82Managing Yourself
Deciding whether to tap into hearts or minds is easy when you’re present-
ing your idea to an individual or a small, like-minded group. The bigger
challenge comes when you’re trying to persuade a group with diverse per-
spectives. Then your best bet is to briefl y discuss the problem you’re trying
to solve and how your solution helps the business, your employees, or your
customers. Next, cater messaging to different perspectives in the room.
For example, appeal to both minds—“If you’re wondering why this problem
is compelling, let me share the data with you”—and hearts—“And for those
of you who are wondering what this means for our employees, let me tell
you a story about how it affects Fatma in marketing.” You’ve appealed to
hearts.
Whatever approach you take, the more thoughtful you are at the be-
ginning of this process, the more effective you’ll be.
Much of your ability to infl uence others is driven by your understand-
ing of their different perspectives and your willingness to reach out to
them. Whether you are presenting a proposal to the board of directors,
trying to convince your boss to take you seriously, or working with peers
in your group or across the organization, think about how your actions
will make other people feel, and assess what problems you can solve for
them. This approach to becoming a person of infl uence in your orga-
nization can result in relationships that are positive, productive, and
permanent.
Recap
■
Infl uence is a combination of two kinds of power, positional (having to do
with your title) and personal (having to do with your social capital).
■
You need to manage up because your boss is a key fi gure in your professional
life. They can open opportunities and advocate for you, but without their
support, you will be frustrated.
Becoming a Person of Infl uence83
■
To become a person of infl uence with your peers around the organization,
foster a network that can help you obtain information, share expertise, and
form coalitions.
■
Working with colleagues across silos can be particularly challenging be-
cause their cultures and priorities may be diff erent from yours.
■
To promote a specifi c idea to others, consider their point of view.
Action items
Foster your cultural capital by:
❏
Solving a small problem for someone else. Follow up on a specifi c issue
that is plaguing a direct report on a daily basis. Take a task off your
boss’s plate.
❏
Learning something new about your company. Ask a peer to explain a
new technical point. Talk to someone who’s been at your organization
longer than you about how your unit has evolved.
❏
Off ering someone an opportunity. Ask a team member or peer to kick off
a team meeting or ask a subject-matter expert to educate your team.
❏
Providing support to a peer. Explore how you can support an initiative
that matters to one of your peers and fosters business success. Find a
way to help.
❏
Invest time in outreach to build and extend your network of peers. Re-
quest small amounts of time with peers you have an opportunity to learn
from, share information with, or partner with to achieve business out-
comes. Use a specifi c opportunity as your reason for reaching out and
making the connection.
In situations in which you need to manage up:
❏
Put yourself in your boss’s shoes. Consider the goals and pressures that
motivate their professional lives and how you can help them succeed.
84Managing Yourself
❏
Clarify their expectations. Through conversation and observation, fi g-
ure out what kind of working relationship they want with you. Negotiate
problematic expectations by showing how the changes you seek will
benefi t them.
❏
Adapt yourself to their work styles. Make your daily interactions as
smooth as possible by accommodating habits like their communication
style or decision-making process.
In situations in which you need to persuade, evaluate in advance
of a discussion whether you’ll be most successful appealing
to your audience’s emotional center or their rationalside:
❏
To win hearts, make your argument personal and have it speak to
the emotion of the situation. Tell a story and employ metaphors and
analogies.
❏
To win minds, present compelling evidence and push your audience to
engage with it by posing incisive questions. Appeal to the logic that sup-
ports your case.
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