I spent the last 3 days undergoing this course which i found to be really useful. Being the youngest of the lot, I have learnt a lot about myself and from others through sharing, experimenting and role-playing.
Though I do not have direct reports unlike most others in the course, I have 15 indirect reports consisting of the in-country risk managers. It has been difficult to influence them as they are more senior and more experienced than I am. Besides, I do not have power over them in deciding their job scope, workload and bonuses.
One of the more common mistakes managers fall prey when delegating is that they forget to provide the reasons for the task assign. With the big picture in mind, the staff will find meaning in performing the assignment, leading to greater motivation and productivity.
Basically, there are 6 ways of influencing others
- Reciprocation
- Commitment and Consistency
- Social Proof
- Authority
- Liking
- Scarcity
I find myself using the technique of reciprocation mostly, followed by liking, then Commitment and Consistency. I treat my team with care, consciously making time for them in attending their queries, always standing by them offering assistance whenever possible. I am doing alright so far. However, I feel that to become a more effective leader, I will need to learn how to successfully influence people using the 6 ways above rather than relying on the same few techniques.
My challenge is that I need to know the business in each country really well. This, I find it extremely difficult given the workload that I have. Preparing all sorts of MIS Reports and following up with risk issues takes up quite a bit of time. Against this, I have to complete the global uploads to make it in time for the rollout by the end of month.
I am going to start applying the rock, pebbles, sand perspective when I go to work tomorrow which will set the right priorities for me. Hopefully, it will lead to massive improvement in my productivity.