Great Lakes Wire

You are more influential than you may realize or at least have the potential to be. Being influential in the workplace doesn’t always mean holding a high-ranking position or having years of experience. Influence is more about the ability to inspire, motivate, and drive positive change among your colleagues, no matter your role. Here are several strategies to help you build and sustain influence at work.

Cultivate Strong Relationships: One of the most important steps to becoming influential is building strong, authentic relationships with your coworkers. Trust is the foundation of influence, and people are more likely to listen to and respect someone they trust. Invest time in getting to know your team members, their strengths, and their challenges. Be supportive, listen actively, and offer help where you can. This creates a positive reputation and positions you as a valuable and trustworthy colleague.

Master Effective Communication: Being able to communicate clearly and persuasively is key to becoming influential. Whether you’re presenting an idea, giving feedback, or leading a meeting, effective communication helps you convey your thoughts in a way that resonates with others. Focus on tailoring your message to your audience using both logic and emotion to make your points. Moreover, be open to listening to different perspectives—great communicators are also great listeners.

Lead by Example: Influence comes not only from what you say but from what you do. Demonstrating a strong work ethic, professionalism, and integrity in everything you do will naturally inspire others. When colleagues see that you’re consistent, dependable, and committed, they’re more likely to follow your lead. This kind of quiet leadership builds credibility and respect over time.

Stay Solution-Oriented: People who consistently bring solutions rather than just identifying problems tend to have significant influence in the workplace. When challenges arise, focus on finding ways to address them proactively. Being known as a problem solver who remains calm under pressure can significantly increase your influence.

Continue Learning and Growing: Influential individuals are constantly learning and improving. Keep your skills and knowledge up-to-date and show a willingness to adapt to new challenges. By being a source of information and expertise, you become a go-to person for colleagues which strengthens your influence.

Workplace influence is not about authority but about trust, communication, and leading by example. By fostering strong relationships mastering communication skills continually growing one can build lasting influence within an organization.

ASE Connect

Join us in Troy on September 25th for this ASE training course:

Influencing Others

September 25 2024 | 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Troy MI

This course will identify ways individuals without direct authority over others can use skills to connect with others gain cooperation and influence interactions achieve outcomes Register

By Heather Nezich courtesy of SBAM-approved partner ASE

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