How to Improve Physicians' Impact and Influence
· Use active listening skills to ensure you clearly understand the other person's position, concerns, needs, etc. Summarize your agreements at the end of discussions.
· Observe others who are effective persuaders or negotiators and think of ways you can adapt their techniques for your personal style. Talk to one of your peers who you perceive as being good at influencing others. Ask them to identify the steps they take in order to get others to agree with them.
· Try out any behaviors you currently do not practice. Remember, the best way to incorporate a new behavior into your day-to-day activities is to practice it as much as possible.
· Before approaching others with your ideas/proposals, collect all pertinent information associated with the project and then develop a game plan on how you will present it. What concerns are they likely to have? How will you address these concerns? Write down specific areas in which you will need adjust your own behavior in order to have a productive conversation and achieve mutually agreed upon goals.
· Find solutions so that all parties "win." Present ideas to best fit yours and the other's needs.
· Keep a journal for six months on all of the times you influence a decision or person. What were the situations when you were successful? What approaches did you take? How could those approaches be used in other situations? How could you improve your approach for future persuasive attempts?
· Continuously ask yourself how your information will effect the goals of all involved. Be willing to take your ideas to the next higher level and support them enthusiastically.
· Provide rewards. People are typically more willing to cooperate when they perceive they will benefit from the effort they put in.
· Support your people when they have difficult choices to make. Confront tough issues head on; do not ignore them. Carefully analyze various alternatives and get together with others involved and gain their input.
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