Overcoming Barriers to Innovation

Through Influence and Impact

Learning Objectives

• Definitions

• Key characteristics of

influencing

• Strategies for overcoming

barriers to innovation through

influence and impact

• Building and leveraging your

personal brand

The true measure of leadership

is influence — nothing more.

Nothing less. —John Maxwell

Power & Influence Defined

Power is the potential

ability to:

• Influence behaviour

• Change the course of

events

• Overcome resistance

4 Types of Influencing Power

1. Positional

2. Personal

3. Expertise

4. Connections/Centrality

Leadership is the activity of

influencing people to cooperate

towards some goal which they come

to find desirable and which motivates

them over the long haul. — Ordway Tead, author of The Art of Influence (1935)

Social Networks

Social Network Analysis reveals the hidden

connections between people.

• Who are the influencers?

• Where is collaboration is breaking down?

• Where are decisions are getting bogged down?

Cardinal Richelieu 1585-1642

• Brought France to position of

unrivalled political dominance and

cultural pre-eminence until

Revolution of 1789

• Orchestrated patronage of artists,

architects and intellectuals

• Achieved national unity through

glory of France, the glory of God,

the virtue of loyal service to the

crown and against heresy and

discord.

Prime Minister to Louis XIII

Columbia Space Shuttle

• ―Knows how to influence up in a constructive way‖ — scored last place on managerial effectiveness in all items when people evaluated their managers in NASA – immediately before the Columbia space shuttle exploded. (Warner Burke cited by Goldsmith)

• While lack of effective upward influence was not the only cause of the explosion, it was a clear contributing factor.

IBM’s Grassroots Innovation

John Patrick: "Gopher epiphany."

1993

"Get Connected‖ manifesto

IBM created Internet division 1995

(www.fastcompany.com/magazine/

11/ibm.html)

What are the characteristics of

influencers?

Characteristics of Influencers

• Vision of Future— focus on greater good

• Potent point of view

• Clarity of Purpose

• Integrity

• Track Record

• Relational Currency —friends/mentors/allies

• Access and control of agendas

• Centrality + Collaboration

• Visible measurements

• Accountability

Influencing Strategies

1. Reason

2. Friendliness/Liking

3. Coalition/Allies

4. Bargaining

5. Assertiveness

6. Higher Authority

7. Sanctions

8. Bridging

9. Reciprocity

10. Scarcity

11. Consensus

12. Consistency/Commitment

Influencing Techniques

Reason

A. If logic is irrefutable then your case will also be irrefutable.

D. If info or logic is suspect strategy is weakened.

Friendliness

A. Others enjoy supporting you

B. D. Overuse may lead people to suspect your motives and competence.

Coalition

A. May seem overwhelming to others.

D. May be interpreted as conspiracy.

A=Advantage D=Disadvantage

Influencing Techniques

Assertiveness

A. Very effective when immediate action is essential.

D. May create resentment with overuse.

Higher Authority

A. Effective when dealing with those who are reluctant to change.

D. May undermine relationships or be interpreted as a threat. The Higher Authority may view it as weakness.

Bargaining

A. May provide a quick result when you have something valuable/desirable to negotiate.

D. Creates obligations for the influencer.

Most-to-Least Popular Strategies

When Managers Influenced Superiors

– Reason

– Coalition

– Friendliness

– Bargaining

– Assertiveness

– Higher Authority

When Managers Influenced Subordinates

– Reason

– Assertiveness

– Friendliness

– Evaluation

– Bargaining

– High Authority

– Sanction

Source: David Kipnis et al., ―Patterns of Managerial Influence: Shotgun Managers, Tacticians, and Bystanders,‖ Organizational Dynamics 12, no. 3 (New York: American Management Association, 1984), 62.

Expand your Spheres of Influence

1. Increase your visibility

2. Model mastery

3. Focus on future

4. Lateral Power: Shift emphasis from transactional to

relational

5. Get input from stakeholders

6. Build networks

7. Language—appeal to heart as well as the mind

8. Ask compelling questions. Question assumptions.

9. Shift from being problem-spotter to problem-solver

10. Essence vs form

11. Sell Solutions

Selling Solutions

1. State the problem/challenge and its impact

2. Provide 3 alternative solutions with advantages and disadvantages of each

3. Present your recommendation and rationale

4. Get feedback and/or agreement for action

(Source Ken Blanchard)

Brand Power

What is a brand?

Tom Peters calls it “influence power… It's being known for making the most significant contribution in your particular area. It's „reputational‟ power.”

Your brand is your promise.

Tom Chappellf (Tom's of Maine): "You have to define yourself based on a point of view you care deeply about."

Leveraging your brand

• What are you known for?

• How are you increasing your

knowledge-base?

• What does your visibility program

consist of?

• How can you build your network?

• When you look at your brand's assets,

what can you add to boost your

reputation and influence?

Take Tom Peters‟ brand equity test: www.creativityatwork.com/Newsletters/Jan03Brand-

equity.html

“If you want to build a

boat, do not instruct the

men to saw wood, stitch

the sails, prepare the

tools and organize the

work, but make them

long for setting sail and

travel to distant lands.”Antoine De Saint-Exupéry

Source: cc Gesal