INFLUENCING WITHOUT

AUTHORITY

NTL Institute

De Ruwenberg, The Netherlands

May 15 – 17, 2006
 Course Learning Objectives
By The end of this program, you will:
 Better understand the dynamics of the influence
process
 Be able to use a core influence model
 Develop skills for use in a variety of situations
 Increase your awareness of your current influence
behavior
 Identify areas for your ongoing development
 INFLUENCE
 The ability to persuade other people to accept
a point of view, adopt a specific agenda, or
take a course of action.
 Influence is not coercion or manipulation.
 Influence is understanding the others’ needs
and points of view and working jointly to a
WIN-WIN outcome -- to what is best for the
organization and its customers.
Guidelines for Optimal Learning
 Be present
 Manage your energy level
 Be on time
 Pay attention to your underlying patterns
 Speak for yourself
 Listen to and respect all opinions
 Promise confidentiality
 Take responsibility for own learning
 Sit beside different people each day
 Work with different partners in each activity
 Stretch out of your zone of comfort
 Turn off wireless devices
 Keep a journal of learning
 Subgroup Task - Success
Factors

 Review your subgroup’s responses to

questions 1-4 and agree to your top five key
influence success factors

 Write your group’s conclusions on flip chart

sheet and be prepared to report to the large
group
 Social Styles – The Driver

 Get the job done

 Task & results oriented
 Emphasize urgency
 Generate efficiency
 Questions: WHAT? & WHEN?
 Social Styles -- Analytical

 Do the job correctly

 Details & facts oriented
 Emphasize logic
 Generate understanding
 Questions: HOW? & WHERE?
 Social Styles -- Supportive

 Work cooperatively
 Build harmony
 Focus on people
 Generate teamwork
 Question: WHO?
 Social Styles -- Expressive

 Work enthusiastically
 Build big picture
 Focus on intuition
 Generate commitment
 Question: WHY?
 Social Styles Task

Develop a report that summarizes how

operating in this way would help an
influence attempt to be successful, and how
it would hinder the success of an influence
attempt.
 Social Styles Task

Develop a report that summarizes ideas for

becoming more proficient and comfortable
with this style of operating.
 Social Styles Task

Return to your original corner/group and prepare

two reports on flip chart paper:

1. How to recognize us as “clients”

2. How best to influence us
Guide Map: Influence Process One
I. Moving Together
 Contacting
 Agreements

IV. Moving Apart

 Finishing
 Following Up
 I. Moving Together

 Contacting: Process, Content, Emotions

 Contracting: Time, Expectations, Agenda

(TEA)
 IV. Moving Apart

 Finishing: Summarizing agreements,

Reflecting on process

 Following Up: Checking back, Progress

reports
 Guide Map: Influence Process Two

II. Moving Out

 Diverging
 Diagnosing

III. Moving In
 Executing
 Evaluating
 II. Moving Out (Exploring)

 Diverging: Exploring alternatives, seeking

options

 Diagnosing: Analyzing and reaching

conclusions
 III. Moving In (Converging)

 Executing: Deciding on action

 Evaluating: Monitoring and assessing

 Guide Map: Influence Model

II. Moving Out

I. Moving IV. Moving

Together Apart

III. Moving In
 Subgroup Task

Use the model to identify your present

strong and weak areas in how you approach
influencing with others
 First Practice

 Form trios with people you have not yet worked with.
 Two Minutes: Person A brief your partners on a real
Influencing situation you would like help on (See p. 50 for
some examples)
 Ten Minutes: Person B influence Person A on her/his
approach to the situation (Person C observe and make notes)
 Five Minutes: Person C lead an exploration of what worked
and what could be improved
 Repeat this cycle with each person in each role.
 After three cycles, give each other feedback on what you
perceive as each person’s influencing strengths and what
you think each could improve on.
 Day One Reflection

Notes for Day 1:

 What worked best for me:
 What I would change in the future:
 Most important learning to remember about
today’s experience
Influencing Without Authority
 The Three Streams
of the Influence Process

 CONTENT: WHAT you want to accomplish

 PROCESS: HOW you are actually approaching
the influence
 EMOTIONS: FEELINGS are often generated by
influence attempts

 Beware the EPIBWOT !!!

 Transition Adjustment

VISION
u ld Line
Sho
Integration
Minimizing
Understanding
Losing Focus
The Pit
Testing

Letting Go
 Contracts

 Form trios and explore which contracting

items each person needs to pay more
attention to
 Force Field analysis

 In teams of four, create a real force field

analysis of an actual situation and prepare a
group presentation
STEPS IN LEARNING A NEW HABIT

OLD HABIT NEW HABIT

UNCONSCIOUS

CONSCIOUS
 Red Blue

Rose Daisy

Chair Couch

Hammer

Apple
 Green

Rose Daisy

Chair Couch

Hammer

Apple
 IV. Moving Apart

 Factors promoting successful change

Trios identify one or more successful influence

cases and describe why each was successful in
that agreements were kept and actions were
taken. Develop a list of key “Finishing and
Following Up” success factors to present to the
group
 Research findings: Individual change

 Understanding and acceptance of the need for

change
 Belief that the change is both desirable and possible
 Sufficient passionate commitment
 Specific deliverable / goal and a few first steps
 Structures or mechanisms that require repetitions of
the new pattern
 Feeling Supported and Safe
 Versatility of mental models
 Patience and perseverance
Research findings: Organizational change

 Clear accountability: visible, vocal, consistent,

persistent sponsors and stakeholders
 Explicit “boundary management” – the role of
other people
 Critical mass in alignment
 Rewarding the new behavior & withdrawal of
rewards for the old behavior
 Preparation for Practice Session

PRE-INFLUENCE PREPARATION
 Belief change is Possible and Desirable
 Dissatisfaction with present state
 Understanding & Acceptance of Goal
 Awareness of first action steps
 Role of Other People
 Preparation for Practice

DURING THE INFLUENCE INTERACTION

 Build Rapport using Social Styles & Focus
 Establish Contract (TEA)
 Exploration of Alternatives
 Summarize Agreements
 Specific Follow Up Plans
 Second Practice
 Form trios with people you have not yet worked with.
 Three Minutes: Person A brief your partners on a real consulting situation you
would like help on (See p. 50 for some examples)
 Ten Minutes: Person B influence Person A on her/his approach to the
situation (Person C observe and make notes)
 Two Minutes: Person C lead an exploration of what worked and what could
be improved – “Half time review”
 Ten Minutes: Person B continue influencing Person A on her/his approach to
the situation (Person C observe and make notes)
 Ten Minutes: Person C lead an exploration of what worked and what could
be improved
 Repeat this cycle with each person in each role.
 After three cycles, give each other feedback on what you perceive as each
person’s influencing strengths and what you think each could improve on.
Building Critical mass for Change

Tendency to Accept

Tendency to Reject
IMMEDIATE EARLY NEUTRAL WAIT & HARD CORE
ACCEPTORS ADOPTERS SEE RESISTORS
 Day Two Reflection

Notes for Day 2:

 What worked best for me:
 What I would change in the future:
 Most important learning to remember about
today’s experience
 Styles of thinking
TIME PERSPECTIVE
SHORT TERM LONG TERM

C REACTIVE

O
CREATIVE
N
T
R
O
L
 Subgroup Activity
Trios use the Thinking Styles to analyze current
influence situations each of you are involved with.
In each of your cases, assess the percentages of
time presently “spent” in each of the cells by
yourself and by the other relative to the focus of
the influence; estimate the percentages of time that
“should” be spent in each cell; and identify ways
to move towards the ideal allocations. Be
prepared to report back to the total group.
 Managing Polarities (Barry Johnson)
+ +

CLEAR SENSE OF PREDICTION &

PRIORITIES POSSIBILITY

Short Term Long Term

BANDAGES ON IGNORE PRESSING

SYMPTOMS REALITIES

_ _
 High Performance Qualities
• Form trios and determine who will share their
high performance stories first.
• 10 minutes: First person give sufficient detail in
all three stories. Partners listen and ask clarifying
and deepening questions.
• 5 Minutes: Partners feedback the qualities or
themes they have identified as being present in all
three stories. The storyteller should add her / his
own ideas about the common qualities, and write
down all that s/he agrees to in the space below.
• Repeat for each person.
 Third Practice
 10 minutes: Individually prepare a moderately challenging real
situation (See p. 50 for some examples). Review all of the foregoing
models and your personal learning goals in your preparation. (What to
observe and what behaviors to try out.)
 3 minutes: A brief B on the situation and the person B is to role Play
 10 minutes: Role Play: A practices influencing B, C observes
 5 minutes: C facilitates (influences) review of B’s work with A
 Total group check in at the end of Round One
 Rotate and repeat two more rounds
 5 Minutes: Trios share ideas for each member – what worked well and
what would improve each person’s influence technique (do more /
start & do less / stop)
 Propositions about Successful
Influence Without Authority

Subgroups of four develop lists of the top

10 key success factors for effective
influencing. Be prepared to share with the
total group.
 Individual Follow Up Commitment

1 What am I doing well that helps my

influence effectiveness?
2 What do I need to do less or stop doing to be
a more effective influencer?
3 What do I need to do more or start doing to
be a more effective influencer?
4 The first new skill or approach I am
committed to developing is ______