Influence Without Authority

This workshop is designed for employees at all levels who are interested in creating positive change in their work environment or whose role requires them to gain buy-in from others, including people in power, direct reports and cross-functional teams.

Created in collaboration with Paloma Medina.

Transcript

1. Influence Without
   Authority
   Lara Hogan, Coach + Trainer
   In collaboration with Paloma Medina
   Copyright 2020
   

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2. We all care about
   different things.
   

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3. Long road: convince them to see
   your point of view.
   Short road: see it from their
   point of view.
   

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4. Influence vs.
   Manipulation
   

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5. Influence Manipulation
   Agree with you or go along with your idea
   Disclose relevant
   information
   Hide or lie
   about relevant
   information
   

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6. Intentional influence
   

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7. COURAGE
   CONSIDERATION
   ● Doormat
   Innovative Jerk ●
   Ethical Influence ●
   ● Mean and boring
   

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8. The 3 Rules of
   Ethical Influence
   

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9. 1. Know What Matters (to
   the People who Matter)
   

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10. Identify stakeholders.
    

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11. Blocker
    Decision-
    Maker Ally
    People whose help you’ll need ▢ ▢ ▢
    Departments ▢ ▢ ▢
    Passionate people ▢ ▢ ▢
    Leaders in general ▢ ▢ ▢
    Influencers ▢ ▢ ▢
    Super experienced people ▢ ▢ ▢
    People who will be impacted ▢ ▢ ▢
    

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12. Blocker
    Decision-
    Maker Ally
    People whose help you’ll need ▢ ▢ ▢
    Departments ▢ ▢ ▢
    Passionate people ▢ ▢ ▢
    Leaders in general ▢ ▢ ▢
    Influencers ▢ ▢ ▢
    Super experienced people ▢ ▢ ▢
    People who will be impacted ▢ ▢ ▢
    

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13. Get to know
    stakeholders’ currencies.
    

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14. Our core needs
    as currencies
    

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15. 1. What feels most important to you about this?
    2. What challenges are you most concerned with?
    Or—in an ideal world—how would we move this forward?
    3. What one thing do you wish you could change about this?
    4. I have an idea I need your advice on [share idea] - what do you think I need to do to get
    others on board? Or—What key concerns or goals do you think I should keep my eye on
    for this project?
    5. If you were me, how would you handle _________?
    Tell me more about what made you choose that route?
    6. Who would you recommend I talk to to learn more about the history/background on this
    issue?
    7. If _______ happens, how would that impact you/ your crew?
    8. If I have more questions, would you mind if I follow up via email you or coffee?
    9. What can I do to make this easier/ more likely to happen?
    

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16. Resistance is data.
    

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17. We’ll need to adapt these
    tools based on who we are,
    and who our audience is.
    

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18. 2. Be a Builder
    

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20. Builders are
    solution-oriented,
    not problem-oriented.
    

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21. Facts + Impact → New Idea
    

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22. Facts + Impact → New Idea
    “There are currently no Engineering
    principles defined for how teams
    should be building new features.
    This means that there are very few
    shared components, and feature teams
    have to reinvent the wheel each time.”
    ”I vote we create a
    working group to
    define 3-4 shared
    Engineering team
    principles.”
    

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23. Facts + Impact → New Idea
    “There are currently no Engineering
    principles defined for how teams
    should be building new features.
    This means that there are very few
    shared components, and feature teams
    have to reinvent the wheel each time.”
    ”I vote we create a
    working group to
    define 3-4 shared
    Engineering team
    principles.”
    

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24. Facts + Impact → New Idea
    “There are currently no Engineering
    principles defined for how teams
    should be building new features.
    This means that there are very few
    shared components, and feature teams
    have to reinvent the wheel each time.”
    ”I vote we create a
    working group to
    define 3-4 shared
    Engineering team
    principles.”
    

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25. Facts + Impact → New Idea
    “There are currently no Engineering
    principles defined for how teams
    should be building new features.
    This means that there are very few
    shared components, and feature teams
    have to reinvent the wheel each time.”
    ”I vote we create a
    working group to
    define 3-4 shared
    Engineering team
    principles.”
    

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26. ”I vote we create a
    working group to
    define 3-4 shared
    Engineering team
    principles.”
    Make sure
    your idea takes
    into account
    key currencies.
    

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27. Tips for coming up
    with new ideas
    

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28. Influence is about ideas.
    Builder statements:
    

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29. Do your research about
    the facts and solutions.
    Builder statements:
    

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30. Avoid negative labels.
    Don't insult people or
    their "babies".
    Builder statements:
    

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33. “Our current vacation policy is
    outdated”
    ✓ “A new vacation policy could
    attract more talent”
    

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34. “Our parental leave policy is sexist”
    ✓ “An updated parental leave policy
    could help us walk the talk of
    inclusion”
    

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35. “We’re making a huge mistake if
    we go with that idea”
    ✓ “We could avoid X, Y and Z if we
    go with this other idea”
    

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36. I know you care about [currency].
    Here’s how [idea] can help with that.
    

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37. Start with winnable
    experiments.
    

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38. We’ll test ______________________________________________
    your proposed change
    for ______ months with __________________________________.
    number audience for experiment
    Our success metrics will be _______________________________.
    1-3 metrics
    We’ll report back our findings to ___________ and ___________.
    stakeholder stakeholder
    

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39. We’ll test ______________________________________________
    your proposed change
    for ______ months with __________________________________.
    number audience for experiment
    Our success metrics will be _______________________________.
    1-3 metrics
    We’ll report back our findings to ___________ and ___________.
    stakeholder stakeholder
    3
    a new mentorship + sponsorship program
    12 recent new hires in Product
    quarterly peer feedback results
    HR Product leads
    

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40. We’ll test ______________________________________________
    your proposed change
    for ______ months with __________________________________.
    number audience for experiment
    Our success metrics will be _______________________________
    ______________________________________________________.
    1-3 metrics
    We’ll report back our findings to ___________ and ___________.
    stakeholder stakeholder
    1.5
    a working group to define 3 eng principles
    1 representative from each team
    each team feels heard, and
    Eng Leads all of eng
    the principles can be applied to current + planned work
    

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41. 3. Iterate, Iterate, Iterate
    

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43. Prepare to improve
    at least 30% of your idea
    by seeking feedback along
    the way, iterating as needed.
    

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44. How
    

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45. How
    Designers +
    PMs build
    fast-loading
    features
    

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46. How
    Goal/
    Core Need
    Designers +
    PMs build
    fast-loading
    features
    

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47. How
    Goal/
    Core Need
    Designers +
    PMs build
    fast-loading
    features
    Usable website
    for people on
    slower/outdated
    infrastructure
    

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48. How
    Goal/
    Core Need
    Be flexible about
    your how
    

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49. How
    Goal/
    Core Need
    Be flexible about
    your how
    Be firm about
    your goal
    (core need)
    

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50. Get good at
    feedback-seeking.
    

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51. Resistance → Data
    BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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52. Most common responses
    when a threat is detected
    BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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53. 1. Doubt
    2. Avoid
    3. Fight
    4. Bond
    5. Escape-route
    }Data
    BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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54. Knowing and addressing
    someone’s core needs is a
    shortcut to making them feel
    understood and valued.
    BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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55. How do we recover when
    we amygdala-hijack
    someone?
    BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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56. BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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57. BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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58. Have a back-pocket script:
    Eject button + next step
    BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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59. There might be an
    inherent power dynamic
    BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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60. “I wanted to get your thoughts on
    my email last week.
    What did you read in it?
    What could I have said better?”
    BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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61. With your mouthwords:
    ● Acknowledge the power dynamic
    (if you’re a manager/leader)
    ● Acknowledge whenever you’ve messed
    something up
    BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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62. “Here are some avenues to
    give me feedback; choose
    whichever feels most
    comfortable”
    BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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63. “What I learned…”
    “What I’ll do…”
    BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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64. “I see now that when ______
    happened, we messed with
    ______. What if next time, we
    instead try ___________?”
    BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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65. Caveat
    The goal is not 100% consensus
    100% of the time
    BONUS MATERIAL!
    

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