Influencing Up

"As I reflect on over thirty years building my company from a seven cow farm to a $370 million enterprise, it is clear to me that the most essential but under-appreciated attributes that helped us succeed were determination and self-confidence. We faced countless situations along the way where our willingness to speak up for what we needed with key influencers literally made the difference between success and failure. That is why this book is a must for anyone trying to start or build anything. It is loaded with practical wisdom on how to change minds and get the support of key people who will absolutely enhance your chances of success. I only wish Professors Cohen and Bradford had written it thirty years ago . . . we could have used it." —Gary Hirshberg, Chairman, Stonyfield Farm, Inc. "Knowing how to connect with the powerful and gain cooperation is now a critical skill in all organizations. Cohen and Bradford can help anyone be more influential." —Ram Charan, coauthor of Execution : The Discipline of Getting Things Done and The Talent Masters "Allan and David's insights—including their sharp focus on determining exactly what drives people—are extremely useful. Influencing is becoming increasingly important, not only within organizations, but also with powerful people outside who are potential customers and partners." —Paul Duffy, Chairman and CEO, Pernod Ricard USA "This insightful book offers ways to marshal resources you don't control—the essential task of everyone trying to grow a business. Because it goes beyond self-oriented and ultimately self-defeating political tactics, it is an antidote to techniques the powerful sometimes use to hoard power by controlling information as well as access to people and resources." —Joel Peterson, Chairman of JetBlue Airways; former managing partner, Trammell Crow Company "Allan Cohen and David Bradford demystify the use of personal power to influence the boss, difficult colleagues, clients, and even competitors. Influencing Up is a must-read for those who want to succeed in complex organizations, large and small." —Kay Koplovitz, founder and former CEO, USA Network

Preface vii Acknowledgments xi PART I Fundamentals 1 Chapter 1 The World Has Changed: To Be Successful You Need to Influence Up 3 Chapter 2 How Power Differentials Blind Smart People 19 Chapter 3 How Power Differentials Give Smart People Laryngitis 33 Chapter 4 Overview of the Steps Required to Access and Infl uence Powerful People 45 Chapter 5 The Influence Model at Work: Moving a Tough Boss 65 PART II Building a Powerful Partnership with Your Boss 79 Chapter 6 Partnership: The Critical Mind–Set to Overcome Power Gaps 81 Chapter 7 Building a Partnership Relationship with Your Boss 97 Chapter 8 The Art—and Responsibility—of Helping Your Boss Succeed 113 Chapter 9 Recovering from Failed Talks with Your Boss 125 PART III Influencing Powerful People 145 Chapter 10 Framing Your Change Strategy: Fitting Your Approach to the Players 147 Chapter 11 What Do the Powerful Care About? 165 Chapter 12 Action Steps for Gaining Access to Powerful People 177 Chapter 13 Clinching the Deal: “Exchanging” to Build Trust with the Powerful 195 Chapter 14 The Contours of Change: Dr. Pomahac and the Challenge of Influencing Multiple Senior Managers and Surgeons to Allow the First Facial Transplant in the United States 211 Chapter 15 Influence across Multiple Organizations 219 Additional Resources 231 Notes 235 Index 239

ALLAN R. COHEN is the Edward A. Madden Distinguished Professor of Global Leadership at Babson College. He has consulted on organizational change and leadership at a wide variety of organizations, including GE, Polaroid, IBM, and Fidelity, and holds MBA and DBA degrees from Harvard Business School. DAVID L. BRADFORD is the Eugene O'Kelly Senior Lecturer in Leadership, Emeritus and Director of the Executive Program in Leadership at Stanford Graduate School of Business. He has consulted for a wide array of companies, including Frito-Lay, Levi Strauss & Co., Raychem, Genentech, and AutoDesk, as well as the Whitney Museum of American Art.