Workplace leaders lack influence - VitalSmarts

A new online study has revealed that only six percent of leaders successfully influence employees' behaviour leading to effective execution of ideas. The time spent on devising strategies, selecting products to promote, and discussing with analysts and stakeholders is largely wasted.

Helene Vermaak, partner and consulting psychologist at corporate training company The Human Edge says that the same rings true at many South African organisations. "Considering the diverse culture in South Africa with many differing demographic groups, the concept of influence and the way in which South African leaders exert this requires even more attention. Finding a leader that is able to influence a company of dissimilar individuals effectively is very rare."

Harnessing sources of influence

The online survey of 2,308 people from VitalSmarts, the international partner of The Human Edge found that more than half of the time, leaders do little or nothing to reverse dysfunctional behaviours at work. In fact, pervasive behaviours have become so tolerated that 94% persist for a year or longer, and a third report the problem has persisted for more than 10 years. The most common behaviours named were gossiping, shifting blame and 'turfism' - actions that serve personal interests at the expense of business results and end up sapping morale, lowering productivity and decreasing quality.

Joseph Grenny, co-author of the New York Times best-seller Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, a VitalSmarts publication, says often when leaders attempt to influence new behaviour, they commonly fall into the trap of thinking deeply ingrained habits can be changed with a single technique.

"When leaders rely on just one simple source of influence to drive change, such as incentives or verbal persuasion, they almost always fail," says Grenny. "The most influential leaders realise there are six sources of influence that drive employee behaviour. When strategies within these sources are marshalled, leaders are 10 times more successful in their efforts to influence rapid, profound and sustainable change."

Grenny offers tips for how leaders can increase their influence in creating lasting change:

Focus on behaviour: Leaders who simply repeat vague values drive little change. Those who identify concrete and clear behaviours they hope people will enact are far more effective influencers.
Connect to values: Use potent stories and direct experiences to make change a moral and human issue.
Invest in skills: Most leaders see influence as a matter of motivation. Influencers invest more in building ability than simply motivating the masses.
Leverage peer pressure: Social influence is the most potent force for change. Research shows that if people believe bad behaviour is normal they are far more likely to follow suit.
Change the environment: Use tools, technology, information and surroundings to make people conscious of the need to change and enabled to make better choices.

For more information, go to www.vitalsmarts.com.