Influence tactics and responses to to them are unavoidable in an organization and the refusal to address these management tactics when dealing with potential issues, risks, or reactionary circumstances can be detrimental to operations.

A quick list of influence tactics are…

• Coalition Tactics
• Consultations
• Exchange
• Ingratiation
• Inspirational Appeals
• Legitimating Tactics
• Personal Appeals
• Pressure
• Rational Persuasion

Responses to these influence attempts can be…

• Commitment
• Compliance
• Passive Resistance
• Active Resistance

In a perfect world, the response to any attempt to influence would be nothing short of blind commitment and unconditional compliance, but any of us who have been around people for more than three days can concur that people and humanity as a whole are far more complex than this.

Passive Resistance and Active Resistance (as well as the bandwidth of sustaining each) are just as much in the nature of man as both commitment and compliance. There is always an equilibrium that has to be maintained within the laws of constructed nature and that is reflected equally in the mind of man.

Just as the physical laws of nature seek balance between light and dark, or matter and anti-matter, the laws of cognition mirror this as the ability to believe or un-believe, or to trust or to suspend trust.

Before digression, it is important to detail both the influences and responses within the process of changing or sustaining that begs the need for influence to activate within a relationship.

Coalition Tactics are when others are engaged to persuade someone or someones to do something. This is an indirect way to seek change, and the reliance is upon democracy for majority rule towards changing or sustaining something.

Consultation is requesting someones advice to solve a problem or to seek a resolution regarding a problem or person. Common ground is required when seeking consultation and focusing on a peer to peer discussion as equals will always result in the most honest and productive conversation.

Exchange is the practice of offering something to someone in exchange for something of (hopefully) equal value. This is not the first method of influence, but is used as a last resort when feeling that someone is on the fence about making a decision and may need incentive to jump on either side. In a political context this would be considered bribing and is not respected amongst most political parties, yet it is common practice.

Inspirational Appeals is personal. By honing in on someones values, aspirations, beliefs, or ideals the influencer can gain levels of commitment or compliance through personal connection or inspiring speech.

Legitimating Tactics is utilizing formal authority in the structure of an organization or social hierarchy that leans on policy or law to influence others. This is not the best way to make friends, but it is sometimes the most efficient way to get things done when the people involved are considered expensable.

Personal Appeals is act of leveraging relational equity to get someone to do something for you. This can be as simple as, ‘because we are friends… or because you are family…”

Pressure is using coercion or persistency to get someone to do something that you want them to do. Pressure is sometimes necessary, but it is a surefire way to push people away to a point of being non-responsive.

Rational Persuasion is using logic and facts to persuade someone. Despite the truth laying behind rational expression, the reality is that people are equally emotional creatures as physical and those who allow facts to constantly and perpetually override feelings can find themselves alone and without influence.

Now, regarding responses to influence attempts, there are four categories that are the results of exercising influence. The first is commitment. The second is compliance. The third is passive resistance, and the fourth is active resistance.

Commitment should always be the goal for someone utilizing influence to achieve goals. Commitment is full endorsement. People who vote all red or all blue are in commitment to their political parties. Commitment is ideal, but it truly is not realistic when attempting to appeal to groups of people.

Compliance is achieving agreement, but it is not permanent and retains to be on a case by case basis.

Passive Resistance is the other side of the fence compared to commitment and compliance. It is being rejected, but without an attempt to stop the process or hinder progress.

Active Resistance is the far side of disagreement. It is beyond a passive disagreement and forms into the party actively attempting to hinder or prevent the process or progress. There is a phrase that stems out of this fear of being actively resisted and it is the saying, “better to ask for forgiveness than permission…”

Active Resistance is not always a negative thing in an organization, but it is always negative when it is in regards to the mission of the organization. The mission statement created during the formation of an organization is the foundation and cornerstone of all that is built on top of it.

When staff are in active resistance of the mission of an organization the organization has confirmed cancer and needs to begin treatment immediately.

Regarding upward influence… there are six tactics in seeking influence. Ingratiation, exchange, rationality, assertiveness, coalition formation, and upward appeal. When seeking change, or needing a shift, and not feeling heard by upper management or not feeling like the message of constriction is being received the best way to influence is by balancing the strategy of influence.

Time is a friend in the situation of seeking necessary change. There are pros and cons to each tactic of influence when regarding upward appeal, but the best practice is to maintain a balance of several approaches of influence.

Ingratiation may come across as kind, but it can also come across as being fake or a ‘kiss-ass’ in more derogatory terms. Exchange can be taken as graciousness, but it can also come across as being materialistic. Assertiveness can come across as self-assurance or self-confidence, but it can also come across as egocentric. Coalition formation can come across as resourcefulness, but it can also come across as tyranny. Upward appeals can be processed as an alert of emergency, but it can also come across as sneaky and disrespectful.

Lastly, influence is something that everyone wishes to have, but few are able to access. This can be for countless reasons, but the primary reason tends to focus on ones ability to adapt and evolve. Pride can be the primary villain of the self when it comes to balancing tactics of influence.

The responses vary upon a spectrum that is absolutely uncontrollable in ultimate reality, but luckily as a follower of Jesus there is consistency in mission and purpose. This mass of love provided through Christianity is a consistent guide that can tilt the scales towards trust over suspicion, and ultimately influence over resistance.

As always, God Bless,

James Arthur Ferguson