Overcoming Barriers to Innovation

Through Influence and Impact

Presented by Linda Naiman
For STEP, June 28, 2006

www.creativityatwork.com
Learning Objectives
Definitions
Key characteristics of
influencing
Strategies for overcoming
barriers to innovation through
influence and impact
Building and leveraging your
personal brand

The true measure of leadership
is influence nothing more.
Nothing less. John Maxwell




Power & Influence Defined
Power is the potential
ability to:
Influence behaviour
Change the course of
events
Overcome resistance
4 Types of Influencing Power
1. Positional
2. Personal
3. Expertise
4. Connections/Centrality

Leadership is the activity of
influencing people to cooperate
towards some goal which they come
to find desirable and which motivates
them over the long haul.
Ordway Tead, author of The Art of Influence (1935)
Social Networks
Social Network Analysis reveals the hidden
connections between people.
Who are the influencers?
Where is collaboration is breaking down?
Where are decisions are getting bogged down?

Cardinal Richelieu 1585-1642

Brought France to position of
unrivalled political dominance and
cultural pre-eminence until
Revolution of 1789
Orchestrated patronage of artists,
architects and intellectuals
Achieved national unity through
glory of France, the glory of God,
the virtue of loyal service to the
crown and against heresy and
discord.
Prime Minister to Louis XIII
Columbia Space Shuttle

Knows how to influence up in a constructive way
scored last place on managerial effectiveness
in all items when people evaluated their managers
in NASA immediately before the Columbia
space shuttle exploded.
(Warner Burke cited by Goldsmith)

While lack of effective upward influence was not
the only cause of the explosion, it was a clear
contributing factor.


IBMs Grassroots Innovation
John Patrick: "Gopher epiphany."
1993
"Get Connected manifesto
IBM created Internet division 1995
(www.fastcompany.com/magazine/
11/ibm.html)
What are the characteristics of
influencers?
Characteristics of Influencers
Vision of Future focus on
greater good
Potent point of view
Clarity of Purpose
Integrity
Track Record
Relational Currency
friends/mentors/allies
Access and control of agendas
Centrality + Collaboration
Visible measurements
Accountability
Influencing Strategies
1. Reason
2. Friendliness/Liking
3. Coalition/Allies
4. Bargaining
5. Assertiveness
6. Higher Authority

7. Sanctions
8. Bridging
9. Reciprocity
10. Scarcity
11. Consensus
12. Consistency/
Commitment
Influencing Techniques
Reason
A. If logic is irrefutable then your case will also be
irrefutable.
D. If info or logic is suspect strategy is weakened.
Friendliness
A. Others enjoy supporting you
B. D. Overuse may lead people to suspect your motives
and competence.
Coalition
A. May seem overwhelming to others.
D. May be interpreted as conspiracy.

A=Advantage D=Disadvantage
Influencing Techniques
Assertiveness
A. Very effective when immediate action is essential.
D. May create resentment with overuse.
Higher Authority
A. Effective when dealing with those who are reluctant to
change.
D. May undermine relationships or be interpreted as a
threat. The Higher Authority may view it as weakness.
Bargaining
A. May provide a quick result when you have something
valuable/desirable to negotiate.
D. Creates obligations for the influencer.


Most-to-Least Popular Strategies
When Managers
Influenced Superiors

Reason
Coalition
Friendliness
Bargaining
Assertiveness
Higher Authority


When Managers
Influenced Subordinates

Reason
Assertiveness
Friendliness
Evaluation
Bargaining
High Authority
Sanction





Source: David Kipnis et al., Patterns of Managerial Influence: Shotgun Managers,
Tacticians, and Bystanders, Organizational Dynamics 12, no. 3 (New York: American
Management Association, 1984), 62.

Expand your Spheres of Influence
1. Increase your visibility
2. Model mastery
3. Focus on future
4. Lateral Power: Shift emphasis from transactional to
relational
5. Get input from stakeholders
6. Build networks
7. Languageappeal to heart as well as the mind
8. Ask compelling questions. Question assumptions.
9. Shift from being problem-spotter to problem-solver
10. Essence vs form
11. Sell Solutions
Selling Solutions
1. State the problem/challenge and its
impact
2. Provide 3 alternative solutions with
advantages and disadvantages of
each
3. Present your recommendation and
rationale
4. Get feedback and/or agreement for
action

(Source Ken Blanchard)


Brand Power
What is a brand?

Tom Peters calls it influence power
It's being known for making the most
significant contribution in your particular
area. It's reputational power.

Your brand is your promise.

Tom Chappellf (Tom's of Maine): "You have to
define yourself based on a point of view you
care deeply about."
Leveraging your brand
What are you known for?
How are you increasing your
knowledge-base?
What does your visibility program
consist of?
How can you build your network?
When you look at your brand's assets,
what can you add to boost your
reputation and influence?
Take Tom Peters brand equity test:
www.creativityatwork.com/Newsletters/Jan03Brand-
equity.html
If you want to build a
boat, do not instruct the
men to saw wood, stitch
the sails, prepare the
tools and organize the
work, but make them
long for setting sail and
travel to distant lands.
Antoine De Saint-Exupry
Source: cc Gesal
Resources
Leadership and Power Base Development: Using Power
Effectively to Manage Diversity and Job-Related
Interdependence in Complex Organizations
(Michelson) www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/au-
24/michelson.pdf

Effectively Influencing Up: Ensuring That Your Knowledge
Makes a Difference (Goldsmith)
www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com/cim/articles_alpha.php
Power and Influence Beyond Formal Authority (Kotter)

Orchestrating Collaboration at Work
(VanGundy and Naiman)

Social networking www.research.ibm.com/thinkresearch/
pages/2005/20050706_think.shtml
www. Orgnet.com


Corporate Alchemy
Turning leaden thinking into
gold through consulting,
coaching and training.

LN@creativityatwork.com
www.creativityatwork.com

Tel: 604.327.1565

Creativity at Work