Your response to my request for feedback has been overwhelming. I know you are all very busy and I have been thrilled to get so many responses. Here is a quick summary and response showing how we will develop the blog over the coming months.
According to the many people who responded to the survey, the Influence Blog “brand” appears to be practical, stimulating and useful! That’s lucky because that is pretty close to what I set out to achieve two years ago. In particular, people seem to like the small, bite-sized approach to relevant challenges in their working life.
People tend to focus on stakeholders who are nearest, best known, or most liked, rather than the ones they should be engaging with. Remember, a stakeholder is someone who has a stake in your success, either positive or negative.
Hello, just a quick note to let you know, if you’ve just landed here, that we are in the process of building a new home here for our well established blog. The Influence Blog has been running for nearly two years on the main 
Time and time again we meet people on our workshops that have spent lots of time and energy building their business case. They have stacked up the numbers and convinced themselves that it works. The numbers speak for themselves — it’s a no-brainer. But somehow they just don’t quite cut it. There is nothing wrong with getting the numbers right, but expecting them to do all the work is often a recipe for problems.
Building Influence at Work, presented by Colin Gautrey on 25th April 2012 at CASS Business School in London. Following Colin’s very popular event with the CFA last year on 
In 2008, we wrote about Power Vacuums in 
Mention this five-letter word — power — and there is often a deep emotional reaction. If so, it is usually negative. In the absence of a strong reaction, most people are neutral or simply curious — rarely are they enthusiastic. The reaction depends on the individual’s experience and, with negative reactions, their battle scars. Those who have been on the unfortunate end of abusive power tend to shun the very idea of acquiring power. Which is a shame.
If you want to learn about influence, you could go on a course or get some coaching. Or, you could just do it yourself. All you need is a little structure, motivation and resourcefulness.
Trust and integrity are two intertwined concepts that usually crop up when we start talking about influence. Although interconnected, they are different and a clear understanding of them can help you to build influence more quickly. However, despite the temptation to dive into a philosophical debate, we can simplify these greatly and then get moving again with our influence.
I coined the phrase “pause to go faster” while running workshops several years ago for a particularly fast-paced organisation. There seemed to be no stopping them. They pick up an idea and they’re off the starting blocks before you know what has happened. The culture is one which admires those who get to action fast. However, at times, there is also a desperate need to pause and reflect. Then, in all probability, you will move even faster than before.
