So your job is to get people to do things, but you don’t have the formal authority to make them ACTUALLY want to do things.
Fun times. 🙄
I can’t change how your role is structured (let’s save that for your future coaching sessions with me), but I CAN share one of my fave tips for influencing without formal authority.
Ready? If you want to influence without formal authority…
👉🏽 Learn what makes people happy at work, and then pay them in that “currency”.
A person’s work currency could include:
• Being left alone
• Food & celebrations
• Heads down focus time
• Bringing/sending snacks
• Time to process a question
• Asynchronous communication
• Being involved the decision process
• Being thanked (genuinely) for their work
• Receiving clear cut directions and timelines
• Being shielded from the decision making process
• Being allowed to verbally process/talk through something
• Quick, regular touch points throughout the day/week
• Receiving regular reminders leading up to a deadline
• Communication that gets straight to the point
• Chatting personal stuff before work stuff
• Receiving emails instead of calls
• Freedom to brainstorm
• Calls instead of emails
• Getting time back
And on and on.
To determine someone’s currency, try different things in meetings and in how you relay info. Then see who bites.
💡 Offer a call to talk through something. Watch who takes you up on it and if they're more confident afterwards.
💡 End a meeting early and say, “I’ll give you 15 min back”. Watch who looks happiest about it. Or simply ask! “Hey, do you like when meetings end early or are turned into emails?”
Then create opportunities around that data when working with that person. End early, let them drop early, or forgo meetings altogether when possible. Send them a snack. Ask them about their pet chinchilla and remember what they tell you.
Do this for a while. Build rapport. See people for who they are. Speak their language. Advocate for them. Give them what they value!
So, which currencies do I pay out most often?
These weren't on the list, but only because in my experience, they're EVERYONE'S currency and therefore...
✨ NON-NEGOTIABLE: ✨
• Trusting your SMEs to do their job.
• Encouraging others to trust them, too.
Your team members will absolutely be in your corner once they know you’re in theirs.
I promise. 💙