Exercising Influence: A Guide For Making Things Happen, Revised Edition

Influence is something everyone needs to be able to do, but requires a set of skills and understandings that are rarely taught. Based on the author's 30 years of teaching and observation, this hands-on guide will enable readers to develop effective influencing skills. As a result, they will be able to build the relationships they need to get positive results in and outside their sphere of work. The material in the book is divided into three sections. The first section focuses on developing the skills and understanding required to be an effective influencer. The second section - Planning for Influence - provides practical advice on preparing for, implementing, and reviewing an actual influence opportunity. The third section - Special Issues in Influence - explores important issues that arise in the process of exercising influence as well as special applications of influence skills. Part I. Exercising Influence 1. What We’ve Got Here Is Failure to Influence 2. What Is Influence, and Why Do We Want to Have It? 3. A Model for Exercising Influence: Building Relationships and Getting Results 4. Expressive Influence: Sending Ideas and Generating Energy 5. Receptive Influence: Inviting Ideas and Stimulating Action 6. Influencing in Action Part II. Planning For Influence 7. Developing an Influencing Plan 8. Establishing Influence Goals 9. Focus on the Relationship 10. Focus on the Context: The Individual 11. Focus on the Context: System, Organization, Culture, and Timing 12. Focus on the Context: Yourself 13. Focus on the Issues 14. Choosing and Using Influence Behaviors to Achieve Your Goal 15. Putting Your Plan to Work Part III. Special Issues in Influence 16. The Ethics of Influence 17. Influencing Electronically 18. Influencing Indirectly 19. Applied Influence: Making Things Happen