Exercising Influence: A Guide for Making Things Happen at Work, at Home, and in Your Community, 3rd Edition

Appendix BInfluence Plan

Part 1

Following is a series of questions that fall within each of the areas of the influence framework. Some, but not all, of the questions will be appropriate to the situation you're thinking about. Review the questions in each area and highlight the ones that you believe to be relevant to the outcome of your influence opportunity. Answer the key questions, then think of how you will use the information to build the relationship, and achieve your desired results.

Results

• What is your vision of success? What role will the other person play in it?
• What are the needs that underlie your vision? For you? For the organization? For the person you are influencing?
• What specific long-term and short-term goals do you have for the influence opportunity?
• What are your criteria for success? How will you know you have achieved the results you are aiming for?
• What alternative outcomes might satisfy your underlying needs and achieve equivalent results?

Relationship

• What is the history of your (or your team's) influence relationship (in both directions) with this person or group?
• What is the current level of trust? Why? What can you do to increase it?
• What assumptions do each of you hold about the other? How will you test them? How might they affect the outcome?
• What is the power balance between you?
• What are the current or continuing issues in the relationship, regardless of whether they are directly related to this influence opportunity?
• How important might this ...