Influence can make or break your best efforts as a consultant. If you have influence on your side, you can minimize barriers and break down obstacles to understanding and progress. Everyone who works inside a large organization understands the power of influence. But how do you access and plan for positive influence?
We’ve used influence maps to chart a course for success on large-scale projects and smaller, individual coaching efforts. Proactively discussing and planning for positive influence can take time up front. But the rewards of those efforts pay off when you have influential leaders on board who are champions of change.
Every expert acknowledges that executive support is the linchpin to success in organizational effort so why not take time to identify key influence strategies at the beginning of your project?
The Influence Map outlines a structured process that helps individuals and/or teams:
- Identify key audience groups
- Determine the nature of resistance
- Plan influence strategies to positively impact stakeholders
Using this process early on in a change effort will clarify communication and influence plans, minimize ambiguities, and support the development of broad-based understanding and buy-in. This tool includes a worksheet to help individuals and/or groups identify influence strategies on three levels–personal motivation, social/group motivation and structural motivation. This approach helps leaders influence more efficiently and effectively by addressing the specific needs of their key stakeholder groups.