Influencing Across Your Organisation
What happens to a new idea in an organisation? If it's your idea, do you assume everyone will instantly accept it? Do you try to sell it to one other person? Do you work with a team to make it happen? Or do you build a coaliton across the organisation to bring the idea into action? Each of those choices might be appropriate. Using the research in Sue Craig's book Make Your Mark!, we focus on choosing the right strategy for influencing in your organisation.
Exercising influence within an organisation is a more complex and necessary skill than ever before, for three reasons. First, people work more across functions than in the past. This means that they often have no line authority and must instead use their influencing skills to build coalitions that support their projects and proposals. Previously they could ask their bosses to sell their ideas. Now they often have to do so themselves. Second, people are increasingly responsible for following a process from start to finish. Under heavy pressure to perform, they may have to ‘do more with less’ – and this again calls for skill in getting colleagues to align priorities and resources. Third, although networking takes both time and effort, it is an essential part of every manager’s job today. And influencing and lobbying skills are required to work with the key individuals who have the potential to help – or hinder – the organisation in achieving the desired results.
This programme shows what you need to do to get active support from a number of people to operate in the wider organisation and achieve results.
DAY 1
Selecting an appropriate strategy
pitfalls to avoid
assessing your credibility and your power base
assessing the nature of the problem you are aiming to solve
assessing the organisational context
Building coalitions
the SPLASH model: 6 key stages in coalition-building
where to start
how to plan and prepare
the importance of timing and flexibility
DAY 2
Setting up and maintaining a network of cooperative relationships
definition of networking, applications and advantages
auditing your own network
a networking code of conduct
how to identify and approach new networking contacts
Working with key stakeholders
identifying your Class I, Class II and Class III relationships
guidelines to consolidating successful relationships
guidelines to conflict handling and managing sensitivities
Working with resistance and leading teams in times of change
definition of resistance
identifying the symptoms and the causes
group resistance: the organisational myth and how to tackle it
working with resistance to help people adjust to change
leading teams in times of change
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