The Barnes & Conti Resource Library:
Change Management

Creating and Sustaining an Environment for Influence (excerpt)

By B. Kim Barnes

As leaders, we’re only too aware that we don’t know everything and can’t do everything by ourselves. We hire people with the knowledge and talent to accomplish great things – but sometimes we don’t see the results that we hope for. Change is slow; resistance is high to anything really new. People keep on doing that which is within their comfort zone. Innovation is rare. There is a murmur of complaints; morale is low. Results are disappointing. You begin to wonder whether you are dealing with a group of people who have no good ideas or who are focused on their lives outside of work – or even looking for their next job, rather than contributing value to the organization.

If you are ever faced with such a situation, consider the possibility that your organization is not seen as an influence-friendly environment. Perhaps a lot of good ideas walk out the door between the ears of employees. That could happen because people think that their ideas are not welcome or that they are not in a position where they will be heard. Or they may be fearful of the career or political consequences of disagreement with the status quo. Maybe, indeed, they have tried to influence others on their team or across organizational boundaries to no avail. And maybe they think that you and other leaders are not open to influence. So how can you as a leader create and sustain a climate in which ideas flow freely; where people communicate directly; where disagreement leads to better ideas rather than interpersonal conflict; where “common wisdom” is challenged and innovation is encouraged?

Following are seven simple (though not easy) leadership practices that will encourage influencing in all directions in your team or organization.

1. Be clear with your team about ends; invite them to develop means.

Leaders who are clear with people about the goals they’e expected to accomplish and leave it to them to figure out how to do it are likely to gain the team’s engagement and ownership in the success of the project or task. This is certainly true for knowledge workers – there are a lot of years of study and practice represented in the team and it’s unlikely that you are the only one with the relevant knowledge and experience to achieve the goal. Professionals don’t like to waste their time as a “pair of hands” doing work that the boss has set them to – but anyone who takes pride in his or her ability to figure things out and apply brain power to the task at hand will appreciate the respect and trust implied by your leaving the approach up to them.

Of course, your team members should know that you’ll be available to discuss or even critique their thinking if they want that and that you’ll expect to be kept in the loop about progress. The opposite of micromanaging is not absence – it’s offering trust and support but staying out of the way.