Simple tools to improve your ability to communicate with influence

To capture the attention of others and facilitate behavioural change, one must influence emotion to motivate action. The importance of communicating with influence in project environments cannot be undersold. It leads to more efficient project delivery and the development of trust and better team engagement. It ensures that all project team members understand their role and what is expected of them; it increases visibility of challenges and project progress; and it leads to more frequent decisions in favour of the project. Communicating with influence is even more important with the hybrid nature of the workforce and more frequent establishment of virtual project management offices.

There are five common traits used by people who are known for their ability to influence others through their communication. Once recognised, these traits can be used by everyone to increase their own ability to influence others and communicate more purposefully. These traits are:
• Be clear
• Be concise
• Be confident
• Be credible
• Be compelling

Another way to maximise one’s ability to influence outcomes, is to understand and recognise that different styles of communication are needed. One method for doing this is through the use of the DISC model which identifies four main styles of communication used in the workplace, which can be used to profile the people we need to influence allowing for tailored communication and messaging specific to them. The four styles are:
• Compliant
• Influential
• Steady
• Dominant

During the presentation we will discuss and support the practical implementation of these concepts through the exploration of the following focus questions:
• Who do you need to influence in your role?
• In what contexts do you need to influence?

Our delivery of this session will be interactive with input from the audience on types of roles and contexts in which they need to influence outcomes. Drawing on our experience, we will share insights on how we have applied the five traits of communication and the DISC model to give practical suggestions on how to address sticking points that the audience has when influencing stakeholders. Our aim is to leave the audience with some practical ideas that they can use to more effectively communicate to influence outcomes.