Politics. Most of us react like it’s a dirty word and it
doesn’t change any when we talk about workplace politics. Those are even worse
because politics at work is more personal, tangible, and the elephant in the
room. Some people are manipulative at politics in the workplace to the point
where it’s over the top and nauseating. Sadly, politics at work is a necessary
evil, and for most women, it’s a nightmare and can paralyze us.
No one “trains” women how to work political so when we are
newly minted in a job, it can be a shock to be told to start “politicking,” or
we see it and feel lost or beaten down. Men are better at the game because they
think “winning” and women tend to think more about “building.” Which one works
the best? The new book The Influence
Effect by Kathryn Heath, Jill Flynn, Mary Davis Holt, and Diana Faison is a
must read for all women who are in business or just jumping into the fray. You
can’t afford to not read and use this book as a map for wandering through the
political minefield in the workplace.
Politics seems to come naturally to most men. As women, we
fight it, fear it, and it appears dirty. It doesn’t need to be. Women need to
think about politics in a new light. We have some natural gifts that many men
lack and we can use them to forge relationships and become masters at politics
with soul, relationship focus, and positive influence. Women need to realize
that politics is all about bringing people together, making a positive
inclusive change, using power as a tool, and make our voices heard with a seat
at the table.
The Influence Effect
offers tools and strategies to encourage women to look at politics as a
positive. The authors have all been in our seats and know that influencing
those around us is the key to success. The more influence that we can foster,
the more opportunities that we have to hear our voices heard and can make an
impact without “playing” politics. Using our influence enables us to create
agendas, make connections, bring teams together and make a change. Influence is
“the tool of the times” and women can’t avoid jumping in to use our natural
gifts.
The Influence Effect is divided into three parts and each
one builds on fostering your influence and growing self-confidence. They
include: Prepare to influence, Practice the five strategies, and Influence in
action. Each chapter is rich with real stories and struggles of women and how
they coped with political success and failure. There are point summaries to ask
yourself and review to enable the reader to learn and reflect.
The meat of The Influence Effect are the five strategies
that we are given to build our influence and make a change. Each approach will
open your eyes to possibilities, empower your efforts while feeling supported.
Here are the strategies that you need to learn to be in the influence driver’s
seat:
- The power of the informal
- Relationship maps
- Scenario thinking
- Influence loops
- Momentum
I guarantee that each of these strategies will encourage you
to become hungry to become more influential in a proactive manner. It’s
comforting reading the stories of other women who have been in our shoes and
have learned to overcome and make politics an asset. The Influence Effect will open your eyes to the world that men have
lived in for so long yet show you how to succeed with a woman’s touch. We can
strategize, think and act, and build teams with our form of influence. Pick up The Influence Effect today to embark on
your own journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment