Influence Strategies¶

How to Persuade and Move People¶

"Power flows to those who can change minds. In organizations, that power is available to anyone who understands how minds change."

The Nature of Influence¶

What Influence Is¶

Influence is the ability to change what someone thinks, feels, or does—without formal authority.

In coalition building, influence means: - Persuading potential allies to join - Convincing champions to commit - Moving the middle toward your position - Neutralizing opponents - Changing organizational direction

What Influence Is Not¶

Influence is not: - Manipulation (deception to get what you want) - Coercion (using power to force compliance) - Bribery (exchanging benefits for support) - Politics without ethics

Ethical influence is honest, respects autonomy, and serves legitimate goals. The distinction matters—both morally and practically. Manipulative influence creates enemies when discovered.

The Foundations of Influence¶

Source Credibility¶

Before your message matters, your credibility matters.

Expertise credibility: Do they believe you know what you're talking about? - Build through demonstrated knowledge - Reference relevant experience - Acknowledge what you don't know - Cite credible sources - Have experts in your coalition vouch for you

Trust credibility: Do they believe you have good intentions? - Build through consistent behavior over time - Be honest even when it costs you - Keep confidences - Follow through on commitments - Acknowledge their legitimate concerns

Similarity credibility: Do they see you as one of them? - Find common ground - Use their language - Reference shared experiences - Show you understand their world - Don't be an outsider preaching

Understanding Your Audience¶

Before you can influence someone, you must understand them: - What do they care about? - What are they afraid of? - What do they want to achieve? - What pressures are they under? - How do they see the world? - What would change their mind?

The key insight: People are not persuaded by what's persuasive to you. They're persuaded by what's persuasive to them.

The Influence Principles¶

Principle 1: Reciprocity¶

People feel obligated to return what they receive.

How to use it: - Give before you ask - Help them with their problems first - Share valuable information - Make introductions - Support their initiatives

Example: Before asking a potential champion to stick their neck out, help them with something they care about. Then the ask feels like exchange, not extraction.

Principle 2: Commitment and Consistency¶

People want to be consistent with what they've previously said or done.

How to use it: - Get small commitments first (they lead to larger ones) - Reference their past statements and positions - Connect your request to their stated values - Help them see your ask as consistent with who they are - Avoid asking them to contradict themselves publicly

Example: "You've always said you care about citizen outcomes. This is a chance to act on that."

People look to others to determine what's correct.

How to use it: - Show that others they respect support your position - Build visible coalition (at the right time) - Reference what similar organizations have done - Create the sense that your view is mainstream, not fringe - Let them know they won't be alone

Example: "I've been talking to several people across the organization, and there's a lot of quiet concern about this."

Principle 4: Authority¶

People defer to credible experts.

How to use it: - Have experts make technical arguments - Reference authoritative sources - Use proper credentials where appropriate - But don't over-rely on authority—it can backfire

Example: "The risk assessment from [respected firm] identified exactly these concerns."

Principle 5: Liking¶

People are more influenced by those they like.

How to use it: - Build genuine relationships (see BUILDING_RELATIONSHIPS.md) - Find common ground - Give sincere compliments - Be pleasant to be around - Remember personal details

Example: People will listen longer to someone they enjoy talking to, even if the message is hard.

Principle 6: Scarcity¶

People value what's rare or fleeting.

How to use it: - Create urgency when genuine - Highlight what's at stake if they don't act - Note when windows of opportunity are closing - But don't manufacture false scarcity—it destroys trust

Example: "The decision is being made next month. After that, it's too late to shape the approach."

The Influence Tactics¶

Tactic 1: Framing¶

How you present an issue shapes how people think about it.

Government context frames: - Citizen impact: "This is about how we serve citizens" - Risk management: "This is about managing organizational risk" - Value for money: "This is about effective use of resources" - Reputation: "This is about how we'll be seen" - Compliance: "This is about meeting our obligations" - Leadership: "This is about demonstrating good practice"

Match frame to audience: - CFO → Value for money, risk - CIO → Technical risk, delivery - Minister's office → Reputation, political risk - Legal → Compliance, liability - Citizens → Service, fairness - Staff → Work quality, professional standards

Tactic 2: Anchoring¶

The first position mentioned influences how subsequent positions are evaluated.

How to use it: - Set the frame before opponents do - Start with your preferred position - Make the "middle ground" be where you want to end up - If opponents anchor first, explicitly reset the anchor

Example: If you want moderate oversight, start by proposing comprehensive oversight. The compromise is closer to what you actually want.

Tactic 3: Question Strategy¶

Well-placed questions can shift thinking without direct argument.

Types of questions: - Clarifying: "Can you help me understand how that would work?" - Probing: "What happens if that assumption is wrong?" - Redirecting: "Have we considered the citizen perspective?" - Rhetorical: "Would we be comfortable if this was on the front page?" - Socratic: Leading through questions to a conclusion

When to use questions vs. statements: - Questions feel less confrontational - Questions make the other person think, not just react - Questions can surface doubt without direct challenge - Questions let people convince themselves

Tactic 4: Storytelling¶

Stories move people more than arguments.

Story types: - Cautionary tales: What happened when others got it wrong - Vision stories: What good looks like - Personal stories: Your own experience and motivation - Hypothetical scenarios: What could happen here - Citizen stories: Specific people who are/will be affected

Why stories work: - Engage emotion, not just logic - Are memorable - Create empathy - Make abstract concrete - Transport the listener

Tactic 5: Contrast¶

Understanding what you're comparing to matters.

How to use it: - Compare to worse alternatives - Compare to past failures - Compare to what competitors are doing - Create contrast between doing something and doing nothing - Show what "good" looks like to make "bad" obvious

Tactic 6: Timing¶

When you make your case matters as much as how.

Good timing: - When they're not distracted - When relevant issues are salient - Before positions have hardened - When there's a decision point - When you have recent evidence

Bad timing: - When they're dealing with crisis - When they've just committed to something else - When your opponents are ascendant - When there's no decision at hand - When you don't have sufficient support yet

Influencing Different Audiences¶

Influencing Leadership¶

Leaders are: - Time-poor - Risk-aware - Politically conscious - Interested in outcomes, not details - Influenced by trusted advisors

Tactics: - Be brief and clear - Lead with implications and recommendations - Frame in terms of risk and opportunity - Have answers to likely questions - Get to them through people they trust - Make it easy for them to say yes

Influencing Experts¶

Experts are: - Evidence-oriented - Skeptical of claims - Protective of their domain - Interested in quality and rigor - Sensitive to being "sold to"

Tactics: - Present evidence, not just conclusions - Acknowledge limitations and uncertainties - Respect their expertise - Invite their input - Use their language - Don't oversimplify

Influencing the Cautious¶

Cautious people are: - Risk-averse - Concerned about consequences - Looking for reasons to say no - Worried about being blamed

Tactics: - Address their specific fears directly - Provide reassurance and safety nets - Show who else supports it - Start with small, low-risk steps - Protect them from consequences - Don't dismiss their caution

Influencing Champions¶

Champions need: - Confidence you won't embarrass them - Good arguments to use with their peers - Evidence their support is worthwhile - Protection from looking naive - Wins they can point to

Tactics: - Make them look good - Give them talking points - Keep them informed - Deliver on what you promise - Celebrate their contribution - Never surprise them

The Influence Meeting¶

Preparing for an Influence Conversation¶

Goal clarity: What specifically do you want from this conversation?
Audience analysis: What do they care about? What do they fear?
Message design: How will you frame your case for this person?
Objection prep: What will they push back on? How will you respond?
Ask formulation: What specifically are you asking for?
Exit strategy: What if they say no?

Structure of an Influence Conversation¶

Open: Connect, build rapport, signal good faith
Frame: Set up how to think about the issue
Present: Make your case (briefly)
Listen: Hear their response fully
Address: Respond to concerns and objections
Ask: Make your specific request
Close: Confirm understanding, agree on next steps

After the Conversation¶

Follow up promptly on what you committed to
Summarize agreements in writing if appropriate
Don't disappear if they said no—maintain the relationship
Analyze what worked and what didn't
Adjust approach for next time

Influence Ethics¶

The Line¶

Ethical influence: - Is honest about what you're doing and why - Respects the other person's autonomy - Serves legitimate goals - Uses legitimate tactics - Would hold up to scrutiny

Unethical influence: - Deceives or manipulates - Exploits vulnerabilities - Serves illegitimate goals - Uses coercion or threats - Would embarrass you if exposed

The Test¶

Ask yourself: - Am I being honest about what I'm asking for and why? - Would I be comfortable if they knew everything I know? - Am I respecting their right to say no? - Would I want this tactic used on me? - If this were reported in the media, would I be proud?

If any answer is no, reconsider.

The Long Game¶

Unethical influence might work in the short term. But: - Reputation is everything in organizations - People talk - Trust, once lost, is rarely recovered - The coalition you're building needs to last - You have to live with yourself

The means affect the ends. Build a coalition of integrity, using influence with integrity.

"The best influence doesn't feel like influence. It feels like discovering something together."