Bullying is a growing problem facing organisations and the lawsuits flying about are attracting fee-hungry lawyers. It occurs to me that there is a rapidly rising risk that ambitious and well-meaning individuals could be falsely accused of bullying … [Continue reading]
How to Influence With Style
The desire to influence other people is a natural part of being human. Your style of influence — how you act — has been established over the years by your experience and learning. Subconsciously, you will have found out what works for you. Yet each … [Continue reading]
The Components of Power
If you want to become more influential, understanding what power is can be extremely helpful. It is not complicated — it is simple. The concept is regularly spoken of, but rarely understood at a practical level. Jeffrey Pfeffer usually defines it as … [Continue reading]
Focus Your Personal Brand
Corporations spend massive sums positioning their brand in the mind of their customers and the public. How much do you spend? Many people advocating the development of your Personal Brand will suggest you need to develop a catchy personal … [Continue reading]
Investing in Your Network
"I know I need to network, but I never seem to find the time" is a concern that many people share with me in the mentoring work I do. They have been sold on the benefits and have even made sure that they have the skills to do it effectively. Yet, … [Continue reading]
Women Want Influence
Research into politics in the workplace has shown time and again that women are far more interested in politics than their male counterparts. Not only is the academic literature clearly demonstrating this, seminars and conferences that I have … [Continue reading]
The Falling Power of Networks
We define power as an asset which could get someone to do something they would not otherwise have done (or thought/felt). Decades ago the most powerful asset many powerful people had was their position or status. Education gave … [Continue reading]
Adjusting Political Temperature in Your Team
We use the term ‘political temperature’ to describe the degree to which team members compete with each other or collaborate as a team. Temperatures can range from absolute zero to boiling point — and beyond! Certain temperatures are more suited to a … [Continue reading]
Criticality of Political Skill
We have learned a great deal about the criticality of political skill during our groundbreaking survey with practising managers. These lessons are now being factored into our work with clients as they develop their capability to influence with … [Continue reading]
Political Skills Are Critical
Overall, the results have corroborated the integrity of this construct for political skill and demonstrated that all of the sub skills are critical to succeeding in a wide variety of roles. The survey asked participants to rate each item on a scale … [Continue reading]