Power and Influence: Effective Tactics for Supervisors, Subordinates, and Peers Learning Goals and Research Findings

1. Learning Goals • Difference between Power & Influence • What are effective influence tactics for supervisors, subordinates and peers • Why are they effective

2. What is power • Having personal or positional resources to change situations or people’s attitudes & behaviors Yukl, 1989

3. Types of Power Legitimate Referent Coercive Reward Expert Control over information Persuasiveness Positional Resources Personal Resources Personal & Positional resources need not be mutually exclusive

4. Influence & types of tactics • Using one’s personal/positional resources to change people’s behaviors or attitudes • Influence Tactics • Rational persuasion • Exchange of benefits • Pressure tactics • Ingratiation • Appeals to authority (legitimating tactics) • Consultation • Inspirational appeals • Personal appeals • Coalition tactics • Upwards appeals Yukl, 89; Yukl & Van Fleet 92

5. Power vs. influence • Power is not sufficient to result in behavioral or attitudinal change • i.e., it is the potential/ability to change • Influence is the process of changing • e.g., Need to have the ability or opportunity to use expertise or information that one has control over to change others/events

6. Types of Power & Types of Influence Tactics Legitimate Coercive Reward Referent Expert Inspirational Appeals Pressure Tactics Appeals to authority Exchange benefits Rational Persuasion

7. Influence Tactics not obviously linked to a source of power Appeals to authority Ingratiation Rational Persuasion Pressure Tactics Consultation Exchange benefits Inspirational Appeals Types of power not exercised Power

8. Previous research findings • Evening MBA students’ descriptions of successful influence attempts

9. Why are certain tactics successful w/supervisors • Rational explanation: • By using logical argument and facts you persuade the other that the request is practical and can result in task objectives • Ingratiation • Making supervisor feel good, or like you so that s/he can be influenced by you

10. Why are certain tactics successful w/subordinates • Legitimating tactics • Persuading subordinate to do what you want because you have the authority/right to ask him/her to do so bec. of your position or bec. it is organizational ‘policy’

11. Current Research • Practicing managers descriptions of one successful and one unsuccessful influence tactic on different types of targets • Study 1=supervisor • Study 2=subordinate • Study 3=peer • 250 influence tactics

12. Most frequent tactics used to influence Supervisors • Presenting a rational explanation • E.g., Quantitative analysis, documentation w/data • Telling, arguing or talking w/out support • E.g., I would like a raise…(no reason given) • Presenting a complete plan • E.g. Anticipating & overcoming counter-arguments or potential obstacles to implement plan • Being persistent • Used in combination with other tactics

13. Relative success (+) & failure (-) Of tactic used on supervisors:

14. Most frequent tactics used to influence Subordinates e.g., Flintstones role play

15. Why are certain tactics successful w/subordinates • Setting goals etc. • Identifying for the subordinate what is expected of him/her (goal), • Showing confidence etc (inspirational) • Increasing confidence in the subordinate’s capability of accomplishing task • Motivating subordinate by appealing to his/her values, ideas, goals

16. Why are certain tactics successful w/subordinates • Soliciting ideas (Consultation) • Seeking subordinate participation in planning an activity that subordinate will be involved in or modifying the activity to deal with subordinate concerns/suggestions on how to carry it out

17. Most frequent tactics used to influence Peers

18. Today’s learning • Distinction b/w power & influence • Research on influence tactics used on subordinates, supervisors & peers • Learning Check • What are the common tactics that are successful for all types of targets? Examples? • Unique tactics to use on subordinates? Examples? • What are successful vs. unsuccessful tactics on supervisors? Examples?

19. Material in article that could be on exam but is not covered in class due to time constraints

20. Implications of this & other research • Types of tactics • Combination of tactics is better than any one tactic • People try positive tactics first, then negative (especially for downward influence) • Targets of influence • Wider variety of approaches used to influence downwards • Reciprocal influence relationships • Are used against each other • Outside the organization are important

21. 5 Steps to become an influential manager • Develop reputation as expert • Time spent on relationship should be based on work needs • Develop network of resource persons who can be called upon for assistance • Choose correct combination of influence tactics based on objective and target to be influenced • Communicate influence tactics effectively

22. Develop a reputation as an expert • Most commonly used, but 50% chance of success • Continually build on knowledge base (acquire) • Publicize one’s expertise

23. Balance time w/each relationship • Research shows….

24. Balance time w/each relationship • Spend at least 75% time w/peers & supervisors so as to spend time where influence is most needed to accomplish organizational goals • Competition/power inhibits people from spending time w/peers/supervisors

25. 3. Develop network of resource persons • Contact w/others & independence of one’s position relative to others  Control over information flow • Rotate jobs frequently • Establish & maintain strong friendships to ensure obligation and cooperation • Seek commonality w/other managers

26. Choose correct combination of influence tactics • Depending on target & objective • More approaches were used on subordinates • Combination of tactics is more successful • Use rational explanations, parallel examples, support of others, • Influence attempts to be ‘timed’ • Be persistent & repetitive

27. Communicate influence tactics effectively • Know the needs, values of targets • Present influence attempts based on target • Listen & appreciate more when dealing w/upward or lateral targets • See & hear more, be flexible in behavior depending on person • Face-face, group meetings, memos