Five Steps to Increase Your

Influence
When was the last time you thought about how you influence others how
you change minds, shape opinions, move others to act?

The ability to influence is one of theessential skills for leaders at all levels. Its
more art than science, and it can be tough to get your arms around. But the
bottom line is that influence matters. And as we continue to morph (at
breakneck speed) into an interconnected, interdependent, increasingly global
workplace, it will matter more.
In traditional hierarchical organizations, power is typically based on position.
The higher you are on the organization chart, the more power you wield. There
are clear, top-down rules where the person at the top calls the shots.The
person with the power has the influence.
Today, organizations are moving toward flatter, matrixed and team-based
models. The theory is that with change and complexity comes the need to be
more nimble, more inclusive of diverse thought, and more collaborative. In
this model, power is more about ones ability to influence and get things done
outside of traditional reporting lines. In other words, the person with the
influence has the power.

To be an effective influencer, you need both substance and style. Without a

solid foundation of credibility, even the most interpersonally adept leaders will
fall short. On the flip side, highly credible people can struggle with influence if
they dont understand the interpersonal dynamics at play.

In 2009 and 2010, Discovery Learning, Inc. and Innovative Pathways

conducted research to identify and measure influence styles. They created
five categories:
Asserting: you insist that your ideas are heard and you challenge the ideas of others
Convincing: you put forward your ideas and offer logical, rational reasons to
convince others of your point of view
Negotiating: you look for compromises and make concessions to reach outcomes that
satisfy your greater interest
 Bridging: you build relationships and connect with others through listening
understanding and building coalitions
Inspiring: you advocate your position and encourage others with a sense of shared
purpose and exciting possibilities

Each of these styles can be effective, depending upon the situation and people
involved. A common mistake is to use a one-size-fits-all approach. Remember
that influencing is highly situational.

Here are five steps to increase your influence.

1) Understand your influencing style. It all begins with self-

awareness. Whats your dominant style? Do you assert, convince, negotiate,
bridge or inspire? Do you tend to apply the same approach to every situation
and individual? Understanding your natural inclination is a good place to
start. If youre not sure, consider taking a quick assessment. The Influence
Style Indicator by Discovery Learning is a good one.
2) Take stock of your situation. Who are the critical stakeholders you
need to win over to achieve an objective or overcome an obstacle? What
influencing style might be more effective as you interact with them? For
example, if youre dealing with a hard-nosed CFO, consider using a convincing
approach, which is based in logic, data and expertise. If youre in a crisis
situation where people are relying on you to be decisive and fast on your feet,
an asserting style may be more effective. If youre working cross-functionally
and need to win the support of a peer, a bridging or negotiating style may be
the way to go.
3) Identify your gaps. Once you understand your natural orientation
and the appropriate styles to influence those around you, figure out where
youre on solid ground and where you need to shift gears and use a
different approach to be more effective.
4) Develop. After identifying your gaps, find ways to develop in those
areas. It might be a workshop, coach or internal role model who is
particularly strong in the style youre trying to develop. For an added bonus,
find a learning partner someone with whom you can role-play to gain
confidence.
5) Practice. Begin with small steps low-stakes situations where you can
test out your new influencing approaches. Target a person or situation where
youd like to achieve a certain outcome, think through the influencing style
that will work best in that situation, and give it a try. See what works and what
doesnt. As you build your capability and confidence, move on to higher-
stakes scenarios.

Whether you are leading, following, and/or collaborating, chances are you
need to influence others to be successful. Influence strategies can range from
reliance on position to education, encouragement and collaboration. The key
is knowing which approach to use in a given situation.

Susan Tardanico is CEO of the Authentic Leadership Alliance, a leadership

and communications consultancy. She is also Executive in Residence at
theCenter for Creative Leadership. A former corporate senior executive and
broadcast reporter, Susan has a passion for authenticity, reinvention and
courageous career management.

Eye on Ethics
Never Underestimate the Power of Documentation
By Frederic G. Reamer, PhD
Social Work Today
October 29, 2001

Brenda is a clinical social worker affiliated with a group practice. For years, she has specialized in the
treatment of depression, anxiety, interpersonal conflict, and other mental health issues.

One of Brendas clients, Mary, has struggled for years with depression, tension in her primary
relationships, and low self-esteem. Brenda has provided Mary with weekly counseling sessions for nearly
two years.

In recent weeks, Mary has called Brenda at her office more frequently, insisting that Brenda speak with
her on the telephone and requesting additional office appointments. When Brenda tried to set limits and
restrict their contact, Mary accused Brenda of not caring about her. On several occasions, Mary
threatened Brenda, telling her that she would have to do something drastic if Brenda did not make time
for her. During the next several weeks, Marys demands escalated, reaching a point where Brenda began
to conclude that she could no longer work effectively with Mary. Brenda brought up these issues in her
biweekly peer supervision group and began to formulate a plan to terminate her professional relationship
with Mary and refer her to another provider.

Brenda met with Mary and spoke with her about her concerns. Mary responded angrily and walked out of
the office. Mary then started to leave desperate and occasionally hostile telephone messages on
Brendas voicemail system and, several weeks later, attempted to commit suicide by taking an overdose
of medication. Mary survived the suicide attempt and subsequently filed a formal ethics complaint against
Brenda with the state board. Mary alleged in her complaint that Brenda was unethical in the way that she
abruptly terminated services. Mary claimed that Brendas abandonment of her directly caused her
despair and subsequent suicide attempt.

At the formal ethics hearing, which was conducted before a panel of Brendas professional peers, Mary
reiterated the allegations contained in her written complaint. In response, Brenda testified that she
handled the challenging clinical situation professionally and ethically. She talked in the hearing about how
she discussed the issues with colleagues in her peer consultation group, telephoned a psychiatrist who
specializes in the treatment of individuals who have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder,
and carefully planned for the termination of services. In her rebuttal, Mary was adamant that Brenda had
not talked with her at length about the reasons for terminating services or Marys options for treatment
elsewhere in the community.

The chair of the committee asked Brenda to produce copies of her clinical notes (the release of which
Mary had authorized); the committee was eager to see pertinent details concerning Brendas consultation
with colleagues and discussion with Mary related to termination of services and referral of Mary to other
professionals in the community. The committee was surprised to hear Brendas terse response: Ive been
in practice for 28 years and Ive never kept detailed notes. I just wasnt trained that way. Are you saying
my word about what happened isnt good enough?

As in this case example, social workers sometimes find themselves in situations where they must be able
to provide evidence of their conduct and actions during some time in the pastwhether the immediate or
distant past. This may occur in the context of litigation (for example, when a former client files a
malpractice claim alleging some kind of professional negligence) or adjudication of an ethics complaint
filed with a state licensing board or the National Association of Social Workers. Although most social
workers understand the importance of careful and thoughtful documentation, some do not.

The bottom line is that careful and diligent documentation enhances the quality of services provided to
clients and, ultimately, can protect practitioners. As the NASW Code of Ethicsstates, (a) Social workers
should take reasonable steps to ensure that documentation in records is accurate and reflects the
services provided. (b) Social workers should include sufficient and timely documentation in records to
facilitate the delivery of services and to ensure continuity of services provided to clients in the future
(standard 3.04). Comprehensive records are necessary to assess clients circumstances; plan and deliver
services; facilitate supervision; provide proper accountability to clients, other service providers, funding
agencies, insurers, utilization review staff, and the courts; evaluate services provided; and ensure
continuity in the delivery of future services. Skilled documentation also helps to ensure quality care if a
clients primary social worker becomes unavailable because of illness, disability, vacation, or employment
termination. Also, thorough documentation can help protect social workers who are named in lawsuits or
ethics complaints.

In typical clinical settings, documentation should ordinarily include (Reamer, 2001)

a complete social history, assessment, and treatment plan that states the clients problems, reason(s)
for requesting services, objectives and relevant timetable, intervention strategy, planned number and
duration of contacts, methods for assessment and evaluation of progress, termination plan, and reasons
for termination;

informed consent procedures and signed consent forms for release of information and treatment;
 notes on all contacts made with third parties (such as family members, acquaintances, and other
professionals), whether in person or by telephone, including a brief description of the contacts and any
important events surrounding them;

notes on any consultation with other professionals, including the date the client was referred to another
professional for service;

a brief description of the social workers reasoning for all decisions made and interventions provided
during the course of services;

information summarizing any critical incidents (for example, suicide attempts, threats made by the client
toward third parties, child abuse, family crises) and the social workers response;

any instructions, recommendations, and advice provided to the client, including referral to and
suggestions to seek consultation from specialists (including physicians);

a description of all contacts with clients, including the type of contact (for example, in person or via
telephone or in individual, family, couples, or group counseling), and dates and times of the contacts;

notation of failed or canceled appointments;

summaries of previous or current psychological, psychiatric, or medical evaluations relevant to the social
workers intervention;

information about fees, charges, and payment;

reasons for termination and final assessment; and

copies of all relevant documents, such as signed consent forms, correspondence, fee agreements, and
court documents.

Understandably, few social workers relish the task of careful documentation. The time and effort required
can be daunting and consuming. Yetas many social workers have learned by default in the face of a
disgruntled partys allegationsa carefully documented record can turn out to be your best friend.

Frederic G. Reamer, PhD, is a professor in the graduate program of the School of Social Work, Rhode
Island College. He is the author of many books and articles, and his research has addressed mental
health, healthcare, criminal justice, and professional ethics.

Reference
Reamer, FG. (2001). The social work ethics audit: a risk management tool. Washington, DC: NASW
Press.

benefits of good documentation

Many companies see documentation as a necessary expense. However good documentation can actually pay for
itself, even amplify the value of your product:
Unlocks your products power

Well-written instructions unlock the potential of your product by explaining how to make full effective use of its
outstanding features. Many hi-tech products contain superb features that most users never use because they
cannot figure out how to use them; often they don't know they even exist.

Add value to your product

Good documentation is an essential part of the complete package, not an afterthought or last-minute addition.
You designed your product with high design values and attention to detail now apply the same standards to your
documentation.

Sell more products

Good documentation increases customer loyalty and ensures that they will buy your other products in the future. It
can also be a great selling tool for prospective customers because it gives them a clear idea of how they might use
your product, and what they could achieve with it.

Reduce time spent supporting your product

Quality user information is the most cost-effective way of answering the questions that your customers will
encounter when using your product; otherwise theyll call you for the answer, a far more expensive solution.

Build confidence in your quality

Customers will often subconsciously judge the quality of your product by the guides provided with it because they
determine the first impressions. With well-designed, accurate supporting information the customer will deduce
that the product was designed and produced to the same high standards.

Deliver on your promise

Are you currently carrying through the expectations created by your sales literature and advertising? Good
documentation e
 Documentation Specialist (south san francisco)
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Position will support a variety of activities. GMP records will be retrieved, boxed, inventoried, and
archived for long-term storage. This will include completing Autonomy Records Management training in
order to inventory and complete associated paperwork. Additionally, scan records into GMP Quality
Systems as required.

- Maintain system for controlling paper copies of documents and records

- Perform data entry activities for the receipt and tracking of documents and records
- Process document requests
- Follow company policies and procedures
- Maintain a state of inspection readiness
- Prioritize tasks assigned by supervisor, within a fast-paced environment
- Meet assigned targets and timelines with supervision
- Provide assistance to internal customers in support of Department Functions
- Retrieve, archive, track, and maintain documents
- Provide assistance in the review of controlled documents for accuracy and completeness, as requested

SKILLS:
- Able to train and learn processes and complete Quality Systems training, for systems access
- Maintain system for controlling paper copies of documents and GMP Records
- Perform routine administrative activities such as filing, scanning, and archiving
- Perform data entry activities for the receipt and tracking of documents and records
- Process document requests
- Able to take initiative, ask questions as necessary, work with limited supervision

EDUCATION:
- High School diploma, minimum of 2 years' experience in a related industry, or an equivalent
combination of education and experience
- Knowledge of cGMP principles, regulatory guidelines, and industry standards
- Willing to work with others in a positive and collaborative manner
- Basic communication and organization skills
- Computer and administrative skills
- Ability to work accurately and adhere to schedules and timelines while handling multiple priorities,
with multiple groups
- Must be able to lift 40 pounds

Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.

do NOT contact us with unsolicited services or offers