Why Influence Is Your Secret Weapon.

Why is it essential to be able to influence the ideas of others in making change and transformation successful?

To answer that let me ask another question.

How else can make sure that your changes happen the way that you need them to?

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Now, this is a fascinating dilemma because when you’re thinking about how you’re going to go about making a change; most changes require you to get more than just yourself involved in that change. It’s obvious when you think about it because your changes will potentially involve everyone in your organisation, possibly even your clients. Other people like your friends or family may also have to adopt the consequences of change.

When you try to get other people on board and accepting the idea that they’re going to have to change it helps if you admit that you must also change along with them. It’s all about how you influence others. Now influencing others is not something which should be considered as a negative.  It is actually a positive because its about taking an idea that’s in your mind and being able to communicate that idea from your brain into theirs If you can do this then they also get the opportunity to be able to see exactly what you can see — the benefits, the drawbacks, and how you expect it to work. Moreover, any contingency planning that could be required.

Would you agree with me that if you want to be able to get something positive done, you need to be able to influence the mindsets of many different people? You need them to believe in you. Believe in the change required, but most of all they need to also believe in themselves and their ability to make change happen.

Talking of influencing others – have you ever been in a meeting in which people are just sitting there very lethargic and disinterested, maybe pushing themselves back away from the desk? They’re trying very hard not to get engaged.  In fact, some people may spend the entire time in a meeting and not say a single word!

However, if you’ve been asked to go to a meeting, it’s for a reason.  And the reason usually is, you have some vested interest in what is being discussed. You may be the expert and your opinions are required. If this is the case then surely you need to be the one standing out from the others in the room. You need to be the one expressing yourself and actively participating in that meeting by displaying your level of influence skill and knowledge.

What is my body is saying!

So picture this you’re sat there in the meeting room, you’re engaged in the discussion, you’re sitting forwards and upright and you’re NOT looking at your laptop or phone. You’re NOT dealing with anything else, and you’re focused solely on what that meeting is about, and what everyone else is saying around you. You are participating the best you can inside that meeting, and because of that you are actively influencing everybody, not least because you’re giving more to that meeting then maybe most of the other people involved.

Here’s another example.  You may have been in a sales presentation where the vendor comes in with their glossy sales brochures, and they sit down, and the first thing they do is back away from the table and their material, now what’s that saying to you as a customer? Is that indicating that the person feels comfortable with what they’re proposing or recommending? Maybe they are worried about what they have put in their presentation or are feeling a bit nervous about how you may receive the information they give you. Are they concerned about what you’re going to say about it?

It’s important to see and understand the importance of body language in meetings.  If you see somebody in a meeting who’s looking nervous, shifty and lacking confidence then you’re not going to want to jump on board with them or any changes they are proposing.

Posture and body language have a significant influence on how you are perceived and how you influence others with your ideas and plans. So if you are going to be the one proposing something and being active in meetings you need to look and act positively. You need to not only have confidence in your plan and yourself as the person to lead it, you need to LOOK like you are confident.

I’m going to leave you with a thought.  The people who influence you are the people who believe in you the most.  Be that person for those YOU are hoping to influence.