Speaker #2 - Kim Barnes, Leadership Development Consultant

This week the LDT program had another great speaker share their experience and wisdom. Kim Barnes of Barnes & Conti Associates, Inc. has over 35 years of experience with a background in Special Education then transitioned into the corporate industry.

 

She spoke to us about “exercising influence” and several aspects surrounding this including the elements of influence, its relationship to neuroscience, aspects involved in influence, the mindset, framework, and tactics when exercising influence. 

 

She stated that influence is the process of moving your ideas into action through others and that effective elements of influence include strength, focus, and flexibility. She described the neuroscience relationship of influence and to incorporate the following when exercising:

·      Non-threatening approach – Kind and unassuming, not hostile when approaching. 

·      Alignment – Common interest among each other.

·      Benefits – The belief of something you hold to be true, it is not the same as offering an incentive. 

·      Perspective – The ability to see from someone else’s perspective.

·      Credibility – Believable and the ability to be trusted. 

Influence is about relationships and trust; it works both ways to find a balance in the relationship which is essential to maintain. This involves treating others with respect and offering a choice. Note that a choice may not be between for this or that, but simply to accept or not accept the offer. The mindset to maintain this balance contains the following:

·      They are worthy of my respect.

·      The other is capable of taking the action.

·      I am willing to be influenced by this person. 

 

The tactics to utilize when exercising influence are described as expressive and receptive. Expressive tactics and behaviors are performed when you are extending interaction, these include the following approaches:

·      Tell – Suggest or express the needs of why your object of influence is pertinent to this individual.

·      Sell – Offer reasons or refer to the goals and benefits of how your object of influence can help this individual.

·      Negotiate – Offer incentives and describe consequences of how your object of influence can affect this individual if not accepted or possessions you can extend if they accept. 

·      Enlist – Envision or encourage the individual in the cause of your object of influence. 

 

Receptive tactics and behaviors are performed when you are receiving interaction, these include the following approaches:

·      Inquire – Ask open-ended questions or draw out information to find a mutually common field to appeal to the individual. 

·      Listen – Check the understanding and test implications of the individual. 

·      Attune – Disclose or identify with others to appeal to the individual’s perspective. 

·      Facilitate – Clarify issues and pose challenging questions to process the individual’s thoughts. 

 

All of these aspects are connected in the framework of influence and together they aid in exercising influence. Kim noted that when planning for influence, start with what you would like to achieve.

 

 

In reflecting on her speech, my biggest take away was the interconnected relationship of tactics used when exercising influence and how together they create an art form. Kim’s explanation of this relationship helped me to understand its significance within HPT and how influence can be exercised throughout the process of identifying and successfully implementing interventions especially when the outcomes rely on a multitude of uniquely diverse individuals with different goals and objectives. Effectively exercising influence can aid in a smoother transition while including all affected parties.