I love starting with a dictionary definition:
From google.com
When we talk about 'having an effect', we're really talking about creating some sort of change in the other person. That could be the way they think, feel or behave. So influencing boils down to changing the attitude or behaviour of another person.
In psychology we often refer to the biopsychosocial model for explaining complex, interacting phenomenon. This can be broken down into:
So we can use this model to explain what happens when we are influencing other people, and when we ourselves are being influenced. For the purposes of this email course, we're going to focus on psychological and sociological parts of the model (although there are some interesting neuroscience studies that show the effects of social influence on our brain chemistry).
And just before we head on, a word on 'stakeholders'. It's a curious facet of human nature to want to label everything, but we must be wary of using labels as a way of othering individuals or groups. Stakeholders are people, just like you and I. So if it's not clear already, these people that you're trying to influence are also thinking and feeling human beings: they have fears and insecurities, hopes and dreams, objectives and goals just like you do.
And understanding these better will enable you to influence more effectively.
Influence has been a hot topic in psychology for more than seventy years. Why do we have the effects we do on people? Why are some people more influential than others? How can we prevent people being influenced by bad actors? At this point I want to introduce you to three key psychological studies to explore some of the research history into influence.
1. The Power of Authority: The Milgram Experiment
In the aftermath of WWII there was huge concern about how people could be led so far astray to cause unconceivable suffering to others. Step in Stanley Milgram, with a series of experiments through the 1960's that investigated why people obeyed an authority figure without question. These experiments would be deeply unethical today, given that they involved deceiving participants to administer electric shocks to learners who failed simple memory tests! What these studies showed is that authority is a strong form of influence over people's behaviour (if not their thoughts - many felt deeply troubled to be 'ordered' to inflict pain on others). So we can consider that one way to have more influence is to establish your authority. More on this in tomorrow's email which will look at power and dynamics.
2. We're in This Together: Social Identity Theory