subject: Persuasion Or Office Politics? [print this page] To influence others and get them enthusiastically behind your plans, do you rely on persuasion or politics? Research shows that smart executives use both to build a power base to get things done through others.
Persuasion has four elements:
1.Credibility: Credibility is built on trust and expertise, and it must be earned. People will believe you have expertise and are worthy of their trust if you exercise sound judgment and demonstrate a history of success.
2.An understanding of the audience: Identify the decision makers and centers of influence. Determine their likely receptivity and personal agendas.
3.A solid argument: What is perfectly sensible to you may elude others especially those who are already opposed to your ideas and prepared to resist.
You can improve your chances of persuading them when your case:
a.Is logical and consistent with facts and experience
b.Strikes an emotional cord
c.Favorably addresses the interests of the parties you hope to persuade
d.Neutralizes competing alternatives
e.Recognizes and deals with the politics of the situation
f.Comes with endorsements from objective and authoritative third parties
4.Effective communication: Don't mistakenly think that logic and rationality will win out and persuade people to your side. You may inadvertently trigger confirmation bias, a situation in which people become further entrenched in their own ideas.
Effective communication appeals to peoples emotions, tapping into universal human values and desires. Appeal to both hearts and minds if you want to build and sustain commitment to your strategic plans.
Office Politics
Its naive to suggest that office politics are destructive and unethical. If you define politics in such a narrow way, you overlook the value of political awareness and skill. Political savvy, when combined with the right values, can be advantageous to you, your team and your organization.
To become politically savvy and build your power base:
1.Map the political terrain. First, identify all stakeholders anyone who has an interest in, or who would be affected by, your idea and how they will react. Some resistance is inevitable. You must anticipate others reactions, identify allies and resisters, analyze their goals and understand their agendas.
When you face objections, dont go to individuals bosses or peers to undercut their arguments. Instead, ask them questions to determine their goals. Stakeholders may:
Share your goal, but not your implementation approach
Disagree with your goal, but share your approach to change
Share neither
Share both
You can identify potential allies and resisters with direct questioning.
2.Get them on your side. Build your coalition a politically mobilized group committed to implementing your idea because doing so will generate valued benefits.
Creating coalitions is the most critical step in exercising your political competence. How do you win support? You need to be credible. You communicate credibility by letting potential allies and resisters know about your expertise, demonstrating personal integrity, and showing that you have access to important people and information.
3.Make thing happen through leverage. You must win others buy-in by making it clear theres a payoff for supporting your efforts and drawbacks for refusing to join your coalition. Show how implementing your idea will ease stakeholders workload, increase their visibility within the organization or help them cut departmental costs.
Once youve persuaded others to join your coalition, youve established a base that will legitimize your idea. Coalition members will then use their networks to evangelize for you.
Getting others to make changes and do things your way is risky and fraught with personal peril. Making your organization a better place is often at odds with personal advancement.
You cant do it without power. Just be sure to create power in and with others, as opposed to using power over others.
