Voice of Influence

To model conscience, set a good example. To engage in pathfinding, jointly determine the course. To achieve alignment and discipline, set up and manage systems to stay on course. And to empower and evoke passion, focus on results, not methods. And then get out of people’s way and give help as requested.

These modeling roles are sequential. We must first strive to find our voice personally before attempting to build high trust relationships and practice creative problem solving.

Before you respond to a situation, decide whether or how to use the voice of influence. The boss may be a jerk, but you can choose your response. The key question: What’s the best thing you can do under these circumstances? You choose which level of initiative to use on the basis of how far the task lies within or outside your “circle of influence.” This choice takes sensitivity and judgment, but gradually your circle will expand.

There are seven levels of initiative. They are:

1. Wait until told. Unless you have the influence of someone who can do something about a problem, don’t waste energy on something you can do nothing about. Otherwise, you risk the “emotional cancers” of criticizing, complaining, comparing, competing and contending.
2. Ask. Ask about something within your job description but outside your circle. If the question is intelligent and preceded by thorough analysis and careful thinking,
   it could be very impressive and may widen your circle.
3. Make a recommendation on an issue outside your job and at the outside edge of your circle. This process works great in many situations, and can enlarge your circle.
4. “I intend to.” Here you’ve done more analytical work. You’ve owned not only the problem but the solution, and you’re ready to implement it.
5. Do it and report immediately. This is on the outside edge of your circle but within your job. Report to the people who need to know.
6. Do it and report periodically. You are clearly within your job description and your circle.
7. Do it. When something is at the center of your circle, it’s at the core of your job description, and you just do it.

You empower yourself by taking initiative in some way. Be sensitive, wise and careful about timing, but do something and avoid complaining, criticizing or negativity. In our culture of blame, taking responsibility means going against the current. It will also require some vision, a standard to be met, some improvement to be made and discipline. It requires enlisting your passion, in a principled way, toward a worthy end.