Influencing Decisions in a New Role

When you have just started a new job you’ll come across times when you have a great idea you want to implement or want to share your perspective on how something should be done. However, as a new or junior employee you may not have a lot of decision-making power, so it’s crucial skill to learn how to influence decisions.

Sell

When trying to influence decisions, the way you present your idea is just as important as the idea itself. As the Harvard Business Review stated, “when presenting ideas to upper management, realize that it is your responsibility to sell – not their responsibility to buy.” This essentially means that they can reject your idea, so you need to be prepared and ready to back up your points.

Harvard Business Review also stated that “when influencing up, focus on the impact of the decision on the overall corporation”. This shows the value that a decision will have in the long run. Never assume that your manager will see the correlation between your idea and the overall benefit it can have. It may be clear to you, but as the person trying to influence a decision, you want to ensure there is no room for misinterpretation or miscommunication.

Be realistic

Another key aspect to influencing decisions is to be realistic. Rather than simply stating how wonderful your idea is or why your perspective is right you should also realistically state the costs associated with it. Even if you think implementation is free, resources such as time and energy need to be considered. You also need to realize that your idea being implemented could result in someone else’s perspective not being used, so be upfront with the pro’s and cons of your recommendations.

By knowing the costs associated in your perspective it allows you to prepare for potential objections or even address them before someone asks.

Be concise and prepared

Next, you want to be concise. By sharing your perspective in a short and concise manner it allows you to highlight the key points of why a decision should be made, and ensures you don’t waste time in a meeting or lose the decision makers attention. VP’s and managers don’t have a lot of free time, so they’ll appreciate that you came prepared. By keeping it short you won’t have time to go over every detail, so allow time for the decision maker to ask questions. You should also prepare what kind of questions you anticipate they will ask so you can respond quickly and sound professional.

Get buy in from stakeholders ahead of time

Finally, a great way to ensure your idea is implemented is to reach out to all the stakeholders before you present to a senior leader or larger team. By speaking to each stakeholder individually you get to hear their ideas and concerns, so you can be better prepared for when you present. By informing them about your idea ahead of time it also makes them feel included in the decision-making process which can lead to them vouching for you.

By knowing how to influence decisions in an effective manner it will ensure that your voice is heard. No matter how big or small your role, you can always have an impact in your organization.