Influencer: The Power to Change Anything – Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler
“Influencer: The Power to Change Anything” was first published in 2008 and is a self-help book that focuses on how to become an effective influencer and make positive changes in one’s life or organization. The authors identify six sources of influence that can help individuals effect change, including personal motivation, social motivation, ability, and structural motivation, and provide practical advice and examples of how to use these sources of influence to achieve desired outcomes.
Identify Crucial Behaviors
Identify the crucial behaviors that drive the results you want to achieve. Look for high-leverage behaviors that will create the greatest impact, and focus on changing those behaviors.
Build Accountability
Accountability is key to ensuring that change is sustained. Build accountability into the system by setting clear expectations, providing feedback, and celebrating successes.
Overcome Resistance
Resistance is a natural part of the change process. To overcome resistance, identify and address concerns, build trust, and create a sense of ownership and buy-in.
Create a Movement
To create lasting change, you need to create a movement. This means engaging a critical mass of people who are committed to the change, and who are willing to take action and spread the word.
Use the Power of Storytelling
Stories are a powerful way to inspire change. Use stories to communicate the benefits of the desired behavior, and to create an emotional connection with the audience.
Use Six Sources of Influence
To create lasting change, you need to use all six sources of influence: personal motivation, social motivation, ability, and structural motivation. By using these sources in concert, you can create a powerful system that supports change.
Change the Environment
The environment can have a big impact on behavior. Change the environment to make the desired behavior easier or the undesired behavior harder. This can include changes to physical spaces, systems, or processes.
Use Rewards and Recognition
Rewards and recognition can be effective motivators for change. Use them to reinforce desired behaviors, and to create a sense of progress and achievement.
Make the Undesirable Desirable
If you want to change behavior, you need to make the undesirable behavior more desirable than the current behavior. This can be done by increasing the social, emotional, or economic benefits of the desired behavior.
Harness Peer Pressure
Peer pressure can be a powerful tool for change. Use positive peer pressure to encourage desired behaviors, and create a culture where the desired behavior is the norm.