What if being an influencer meant honoring others?
When I share my vision of acupressure as a source of inspiration for sustainable organizational transformation, questions arise: How can I influence a diverse range of stakeholders? In particular, how can I engage frontline staff and middle managers? How can I avoid being overly prescriptive or manipulative?
While there are many ways to answer these questions, I’d like to share five key steps based on my experience. These can help you engage others—without manipulating them—and gently transform your organization from within.
Rethinking the Concept of Influence
When I talk about influence, I get two kinds of reactions: a more or less polite disdain on the one hand, and a mischievous sense of pride on the other. This lack of neutrality seems linked to the combative interpretation of influence: “to exert control over.”
I prefer to start with the Latin root “influere,” which means “to flow into.” Rather than acting like a hammer driving a nail, I draw inspiration from water that flows and adapts to the contours of the land to produce bountiful harvests.
Influence is, above all, a way to connect with others and inspire them to take action on their own terms.
2. Welcome others without judging them
As agents of change, we often hear comments like these:
“I don’t understand how this concept of sustainable development plays out in my day-to-day life.”
"We need to engage our frontline staff to help them understand our mission. This will require a large-scale training program."
"While the people at headquarters may need to reassure themselves of their worth through flashy marketing campaigns, we don't need that to see the impact we make. We're in direct contact with operations and customers."
We can easily respond by launching into a structured argument backed by facts and figures, by burying our heads in the sand, by complaining, or by getting discouraged.
Quite simply, how often are we able to just listen in order to understand and acknowledge things as they are, without judgment?
3. Adapt to Connect
No resistance, no request, no testimony is inherently false or true. Every shared experience is a precious reflection of an experience that coexists with our own.
Once the threat of competition between different realities is removed, it becomes easier to feel empathy and understand people’s fundamental needs and challenges. Recognizing another person’s reality is a change in itself, because someone who feels fully heard is more likely to open up to others.
A space of trust is created through attentive, wholehearted listening.
4. Inspire to Co-Create
Once the bond of recognition is established, the challenge is then to turn our attention toward a goal—an ambition that transcends individual interests.
Now is the time to focus on the organization’s purpose. This is an opportunity to find common ground so we can move forward in the same direction, while respecting our specific contexts. Now is the time to help shift perceptions regarding obstacles and potential limitations.
Now is the time to get creative and work together to forge a shared path.
5. Highlight to encourage
I firmly believe that every professional can contribute, in their own way, to the emergence of sustainable and responsible organizations. It is time to celebrate everyone’s contribution.
In fact, those who contribute the most to the common good are often the least aware of it, and the social and financial recognition they receive is often meager. The sudden acclaim for garbage collectors and nurses during the first wave of COVID-19 speaks for itself.
Sometimes all it takes is a “thank you” or a sincere, humble, and specific “well done” to spark a sense of pride and unity.
Take Action to Bring About Change
A concrete example
My team and I have conducted dozens of sustainability assessments at our operating sites.
Far from conducting an audit where we pointed out what was “compliant,” what wasn’t, and what needed to be done to correct the gap, we listened to the various employees. We sought to understand their experiences and perceptions regarding the environmental, social, economic, and societal performance of their sites. We sought to understand the expectations of external partners. We encouraged creativity and open discussion so that we could then jointly identify possible improvements in line with a shared vision.
The result? A holistic ripple effect appreciated by all employees. Above all, it has led to greater motivation, gratitude, pride, and clarity, empowering them to take charge of their daily lives and feel more valued.
A tool
Here are a few questions to ask yourself when you're trying to influence someone:
Am I trying to impose my will or to support others?
What is the reality of the person I’m speaking with? The key here is to understand their needs, constraints, priorities, and sources of motivation...
How can we show understanding? What should we use as a basis for alignment?
How can I highlight the potential impact of our co-creation?
How can I help him feel proud and motivated to be a key player in this movement?
A Quote
“‘Themost beautiful form of travel is walking toward others .’”
A Call to Action
"Towhat extent are you willing to maximize your influence to contribute to a sustainable and desirable society? "
As agents of change within organizations, we have the opportunity to demonstrate a different kind of influence. We have the ability to ensure that members of our ecosystem feel recognized for their impact rather than their status. The ability to influence stakeholders to co-create a sustainable and responsible company ultimately comes down to honoring them and fueling their inner fire—their desire to build a better society.
Call for Volunteers: I'm here to listen to you so I can better support you!
I am currently conducting a market research survey among my readers to provide you with even higher-quality content and to truly help you maximize impact and peace of mind within your organization.
So I’m looking for (brave) volunteers who would be willing to spend 15–20 minutes with me via video chat or phone to answer a few questions. I know your time is valuable, so thank you in advance to everyone who agrees to help!
Just to be clear, I’m not trying to sell anything. I’m really just looking to better understand your current needs and see how I can create content that will REALLY help you. If you’re interested, let me know in the comments!
Hello!
My name is Nina Cambadélis. I am an impact coach and facilitator specializing in sustainable development and organizational transformation. I am myself an agent of change, responsible for embedding my company’s purpose at the heart of its business operations.
What I love to do through my work is to encourage professionals to rethink business and make them proud to contribute, in their own way, to a world that is more sustainable, more humane, and more respectful of nature.
If you find yourself in one of these situations and would like some guidance along the way, please contact me:
Become the agent of change you want to see in the world you envision.
Discover and assert your leadership.
Make positive impact and purpose central to your organization.
Accelerate engagement within your ecosystem to drive systemic change.
Make an impact while conserving energy and promoting well-being.
Here is a link to schedule an exploratory meeting and the form to help you further define your goals and challenges.
