Most of us are in situations where we try to get other people to do the things that we want them to do. This can happen within an organization as well as in our personal lives. We think that there is something worth doing and we try to get people to come along side of us. Sometimes we have the authority to do that and we use that authority to get people to do what we want to do. But other times we may not have that authority or it might be wiser not to use that kind of authority.
Some months back I spoke to you about Moral Authority over Positional Authority; that each one of us can wield that kind of moral authority which is higher than positional authority because it has to do with the kind of people that we are rather than the positions that we hold. When we use moral authority it’s a leadership that goes far beyond even the positions that we hold. Even after we have passed on from that position, people will still talk about the kind of leadership that we’ve provided.
Getting things done, that’s a key in any organization; to be able to get people to do what you want to do. I think John Maxwell said, “Leadership is all about influence.” Leadership is influence. You need to be able to influence people to do the things that you want.
A Chinese proverb says, “A leader who does not have any followers is just like a man going for a walk.” You have to have people who follow and you have to have those people following you for the right reasons and wanting to do the things that you want them to do and wanting you to lead.
Cathy Bolger in an article ‘Using Influence Tactics’ says, “Most of the managers we coach and train can no longer rely on the traditional command and control management methods to get things done. Today, effective managers must master the skills of influence to get things done through others. The good news is that the effective use of influence skills is more likely to result in commitment.” That last phrase is the key. We want people to be committed to the things that we want them to do. Why is that? Because when a person is committed, they will whole-heartedly do the things that we want or expect from them.
Gary Yukl, researcher into leadership and influence, and professor in the School of Business at the University of Albany, divides influence tactics into 2 categories; primary and secondary. “As we exert influence on people, there are 2 ways that we can influence them – Primary and Secondary. The Primary influence tactics are more likely to result in commitment. Secondary influence tactics, when used alone, are more likely to result in compliance or resistance."
What are primary influence tactics? They include:
Some months back I spoke to you about Moral Authority over Positional Authority; that each one of us can wield that kind of moral authority which is higher than positional authority because it has to do with the kind of people that we are rather than the positions that we hold. When we use moral authority it’s a leadership that goes far beyond even the positions that we hold. Even after we have passed on from that position, people will still talk about the kind of leadership that we’ve provided.
Getting things done, that’s a key in any organization; to be able to get people to do what you want to do. I think John Maxwell said, “Leadership is all about influence.” Leadership is influence. You need to be able to influence people to do the things that you want.
A Chinese proverb says, “A leader who does not have any followers is just like a man going for a walk.” You have to have people who follow and you have to have those people following you for the right reasons and wanting to do the things that you want them to do and wanting you to lead.
Cathy Bolger in an article ‘Using Influence Tactics’ says, “Most of the managers we coach and train can no longer rely on the traditional command and control management methods to get things done. Today, effective managers must master the skills of influence to get things done through others. The good news is that the effective use of influence skills is more likely to result in commitment.” That last phrase is the key. We want people to be committed to the things that we want them to do. Why is that? Because when a person is committed, they will whole-heartedly do the things that we want or expect from them.
Gary Yukl, researcher into leadership and influence, and professor in the School of Business at the University of Albany, divides influence tactics into 2 categories; primary and secondary. “As we exert influence on people, there are 2 ways that we can influence them – Primary and Secondary. The Primary influence tactics are more likely to result in commitment. Secondary influence tactics, when used alone, are more likely to result in compliance or resistance."
What are primary influence tactics? They include:
- Inspirational appeal: involves making a request or proposal that arouses a recipient’s enthusiasm by appealing to their values, ideals and aspirations. Appeal to the person’s ideals and values; link the request to a clear and appealing vision; use a dramatic expressive style of speaking; use positive optimistic language. In short, sell it to people, make them see the vision that you have and then get them to follow.
- Rational persuasion: involves using logic and facts to result in attainment of desirable outcomes. To use this means to explain the reason for a request or proposal; explain how the person would benefit from your proposal; provide evidence that your proposal is feasible; explain why your proposal is better than competing ones; explain how likely problems or concerns would be handled. In a nutshell, use logic, use a persuasive language, and appeal to their intelligence and intellect.
- Consultation: involves seeking the recipient’s participation in planning a strategy; asking them to come alongside you and help you to begin to see how they can help this whole process; ask for suggestions on how to improve a tentative proposal; state your objective and ask what the recipient can do to help you attain it; respond to the person’s concerns and suggestions.
Primary influence is more likely to result in commitment and remember, commitment is what you are looking for. Commitment means that the other person is willing to do things without having to be forced to do it and will do things because they themselves are motivated.
Former Vice-President Al Gore, in his movie ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ used all 3 of these influence tactics.
Former Vice-President Al Gore, in his movie ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ used all 3 of these influence tactics.
- He appealed to our values of making the world a safe place for generations to come. This is an appealing vision for many of us.
- He also uses rational persuasion as he cites reputable research on global warming.
- He then asks us to join with him in doing what each of us can do to help decrease global warming.
So, primary influence tactics are more likely to result in commitment. Secondary influence tactics, when used alone, are more likely to result in compliance or resistance.
Now when you and I lead, what we want is full whole-hearted commitment. There are times when what we get is not commitment. Committed followers tend to be motivated. These are followers who do what we ask because they want to do it. But if you get compliance, and compliance comes when we use our influence, power and authority to get our followers to do something that we want them to do. And they are only doing what we ask because they feel they have to do it and not necessarily because they want to do it. They are doing what is asked because we, as their supervisors, have the ability to reward them with money, time-off or praise; or punish them with termination, for instance.
When you get people who are compliant, they will just do what they have to do. They put in their 8 hours of work and then they go home. They will never go above and beyond anything that they have to do and they never do anything for the benefit of the organization.
The worst case scenario is when you get resistance. Resistance comes when you use authority saying that something has got to be done and they have to do it. Resistance can come in the passive form of just not doing what we want or it could also come in the form of open hostility and challenging us at every turn.
Looking at these scenarios we feel that the ideal would be for us to get people who are committed, committed to the things that we want them to do because ultimately that is what will get the best benefit for the company, for us as we lead.
There are times when we have to use Primary influence or times when we have to use Secondary influence. And when secondary influence is used, the danger is that we can get compliance rather than commitment, or resistance rather than commitment.
As leaders, as people who sit in places where you have authority, how do you get people to follow you and give you 100% commitment? That’s a good question for all of us. How do we sell the things that we want people to do?
For me, I always rely on the wisdom that is far beyond my wisdom, my understanding, my experience. Because only a person who can see the whole picture can communicate to me what is the best way to get commitment. So I always rely on God’s involvement in my life. For me, the strongest support I have is to know that when I need wisdom, I can ask Him and He will give.
The Bible says this in James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, he only has to ask and I will give.”
God offers to each one of you, my friends on this call, wisdom to make the right choices, to be able to get people to follow, to come alongside and gladly do the things that we want them to do for the benefit of the organization that we work for. I pray that you will lean, not on your own understanding, but on the understanding of an Almighty God who is with you.
God Bless You All.
Now when you and I lead, what we want is full whole-hearted commitment. There are times when what we get is not commitment. Committed followers tend to be motivated. These are followers who do what we ask because they want to do it. But if you get compliance, and compliance comes when we use our influence, power and authority to get our followers to do something that we want them to do. And they are only doing what we ask because they feel they have to do it and not necessarily because they want to do it. They are doing what is asked because we, as their supervisors, have the ability to reward them with money, time-off or praise; or punish them with termination, for instance.
When you get people who are compliant, they will just do what they have to do. They put in their 8 hours of work and then they go home. They will never go above and beyond anything that they have to do and they never do anything for the benefit of the organization.
The worst case scenario is when you get resistance. Resistance comes when you use authority saying that something has got to be done and they have to do it. Resistance can come in the passive form of just not doing what we want or it could also come in the form of open hostility and challenging us at every turn.
Looking at these scenarios we feel that the ideal would be for us to get people who are committed, committed to the things that we want them to do because ultimately that is what will get the best benefit for the company, for us as we lead.
There are times when we have to use Primary influence or times when we have to use Secondary influence. And when secondary influence is used, the danger is that we can get compliance rather than commitment, or resistance rather than commitment.
As leaders, as people who sit in places where you have authority, how do you get people to follow you and give you 100% commitment? That’s a good question for all of us. How do we sell the things that we want people to do?
For me, I always rely on the wisdom that is far beyond my wisdom, my understanding, my experience. Because only a person who can see the whole picture can communicate to me what is the best way to get commitment. So I always rely on God’s involvement in my life. For me, the strongest support I have is to know that when I need wisdom, I can ask Him and He will give.
The Bible says this in James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, he only has to ask and I will give.”
God offers to each one of you, my friends on this call, wisdom to make the right choices, to be able to get people to follow, to come alongside and gladly do the things that we want them to do for the benefit of the organization that we work for. I pray that you will lean, not on your own understanding, but on the understanding of an Almighty God who is with you.
God Bless You All.
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