Impact and Influence
Impact and Influence is the ability to generate support from others to achieve desired business outcomes. It also involves taking advantage of opportunities to make a difference and have an impact. It is always planful and strategic, never random. When used well, the intended outcome of this competency is the creation of goodwill, trust, and respect while motivating people to want to follow you even when they don’t have to.
Increasing Capability Levels
Level 1
- Adopts direct influencing or persuasive tactics, appeals to reason, data, others self-interest.
- Uses concrete examples and demonstrations to gain agreement and buy-in.
- Makes basic arguments when presenting own position.
Level 2
- Consciously develops influence strategies; anticipates others’ reactions.
- Adapts a presentation or discussion to appeal to the interest of others.
- Takes well thought-out action to achieve a specific impact.
Level 3
- Uses indirect influence to gain support; takes multiple steps to influence others.
- Uses internal or external experts or other third parties to influence others or convince them of an intended course of action.
- Uses chains of influence(if A shows B, then B will tell C, etc) i.e. Uses support from one stakeholder group to influence the beliefs of other groups.
Level 4
- Uses complex or strategic influence strategies
- Secures strategic alliances or partnerships to gain widespread support, enlists strong commitment by involving others early and often.
- Builds behind the scenes support for ideas (e.g. ‘Test ideas with key stakeholders before rolling them out to a broader audience’); develops alliances.
Overusing Impact and Influence
May spend too much time maneuvering for advantage; May spend too much time building networks and glad-handing; may not be taken as substantive by some; May not be trusted; may tell others what they are expecting to hear rather than what he/she knows to be true
Underusing Impact and Influence
May be impatient with political process and make procedural errors; May be too direct and not consider impact on others; may not project out consequences of his/her actions well; May be too timid and laid back to maneuver through organizations.