactions with others. Looking at the following key aspects, we can gain the ability to create environments where our voices (and the voices of others) can be heard and appreciated.
I call these the Secret Weapons of Influence
Emotional Intelligence- Understanding the emotional reasoning behind decisions or situations and honing in on skills such as empathy and patience can help ensure you are picking up unspoken queues and making the most of every experience.
Communication – Key to every human relationship, continual communication (whether big or small) will build encouragement and understanding between individuals. Taking the steps to voice your ideas and concerns, even in a small capacity, will allow you to gain confidence and build stronger relationships too.
Preparation – If you know what you want to say, taking the time to accurately convey this is vital to your success and therefore preparation is key. Whether it’s a presentation for work or a personal conversation, knowing your audience and being clear on the points you want to raise, will enable you to get your point across while also listening to the points of others.
These may seem like common sense, but in my experience, these are paramount to gaining respect and influence.
To learn more and to build your own influence, why not check our online course on Influencing for Impact, here . Through this, you’ll:
- Be able to define what Influence means to you
- Understand why being able to Influence can be so important
- Be able to identify who are the key stakeholders you are trying to Influence and in what situations
- Know all about the Secret Weapons of Influence and how to use them for maximum impact
If you’d prefer to talk through this 1:1, book for your career discussion today.
Thanks for reading. Check out other Blue Diamond articles to help you take control of your work and life.
