Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California
Appendix B
Influence Plan
Part 1
Following are a series of questions that fall within each of the areas of the influence framework. Review the questions in each area and highlight the ones that you believe to be relevant to the outcome of your influence opportunity. Answer the key questions, then think how you will use the information to build the relationship, and achieve your desired results.
Results
- What is your vision of success? What role will the other person play in it?
- What are the needs that underlie your vision? For you? For the organization? For the person you are influencing?
- What specific long-term and short-term goals do you have for the influence opportunity?
- What are your criteria for success? How will you know you have achieved the results you are aiming for?
- What alternative outcomes might satisfy the underlying needs and achieve equivalent results?
Relationship
- What is the history of your (or your team's) influence relationship (in both directions) with this person or group?
- What is the current level of trust? Why?
- What assumptions do each of you hold about the other? How will you test them? How might they affect the outcome?
- What is the power balance between you?
- What are the current or continuing issues in the relationship, regardless of whether they are directly related to this influence opportunity?
Context
- Individual
What are the relevant values of the other? How are they similar or different from yours? What are his or her high-priority goals right now? Yours?
What common or conflicting vested interests are important in this situation? What do each of you have to gain or lose?
What are the important current issues that have an impact on this person?
How would you describe his or her communication or work style? How does he or she generally prefer to be approached? How does your usual approach match with his or her preferences? How might you want to modify it?
- Organizational
How does the business strategy of the organization relate to the subject at hand? Are the results you envision a good "fit" for the organizational strategy and goals?
How will the organization's structure and processes affect your influence approach? Is your approach out of the norm?
Where does this issue stand in the ranking of organizational priorities?
How might the formal or informal power structure in the organization affect the outcome of your influence action?
Who are other stakeholders in the outcome of your action? How will you involve them?
- Cultural
What are the cultural values (organizational, professional, national, or ethnic) that are relevant to this issue?
What are the norms (formal or informal ground rules) that you should be aware of?
What are some of the cultural assumptions that relate to this situation?
What are the usual cultural practices or rituals that might be useful in this situation?
Are there any cultural taboos that could derail your approach?
Behavior
- Given your analysis of the situation, what do you intend your influence behaviors to achieve?
- What are the best specific behaviors to achieve those results?
External Trends and Issues
- What is going on right now in the larger systems of which you are a part that could have an impact on your influence opportunity?
Part 2
- Highlight the key questions that you want to explore.
- Summarize the results.
- Focus and refine your influence goal.
- Choose the most applicable behaviors.
- Plan a sequence.
- Troubleshoot.
- Focus on your next steps.
- Evaluate and learn.
Westside Toastmasters on Meetup