I’ll be speaking again (virtually) at the Indiana State SHRM Convention. Attendees have the opportunity to ask pre-conference questions about my topic of Becoming An Influencer! I received an excellent question and wanted to share my answers with you!
“Tim, the ability to influence without official power or authority is more important than ever. Do you have any pre-conference tips before we attend your session?”
My response…
“Excellent question! It’s also very relevant because you don’t need a title to be a leader. Here are 3 pre-conference tips…
1) View yourself as someone who has tremendous value and decide to contribute regardless of the response you receive. It will be noticed, even if not right away. Too many hold back because of insecurities. “Nobody will listen to me anyway.” “I’m not the one in charge around here.” “I offered an idea once and they didn’t do anything with it, so why bother.” “I’m not really smart enough to add any value.” People continuously underestimate how powerful they really are!
2) Offer praise and compliments along with your ideas and feedback. This is especially effective if dealing with an ego-driven leader. “I’m sure you’ve already considered this idea. Yet, I want to support our team by sharing it again.” “It’s obvious you are working hard to help us all succeed and I’d like to thank you for that by sharing some feedback. I want you to be aware of what others are thinking, so you are prepared for our next team huddle. Is that ok?”
3) The most effective influencers ask clever questions rather than making statements. “Hey boss, if I have an idea for how we can lower our shipping costs by 5%, should I share it with somebody?” This positions the boss to ask for the persons’ idea, which psychologically makes him/her more open to it.
Influencers believe in themselves and their ideas. A watermelon distribution company was struggling to figure out how to pack more watermelons into the trucks. One of the truck drivers said, “Why don’t we grow square watermelons?” Everyone laughed except the truck driver. Instead, he built a square box and grew a watermelon inside it!
(Bonus tip) Influencers tell interesting stories rather than just sharing facts!
🙂 Tim Shurr
Need some inspiration? I’ve interviewed the Legends of the speaking industry. MesmerizingPodcast.com