Gaining Influence

I made a presentation recently where I talked about the steps I use to change other people’s behaviors and beliefs.   I wish I could claim this as my own, but I can’t.  I’ve copied it from someone smarter than I am.  But, I can’t even remember who to credit.  That doesn’t diminish the value of these steps.   Here are the steps:

• Attention
• Permission
• Interaction
• Trust
• Influence

As I was preparing for my presentation, I realized I had used this approach to introduce New Media / Social Media in my workplace.  I hadn’t planned it with that clarity, but I did pass thru each of the above steps.

Early on, I presented a manager with an MP3 player with some sample podcasts pre-loaded.  I had his attention.  I checked back and got his permission to talk more about the possibilities of new media.  We met periodically where I could talk more about the benefits and possibilities.  These interactions continued over the months and I began to produce some sample podcasts.  I gained his trust that I could produce and manage a quality podcast.  With the trust in place, I was able to formalize and ligitimize the podcast as a new communications channel in my organization.

 I have since used these steps with other projects, as well.  If you know where this list originated, please let me know in the comments.