“The real beginning of influence comes as others sense you are being influenced by them - when they feel understood by you - that you have listened deeply and sincerely, and that you are open.”
-Stephen Covey; 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Pause here for a moment and free yourself from distractions:
Take a deep breath in... exhale slowly... deep breath in... exhale slowly... deep breath in... exhale slowly... calm your mind and be present...
What is your definition of influence? Think about that for a moment...
How important to you is your ability to influence others? Should it be..?
influence /noun/:
-the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.
-the power to change or affect someone or something
-the power to cause changes without directly forcing them to happen
On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you rank yourself in your sphere of influence? Sit with that thought... How do you know..?
If you are looking to improve you positive influence, or perhaps have not considered the topic at all, author and trainer Jennifer Farmer who specializes in helping socially-conscious entrepreneurs, celebrities and activists shares 10 tips to help:
How to Influence People and Make Them Feel Good: (by Jennifer R Farmer, lifehack.com)
1. Be Authentic: Uncover what it is that makes you unique in order to start making a positive impact on others. People instinctively appreciate people whose public persona matches their private values.
2. Listen: To positively influence people, you must listen to what is spoken and what is left unsaid. Therein lies the explanation for what people need in order to feel validated, supported, and seen. Listening and being genuinely interested meets a person’s primary need of validation and acceptance, which builds positive energy.
3. Become an Expert: become an authority in the area where you want to motivate others. Research and read everything you can about the given topic, and then look for opportunities to put your education into practice.
4. Lead With a Story: Your story related to the issue or concept you are discussing. An analogy or metaphor that explains your topic in ordinary terms with vivid detail. A story told in the right way can be the perfect way to grab hold of someone’s emotions, which can help you influence people positively.
5. Lead by Example: It is incredibly inspiring to watch passionate, talented people at work or play. We recognize the effort of people who give their all day in and day out. To influence people in a positive way, we must lead by example, lead with intention, and execute with excellence.
6. Catch People Doing Good: Look for overlooked, but critically important things that your peers, subordinates, and managers do that make the work more effective and more enjoyable. name and notice their contributions. Show them you are interested in other people’s success. Making an impact on someone’s life is as easy as offering a compliment.
7. Be Effusive With Praise: Find a way to celebrate the unique attributes and skills of team members. Meetings can be opportunities to celebrate accomplishments, no matter how small they are. This inevitably has a positive influence on those around you. A person who feels appreciated will be more willing to go above and beyond with anything you request of them.
8. Be Kind Rather Than Right: You can be kind and still stand firm in your position. Your own experience is all the validation you need. Therefore, taking time to be right is essentially wasted, and if you were unkind in seeking validation now you’ve really lost points.
9. Understand a Person’s Logical, Emotional, and Cooperative Needs: The trick is to understand that different people need different things. If you know your audience, you will know what they need in order to be positively influenced.
10. Understand Your Lane: Operate from your sphere of influence, your place of expertise, and leave everything else to others. When you focus on what you are uniquely gifted and qualified to do, and then offer that gift to the people who need it, you are more effective. This effectiveness is attractive.
“Life can only take place in the present moment. If we lose the present moment, we lose life.”
Today’s Challenge: Approach today with intention!
Be open and present in your interactions today.
Listen actively to others.
Intentionally seek opportunities to praise others for their natural attributes.
Don’t allow the business of the day to rob you of the chance to positively influence others.
You never know who will benefit... It just might be YOU!
Now, what’s your plan... what are you willing to do?
Don’t miss your opportunity. Be intentional. Encourage others to do the same and watch what happens.
You got this!
Coach Tavia
#thinkforyourself, #reflect, #reach, #stretch, #bepositive, #honoryourself, #responsibility, #faceyourfears, #bepresent, #buildrelationships, #learnandgrow, #accountability, #speakup, #act, #faith, #confidence, #believe, #ittakescourage, #focus, #shift, #trustyourself, #dothework, #shareyourgifts, #beofservice, #releaseyourpower, #knowyourworth, #leadbyexample, #justdoit, #lifecoach, #leadershipcoach, #leadershipdevelopment, #letsgo
Reference:
How to Influence People and Make Them Feel Good
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