Colin Gautrey

Do You Trust Me?

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Have you ever asked this question? It wouldn't surprise me if only 1% of people who ask this question actually ask it out loud. If you did ask someone this question, would you trust the answer? Hmm, probably about as useful as asking someone to trust you. If you have to ask someone to trust you, or if you have to ask if someone trusts you, you're already in trouble. Since trust is so central to influence, it is important to know the answer to this question even though it’s almost pointless asking. Many articles have been written on how to build trust, but rarely do they touch on how you can tell if your effort to build trust is working. Measuring results and monitoring performance indicators is normal activity in most organisations, so how about Read More

Outsourced Supplier Relationships: The Missing Link

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If you are working on either side of an outsourcing relationship, chances are that life is none too easy at the moment. Many people we talk to complain of the win-lose attitude that quickly develops after the deal has been done — each side looking to improve their own results at the expense of their “partner”.
  • Anna: “We need you to do this — why haven’t you done it?”
  • Carlos: “It’s not specified in the contract. Of course, we could do it, but it will cost you extra”.
  • Anna: “Yes, it is in the contract. We expect you to do it — and we’re not paying extra!”
We can easily speculate that Anna (on the client side) is representing the business users and is under pressure to get the service up and running. Now she is faced with the prospect of having to go back and ask for more funding — or simply fail Read More

How to Develop Your Personal Power

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Personal power provides you with a short cut to influence without the need to rely upon the use of political tactics. If you have sufficient power, people will do what you need them to do without you having to try too hard. Put another way, personal power is about gaining more control over what happens in your life — it enables you to be able to decide what you want to have happen in a particular situation. It doesn't mean that you always get your way, or that you should always get your way. Instead, it is increasing the potential that you have to influence things in a way that is convenient to you. You should also bear in mind that power is not necessarily an ugly concept. Two people can have identical power and use it differently depending on their morals and agenda, and it is the ethical stance which makes the use of power good or bad. Using your personal power to help others, provide greater value to your customers and colleagues and make the world a better place is certainly an activity to be encouraged! This guide brings together the key resources in the blog Read More

Which Style of Influence Is Best?

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As you start to learn about the different styles of influence, it is quite natural to begin to think about which one will give you the greatest benefit when you attempt to influence people yourself. On workshops, my standard response to this question is that the best style is the one which worked. A little explanation will help you to understand more about what is actually going on with different influencing styles and, therefore, how you can make the best use of this learning. As a recap, the influence profile considers four Read More

How to Influence: The Ultimate Secret

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The only reason it is a secret is that you have probably forgotten it, or it has become lost in the mass of knowledge and skills you have accumulated. It is not profound or clever — it is actually simple and easy to understand. If you remember it and keep it at the forefront of your mind as you go about your work, you will enjoy far more success. Over time, and with diligence, you will become highly influential and a natural leader. There are several components to this secret and all need to be aligned to make it truly effective for you. Because its wisdom is scattered in fragments throughout your busy mind, the secret loses power and impact. To gain the ultimate benefit, all you need to do is make it one of your core drivers, values or even your life's motto. I could be accused of exaggerating this as the ultimate secret; but if so, guilty as charged. My motive is to bring it to your attention because I am convinced it will help you and those around you. The ultimate secret of influence, I believe is... Read More

Exercise: Analysing Stakeholder Influencing Style

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Once you have understood your own preferences, it is important that you start to assess the degree of distraction which could be caused by different styles with each of your key stakeholders.
  1. Use the grid below to note down your scores and also to make an assessment of three of your stakeholders. If they were to complete the Influence Profile, what Read More

Exercise: Developing Your Influencing Style

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The ability to flex your influencing style up and down each of the dimensions is very useful if you want to become more influential. This is sometimes easier said than done and it really helps if you can make it as comfortable to achieve as possible. Reflect on your scores. Which one would you most like to be able to change? If you could flex your behaviour to the other end, which would be most useful to you? Which is most difficult or uncomfortable to change? Select one end of one dimension to focus this exercise on. Then use the questions below and/or get some Read More

Exercise: Understanding Your Influence Profile Report

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The questions that follow have been designed to help you understand your Influence Profile in more depth so that you make good decisions about which skills to develop further. It is quite likely that your facilitator will work through these with you; however, it would be useful to consider these questions yourself and note down your thoughts. Read More

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