Influence – Listen Up

Jul 6, 2020 | SMART.remark

Influence is an important IMPACT skill in today’s work landscape, but it is not a new requirement.  Dale Carnegie, in his timeless book How to Win Friends and Influence People, talked about the need to develop influence skills to make people like you and willing to work with you. 

That book was written in 1936 and in today’s team environments, things haven’t changed that much.  We can be the smartest at the table, or have the best idea, but if our team members don’t trust us or have interest in listening to us, it won’t matter.  No matter our role or title, achieving influence in the workplace is critical for success.

Influence is not about manipulating others, but about gaining respect in the workplace.  And respect begins with building mutual trust with our team members.  For starters:

LISTEN UP

In a Columbia University study, participants were asked to rate past coworkers on influence skills.  The results showed those with the most influence were the best listeners, not talkers.  The takeaway, “those who listen well may reap both informational and relational benefits that make them more influential.  The reason? Hearing what colleagues have to say fosters two key elements for gaining influence: forming trust and learning new information.”  

For more on the topic, visit: 6 Simple Changes That Will Boost Your Influence at Work

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