Harness Your Influence Power by Setting Goals

So you need to influence your coworker. Have you stopped to ask yourself about your influence goals? No? Being an effective influencer means developing a long-term and a short-term goal before you influence your target. For example, your long-term goal is to hold one meeting per week with your editor in order to discuss the revisions to your paper. In this scenario, your short-term goal might be to have your editor agree to meet with you next Monday.

Creating a short-term goal is important because it is the first step in achieving your long-term goal. And, creating a short-term goal will help you measure the success of your influence in real time, enabling you to change your influence approach as needed.

Follow the criteria below to establish effective short-term influence goals, and remember to F.O.C.U.S.

Criteria for Influence Goals:

Flexible – Able to adjust as needed

Observable – Results can be noticed during the influence opportunity

Challenging – The influence goal should be challenging in order to make sure that the effort and risk involved are worthwhile. If it does not require some courage to achieve, you are probably not taking full advantage of the opportunity.

Useful – Will satisfy your need completely – and is focused on your most important need; the reason you are influencing the other person.

Supportive – Influence goals are short-term, but to be effective, they need to be aligned with long-term goals – otherwise you will be working against your own interests.

Good luck with your next influence scenario. And for more influence information, check out our Exercising Influence workshop.