[Notes] Shreyas's Influencing Peers and Stakeholders

10 Jul 2023

Understanding Influence

• Energize in macro timescale, painful in micro timescale, Tune it!
• Drivers for Influence
  • 1. Storytelling
  • 1. Alignment
  • 1. Trust
  • 1. Authority
  • 1. Rigor
  • 1. Charisma
• Nuances
  • Authority, alignment - Depends on position in Org Structure, less in control, Mode of persuasion authority, ethos (Strucutral Driver)
  • Charisma,Storytelling - Depends on pathos , Mode of persuasion with emotion (Inspirational Driver)
  • Trust,Rigor - Depends on logos, Mode of persuasion with logic (credibility driver)
  • Easy Mode = High authority + high alignment
  • Hard mode = Low authority + low alignment

Executive Level Influencing

• Frame problem into 2
  • Challenges to Fix
    • Limited Product Context -> use Rigor
    • Limited Time -> use Trust
  • Opportunites accessible
    • Company Level Context -> Use Alignment
    • Decision-Making -> use Authority
• Trust Equation = Intent x Track Record x Accountability

Principles for Influencing Executives

• Over-prepare
• Align proposal to stated priorities of executives
• Trust by Proxy
• Communicate at their context level
• View message with their lens, Simulate Meeting
  • Product leader Archetype
    • Operator
      • Metrics and industry data
      • Stakeholder validation
      • Near-term goals
      • Milestones and dependencies
    • Craftsperson
      • Qualitative and Quantitative insights
      • Strategy
      • Medium term goal
      • Milestones and dependencies
    • Visionary
      • Big Idea
      • Overall Strategy
      • Long Term Goal
      • Cross product Synergies
  • Concise , dispassionate Communication
    • M-shaped Communication
    • T-shaped Communication
  • Know your stuff and followup

Influence Dependency Teams

• 1. Sending right person to negotiate with other team
• 1. Getting right people Excited on project
     • Normally tech leads, staff engineers
• 1. Make it their idea
     • See if they brainstorm with you or workout on proposal
• 1. Put their name on proposal for co-creation
     • Over communicate with your manager so they are aware
• 1. Send them team update
     • Let them see progress,delivery and impact on user/bussiness
• 1. Be persistent

Escalation as Unblocking process

• Resolving new dependencies that were apparent in planning
• Ask Exec Team for unblock
• Mutual unblocking specificaiton
  • Layout problem, conflicts and solutions
• Including reports for execs, for decision over unblock
• Decision Log, and commit for parties

Bonus

• Influence by starting with principle
• Influence by presenting framework
• Nost problems are messaging problems
  • ah, tell me more
  • It seems to me that we agree more than we disagree
  • On scale 1-10, how strongly you feel about this?
  • Do you want to be primary on this decision or would you rather I be primary
  • I have x% confidence in my opinion. Whats you % confidence?
  • You are right
• Remote Influence
  • In Person body lang is best source of trust. Vulneribility