Power To Influence Paper

Influence
Influence is defined as "as a force, one person exerts on someone else to induce a change in the target." (Hall, 2007). The level of influence is contingent upon the level of power and power is based on an individual’s role in the corporation. The higher the role, the more power that individual can exert and the more influential that person can become as “the person with the power has the influence” (Tardanico, 2011). There are several sources of power that leaders can exercise including legitimate, reward, coercive, expert, information, and referent ("13.3 The Power to Influence | Organizational Behavior", 2010).
Leaders utilized various tactics as their means to influence others in the workplace. The different tactics that are used to achieve different objectives. The tactic chosen by the leader depends on the target ("13.3 The Power to Influence | Organizational Behavior", 2010) and on what the leader is trying to accomplish (Hall, 2007).
The tactics are categorized as upward, downward and lateral. Upward, is the ability to influence your boss and others in positions higher than yours. Downward influence is the ability to influence employees lower than you, and lateral is the ability to influence colleagues at the same level (13.3 The Power to Influence |

Organizational Behavior", 2010).
Give an example of someone you’ve tried to influence lately. Was it an upward, downward, or lateral influence attempt? Were you successful? Why or why not? What could you have done to change the outcome? Explain?
Recently I was able to influence my boss to change a practice that was a waste of time and was not delivering any results.

I tried to convince Brooke that it was a waste of time to make frequent calls to families that were behind on payment. I used the upward tactic since the communication travel from staff member to leader. My style was convincing (Tardanico, 2011) I offered logical reasons and provided proof. The reports I pulled, revealed that calling hebdomadal did not change the paying habits of our clients as they continued to pay on the 15 and the 30 of the month. I suggested that calls be made close to those dates instead. My boss agreed, and now calls are only made twice a

month.
Give an example of a time when your behavior was influenced? What were your influencing factors?
My former boss influenced the team in so many ways; she is a great leader, and motivator. Brooke exerted influence the minute she walked through the door; she was always full of energy and enthusiasm, and she transmitted that to us, it was contagious. Bridging (Tardanico, 2011) was one of her influence styles. On our weekly meetings, she genuinely connected with her team, she listened to our opinion and inputs; she built the perfect coalition, where the whole team felt that we were all working towards the same cause. When she needed us to work on a new task, she asked so elegantly, that it never sounded like an order.
Additionally, she challenged us, by providing new tasks; in several instances she allowed us to select the projects on which to work on, that keep us engaged and upbeat. Additionally, she always made sure we had all the resources and support we needed to complete our task. She cheered us up every time we finished a major project. She praised our accomplishments and made sure we had the skills the tools to complete our tasks, and most importantly she created a bond with her team, Brooke chose well as those actions are said to positive motivators (Tardanico, 2011). She was able to motivate her team she got to know us well and knew what worked for us, and that made all the difference.