Allan Cohen - Influence Without Authority - SlidesAllan R. Cohen Distinguished Professor of Global Leadership Babson College
© 2017 A. Cohen
The Challenge
Gaining Collaboration – Partnership – With People or Groups You Can’t Effectively Control
© 2017 A. Cohen and D. Bradford
The Secret of the Universe in Six Words
Everyone Expects To Be Paid Back!
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Reciprocity
• Make exchanges that create “win-win” results
© 2017 A. Cohen and D. Bradford
An Inherent Capacity
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“But Dylan, maybe there’s the Arctic Express in it.”
3 Year old Emmie to her Twin Brother, wanting him to watch the Arctic animal video:
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At 4 ½, Dylan’s Leap into INQUIRY
• “Emmie, when you play dolls, what do you DO?”
© 2017 A. Cohen and D. Bradford
Cohen-Bradford Influence Model
Dealing with relationships
Influence through give and take
Assume all are potential allies
The Cohen-Bradford IWA Model
Contextual Forces That Shape Behavior Along With Personality
Peer Expectations
Education
History of career: • In organization • Outside organization • Many or few different positions? • High potential, contented, dead-ended?
Nature of Required Tasks: • Repetitive, variety, creative? • Initiates or is initiated on? • High external interaction? • High interaction within unit?
Boss’s expectations
Major Events/Forces Outside the
Types Of Currencies
Inspiration-Related Currencies
Task-Related Currencies
• New Resources
Position-Related Currencies
Relationship-Related Currencies
© 2017 A. Cohen and D. Bradford
Personal-Related Currencies
Clarify your goals and priorities
Identify relevant currencies, theirs, yours
Dealing with relationships
Influence through give and take
Assume all are potential allies
The Cohen-Bradford IWA Model
Examples Overcoming Resistance
• Vishwas converts a peer who seems to be undermining him • Larkin Mehta deals with an older colleague who calls her “kiddo” and discounts
her knowledge; builds full partnership role • Mike Garcia, HQ Marketing, Gains Cooperation of Suspicious, Resistant Latin
American Country Managers • Sarah works to overcome the challenges of constant international virtual team
meetings – Monitoring dynamics, intervening, encouraging – Diagnosing, using individual currencies – Many individual calls – Smiling, even when on the phone – Creative video use
How to Read Others’ Currencies
Start: Tune in, don’t argue back
Diagnose the forces acting on them, their “world”
Listen closely to their language -What they say is important to them -Speeches, presentations, written messages -Their metaphors and images
Observe their offices, artifacts, dress
Ask © 2017 A. Cohen and D. Bradford
© 2017 A. Cohen and D. Bradford
Takeaways
• In many parts of world, (and when virtual) relationship first, task second. • Those with most relationships tend to have most influence. • Give in valued currencies whenever you can before you know what or
whether you will want anything back! • Your job not to make other want what you want, but to give what they
want. (Platinum, not Golden Rule) • Don’t give away your potential power. What do you have or can get that
other wants? • Get to joint problem solving as a PARTNER.
© 2017 A. Cohen and D. Bradford
Thanks! cohen@babson.edu