Transcript Influence
Influencing BESIG 24th annual conference, Dubrovnik Saturday 19 November 2011 Steve Flinders, York Associates Plan 1.Business English - where are we going? 2.Influencing – what and why? 3.Skills 4.Language 5.Activities Influencing 1 Business English – where are we going? Where we are going Communication, not language, is at the heart of what we do ... • Understanding the processes involved in successful communication • Helping other people to communicate successfully ... • ... and to know what they do • ... and to say what they do Where we are going ‘We aim to help international business professionals to communicate clearly and with the right impact in English.’ Towards an understanding of communication as contextual: • Cultural context • Interpersonal context • International business context Influencing 2 What and why? Influencing • • • • • • What is influencing? Why is it important? Who do you influence? Who influences you? How do you rate yourself? What do you do? Some definitions Influence (OALD) • V: to have an effect ... on sb or sth or on their / its behaviour • N: the power to affect sb’s actions, character or beliefs, esp. by providing an example for them to follow, winning their admiration or making them afraid to disagree. • Assert Another one - definition first The theory and practice of eloquence, whether spoken or written, the whole art of using language so as to persuade others: ... (Chambers Twentieth Century) → Rhetoric Key words • Communicate • Persuade • (Influencing = ) Power • Assert Power “In Norway, we are taught to exercise power with kindness” Bjørn Ekelund, Human Factors, Oslo Influencing • • • • • • What is influencing? Why is it important? Who do you influence? Who influences you? How do you rate yourself? What do you do? Why is influencing important? • The lean organisation • The matrix • Virtuality – teams, projects, communication ... • Generation Y • Importance of soft skills • Your nearest leader Influencing • • • • • • What is influencing? Why is it important? Who do you influence? Who influences you? How do you rate yourself? What do you do? Your communication network Who do you interact with? Draw up a network diagram showing your network. Your network Represented in terms of: • Hierarchy • Channel (phone / face to face / …) • • • • Importance Frequency Geographical distance ‘Emotional’ distance • Direction • Type of contact (internal / external) • Style of communication (informal / informal, etc.) • Task / person orientation • …….. Your network: outside the box 1 Are these actually the right people? Who’s not there who should be there? 2 Who should get more / less attention? 3 Does your network transcend boundaries and hierarchy? 4 Does your network work for you? Our network Gatekeeper •B-CCB •CT-Pack PTC York Sources •Suppliers •Agencies •Universities Partners Packaging •PTC’s •NRC, R&D’s •Ct-X, B-Com Customers •Zones •Markets •Retailer •Consumer Influencing • • • • • • What is influencing? Why is it important? Who do you influence? Who influences you? How do you rate yourself? What do you do? Who are the influencers (or rhetoricians)? • • • • • • Advertisers Rappers Best men Politicians Managers Parents ... → Deliberative speech: persuasive words used to fulfil our own ends → Hustling (Higgins review of Leith) Influencing • • • • • • What is influencing? Why is it important? Who do you influence? Who influences you? How do you rate yourself? What do you do? Rating yourself • • • • • • • Rate yourself on a scale of 1 - 10 How do you influence people? Who do you influence? Who influences you? How are you most easily influenced? ..... What makes a good influencer? Influencing 3 Skills Influencing • • • • • • What is influencing? Why is it important? Who do you influence? Who influences you? How do you rate yourself? What do you do? Starting with assertiveness • Assessing current performance • Fixing goals and contracting • Asking yourself questions to evaluate performance • Getting feedback from an observer • Keeping a diary Listening “The best way to persuade is with your ears.” Tom Daschle, US Senate majority leader Listening What makes a good listener? The push and pull approach to influencing • Push Argument, personality, charisma, communication skills (top down) • Pull Understanding, empathy, affinity, communication skills (bottom up) Your communication style Distanced Personal Organic Systematic Formal Informal Proactive Reactive Complex Simple Indirect Direct Emotional Neutral Expansive Concise Facilitating Assertive Statement-maker Question-maker Content-oriented Relation-oriented Participative listener Silent listener Time-focused Time-flexible Influencing skills • • • • • • • • • • Listening Showing respect Asking questions Being positive Being assertive Flexing your style Negotiating – getting past ‘no’ Gaining commitment through collaboration Minding your language – asking / telling Action planning Influencing practices Listen first Stresses benefits (logical data) Cultivate trust with honesty expertise plus caring / supporting / appreciating Demonstrate social proof Exercise authority Use another person KISSSS - clear and focused Use personal charisma and style Focus on the future Style Strategy Be transparent with motivation Select time and place Pressurise and threaten Use creative arguments Show optimism Mirror Be confident Sell exclusivity Ask for advice Influencing 4 Language Let’s look at language • I’m going to force you to do this. • I can’t force you to do this. But can I ask you a few questions? (If you can get someone to agree to something early on, they’re more likely to agree to something else later on.) More language Embedding suggestions: • Here’s an idea. ... • You might like to try ... • You might already know that ... Making messages more subtle: • Gary, how easy is it for you to get the report to me by the end of the week? Influencing across cultures • • • • Communication conventions Hierarchy Decision making Power distance ... Norwegian-French communication styles more consensual more collectivist lower energy quieter slower paced linear more patient taking turns concern to save face respect shown through listening practice first experience admired more egalitarian comm. managed by the chair more belief-based (heart)? ←→ ←→ ←→ ←→ ←→ ←→ ←→ ←→ ←→ ←→ ←→ ←→ ←→ ←→ ←→ more competitive / confrontational more individualist higher energy noisier faster paced circular less patient talking over each other some may lose face respect shown through engaging theory first intellectual argument admired more hierarchical comm. managed by the boss more analytical (head)? Influencing 5 Activities Activities • • • • • • • • • • Self-ratings Brainstorm competencies Listening: Selling a car Push – pull: Drawing a house Pull: Escalator Who?: Communication network How?: Communicating styles Effective messages: Story telling Conflict scenarios Small group case study discussion What Cialdini tells us • • • • • • Reciprocation and compliance Commitment and consistency Social proof Liking Authority Scarcity References Communicating Internationally in English Bob Dignen and Ian McMaster (York Associates) Influence: Science and Practice Robert B. Caldini (Pearson) You Talkin’ to Me? Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama Sam Leith (Profile) The antidote “If a person feels he can’t communicate, the least he can do is shut up about it.” Tom Lehrer, singer-songwriter and mathematician Rounding up and closing down • Questions? • Feedback, please • Contact [email protected] / [email protected] • www.york-associates.co.uk