How to be an influencer

Imagine a situation in which a business partner is working with a senior stakeholder who resists the business partner’s proposal. Which of the following should the business partner do in order to win the stakeholder’s support?

Acknowledge the stakeholder’s concerns, ask what the issues are and discuss together how to deal with the various issues.

Reassure the stakeholder that the proposal should not greatly impact the stakeholder’s workload.

Gather anecdotes and stories that support the need for the proposed changes and then share them with the stakeholder.

Provide a more detailed, data-backed rationale for why the change is necessary.

If a stakeholder is reluctant to engage with a business partner, which of the following is likely to be the most effective way for the business partner to build a working relationship?

Insist upon a formal meeting in which the business partner can present the business case and then ask the stakeholder direct questions about it.

Enlist the support of other colleagues who have strong relationships with the stakeholder in order to encourage the reluctant stakeholder to get involved.

Escalate the issue to senior leaders so that senior leaders can pressurise the stakeholder into getting involved.

Find ways to work around the stakeholder.

If a stakeholder makes a request that is not legally or technically feasible, which of the following would be the best way for the business partner to respond?

Decline the request and explain patiently why it is not possible.

Acknowledge the stakeholder’s emotions and express sympathy for the stakeholder’s situation but ultimately decline the request.

Offer alternative solutions that are legal or technically possible, even if they only partially meet the stakeholder's needs.

Agree that the request is a good idea but then over the course of further discussions try to persuade the stakeholder to accept an alternative course of action.

The article argues that:

Human skills such as being able to use different influencing techniques can help business partners to add value that is over and above that provided by AI.

Formal qualifications and technical knowledge are no longer necessary given that AI can do administrative tasks and routine analysis more quickly and accurately than humans.

Effective business partners tend to be more assertive than their less effective counterparts.

Restructuring an organisation in order to put AI first can in many instances remove the need for business partners.

Which of the following is the best question for a business partner to ask early on when establishing a relationship with unfamiliar stakeholders?

‘What are your fears right now?’

‘How can I best help you to improve your business performance?’

‘How do you like to be treated by business partners?’

‘What are your team’s goals and priorities?’

What is the likely relationship between business partner empathy and their job performance?

There is a positive correlation between the two, such that higher empathy links to higher job performance.

There is an inverse relationship between the two such that an increase in empathy decreases assertiveness and therefore job performance.

There is likely an inverted U-shaped curve such that moderate to high levels of empathy are better than low levels of empathy – but that very high levels of empathy may in some way reduce job performance.

There is probably an exponential relationship between the two, with higher empathy being associated with increasing levels of job performance.

Business professionals wishing to develop their influencing skills would get the best results from:

Identifying colleagues who are widely seen as assertive in order to copy their language and body language.

Thinking ahead of meetings about open-ended questions to learn more about stakeholders’ concerns, priorities and hopes.

Two of the other methods are both highly effective.

Using AI to write emails, reports and notes for meetings that are more empathetic in tone towards stakeholders.

Which of the following is the best way in which business partners can ensure that they add value beyond transactional tasks?

Challenge stakeholders’ assumptions and identify possible courses of action that stakeholders may not previously have considered.

Network outside of the organisation to ensure that they are aware of industry trends and ongoing economic challenges.

Continue to be assertive in explaining what stakeholders are required to do in order to benefit the organisation, but at the same time speaking with empathy and compassion.

Provide quick and efficient responses to requests – using AI when possible.

A business partner intends to propose a radical change programme that will inconvenience a stakeholder greatly. What is the best way to ensure buy-in?

Provide case studies and real-world examples that highlight the likely benefits of the change programme for the organisation.

Involve the stakeholder early in the process in order to integrate the stakeholder’s feedback into the implementation plan.

Communicate the business case and project plan clearly and logically.

All of the other answers are correct.

Why should business partners avoid relying too much on using AI-based decision-making tools?

Stakeholders are still wary of AI and find AI-generated reports less persuasive than reports that have been substantially analysed and checked by humans.

AI tools can make flawed decisions if they have not been provided with the right information.

AI may propose solutions that attempt to manipulate stakeholders’ emotions.

AI-based tools lack emotional intelligence and therefore may underestimate stakeholders’ resistance to do what seems to be in the best interests of the organisation.