Influencing Techniques for Executive Assistants

There are some challenges that Executive Assistants face in their roles. One of the most common challenges I have experienced is influencing without authority with a team or direct reports to the Executive.

I have read a lot of material on the topic of influencing without authority and attended workshops that provided a deep dive into the subject. Hopefully, what I’ve gathered and understood will benefit you.

It’s challenging to convince a group of people or a team you work with on recommendations and directions without the authority behind your title. It’s a fact some will respect your insights and trust them. Others will try pulling the rug from under you using roadblocks, negativity, or outright resistance to new ideas and change.

Gathering the six top challenges that prevent influencing successfully are:

1. Lack of authority
2. Perceived credibility
3. Administrative/operational vs. business mindset
4. Self-limiting obstacles
5. Lack of practice
6. Lack of support from the Executives

However, despite the challenges listed above, there are opportunities that an Executive Assistant can utilize to influence their audience with:

1. Change Leadership
2. Credibility and image
3. Increased fluency and confidence
4. New alliances and networks
5. Increased productivity

Influencing as a mindset is different than informing. Influencing is a deliberate process of persuasion with goals. This requires understanding why the other person could say “no” for you to get them to say “yes.” Practicing empathy is essential; you do not have to agree but understand the other person’s point of view. If you think you can’t, you won’t!

With a few extracts from author Dr. Karen Keller below, I have personally come across items on this list at one point or another. These are the top unique traits of influential influencers:

1. They do not overwhelm the people they attempt to influence with too much information
2. They use a deliberate, systematic influencing process based on position or interest base appeals
3. They have a clear influencing goal: awareness, interest, commitment, and action
4. PASSION is the fire in your spirit for what you do. It is the expression of your enthusiasm and your eagerness and starts the engine for your success
5. TRUSTWORTHINESS is a high virtue and is self-explanatory. It is worth noting that this is usually the most crucial of all the influence traits. Lose trust, and you instantly lose influence.
6. LIKABILITY is more than being friendly. You can create positive attitudes in the people around you and focus those attitudes on a common goal.
7. COURAGE is your strength to face difficult circumstances (or even difficult people) head-on.
8. CONFIDENCE has the ‘whatever-it-takes’ attitude. This is your mental attitude of believing in, trusting in, and relying on yourself and your abilities.

Influencing on positions versus interests: Positions are tangible things people say they want (e.g., money, budget, ROI, resources, deadlines, contract, bureaucracy, policies, etc.). Interests are the more intangible motivations (e.g., credibility, recognition, teamwork, efficiency, financial stability, fear, pride, security, belonging, quality, fairness, etc.).  While the two influencing attributes of positions versus interests exist separately, the solution to influencing is generally the same.

1. You must identify the issue and its impact/risk to the department or organization
2. You must present the benefit (gains or vision) of an alternative outcome
3. You must offer your recommendation to achieve the alternative outcome

Managing a good outcome while influencing your team or Executive is ideal for generating options by asking, “what if….” To propose options, consider benchmarking to adapt ideas from others. Propose a trial or test to gain experience and buy-in from others. Reframe a problem as an opportunity.

Sharing tips on overcoming resistance with others as you practice your influence abilities. The goal is to enhance one’s current fluency to progress to the next level of competency, confidence, and commitment:

1. Don’t take it personally
2. See objections as opportunities to learn
3. Use the power of silence
4. Use the power of questions
5. Collect small “yeses” based on mutual interests to build trust and ownership
6. Find the strength within your resistance
7. Learn to be more open and flexible
8. Highlight the ups of the change
9. Realize people don’t fear change. They fear the loss of the status quo
10. Divide to conquer
11. Communicate
12. Inspire
13. Engage, inform, explain, empower and reward

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; master yourself is true power.
– Lao Tzu, Tao the Ching

What will you do differently the next time you attempt to influence someone in your role?