why influence requires patience

The ability to influence is one of the most critical weapons an executive assistant needs to have in their arsenal to be successful in their work, day-to-day and their career.

To be able to influence with impact is to understand that sometimes ideas and concepts need space to breathe.

It’s also to be able to choose moments carefully, adjust style as needed and respond with grace when things don’t go your way.

There’s an art to knowing when to press forward with tenacity and when to bide your time for the best results.

Rarely is the steamroller approach the most effective way to earn credibility and trust, respect and importantly, get the buy-in you need.

It can be frustrating to have to hit pause on taking action with an idea or a change that we know is positive, but tuning in to a stakeholder’s reticence and giving them time to process and reflect is an important way to build trusted advisor status.

Here are some fast tips to help you work through a setback and influence the outcome in your favour:

• Explore whether a no is a definitive no, or a not right now.

• Ask whether there is more information you can gather to help someone make an informed decision.

• Find out if there’s a moment in time that you can revisit the proposal - what’s the timeframe?

• Know your business case inside out, backed with facts and data not emotion.

• Use the data to highlight benefits and the outcomes if action isn’t taken.

• Link your proposal to strategic objectives

• Consider how you can achieve the same result through a different method - is there another way you can do what you need to do that will be more palatable?

• Be able to take a no with grace. Understand that not every idea you have, every change you try to implement will be accepted. Maturely accept the decision and move forward, even when disappointed.

Remember, influence is built through trust, respect, credibility and having a personal brand that inspires confidence.

Nurture your mindset so your self-belief and ability to back yourself is strong.

Empowered assistants get the best results and empowerment is an inside job.

Need more?

Join the Elite EA Academy, a 2 month self-paced program to help you unlock your full potential.

We explore influence in detail, helping you identity where you already have it, how to supercharge the way you’re already doing it and the strategies you can engage to get buy-in from your stakeholders.