The Power of Influence

When this topic was brought up in class, it really interested me. I have always heard about those self help books and programs you can purchase that claim they have a fool proof way to influence people, but now we actually get to learn about it in class?! Alright!

No, no, Wyatt. This isn't about how to make people obey your every whim and command. This is more about how you interact with people and attempt to influence them but still keep relationships intact because you have to work and/or live with the people you influence.

So, the question is how do I influence people around me? I think that I influence people the most by becoming close, or already being close, with the person I want to have influence over. Thinking back on this it seems that if it is someone like my boss at work, I wont try to use any influence over them until I get to know them on a more personal level. Once I know my boss better and become more friendly with them I use my relationship with them to weigh how much influence I might have, I never want to overreach. I believe in class we called this the "Personal Appeal."

Another way that I think I influence people is by talking about something they like to talk about or just generally putting that person in a good mood. What good will asking mom and dad for ice cream do if they are brewing over a bad day at work and want some peace and quiet? Why would you ask your boss for a day off work when he just had a stressful phone call with a customer that put him/her in a sour mood? You have to get them smiling first! I am absolutely a firm believer that someone who is in a good mood is likely to reciprocate their feelings with an action that may be in your benefit. We called this one, "integration," in class.

But lets say I am feeling like a tough guy today. I really want to get my way and I don't have time for the niceness. Or maybe my personal attempts to influence someone have been shot down. What do I do? I get someone else to back me up and go to bat for me. I think that people who receive an attempt at influence are more likely to be influenced if they receive the same attempt from another person.

I think that on the whole I use "Soft" influence tactics. It's kind of nice to think about that actually, I don't like the thought of trying to aggressively get someone to do what I want. Also I found this YouTube video that talks about how to influence someone in a higher power position than you - and in only 60 seconds! "It's gunna be some kind of a record!" -Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vFQY_w_AdM