9.

Influencing and Negotiating

9.1 Introduction
Influencing and negotiating are important skills in
managing development activity. This chapter discusses
how you can use these skills in working with others to
achieve DFID s objectives. This chapter is based on, and
provides key concepts from, the Management
Development Programme, implemented by Sheppard
Moscow for all Band A/B managers in DFID.

9.2 Untying the nots

Influencing and negotiating are not about imposition.
DFID s aim is not to devalue other people s value-
systems, but to establish how those values can be
successfully incorporated into the design and is far worse than a team member who is treated well and

management of development activities and interventions. who is respectfully told that what they are suggesting or
advocating is inappropriate.
Influencing is not about motivating or obliging others to do
what you want them to do. In particular, it is not about Box 6, at the end of this Chapter, looks at a particular

turning a potential or actual partnership into a relationship aspect of negotiating and influencing.

of subservience by virtue of the resources which one

partner happens to bring into play. In development, 9.3 Relationship behaviours
assistance is transferred , not sold. The core behaviour skills that we use in managing
Nor is negotiating about creating sides , in which one relationships and the climate of meetings is called
participant waits for another to give way. There may be relationship behaviours . They are used in formal and
circumstances in which it is necessary to make clear how informal meetings, workshops, and negotiations at every
much value can be added to a development process by stage of work. Used carefully, these key behaviours
extending, or possibly limiting, the range of an activity s enable effective influencing and management of
scope. However, the principal driver for donor relationships in meetings. Inappropriate use of these
engagement in influencing and negotiating is the relationship behaviours (e.g., under-use or over-use) is
developmental progress that can result. And the likely to reduce the effectiveness of meetings.
recognition that progress may be made greater or
constrained by virtue of what arises from the partnerships 9.4 Behavioural skills models
entered into. There are many approaches to understanding human
Nor is negotiating a synonym for telling . The principal behaviour, and many seek to organise behaviour into
disadvantages in trying to make someone do what doesn t types. In this chapter, different approaches to
fit are that, firstly, it takes a lot of effort and time to try to categorisation are discussed: they may be complementary
persuade someone to do what doesn t actually suit them. or competitive, and you may find them useful in some
Secondly, they will either feel manipulated, or they will situations more than others. The trick is to find what
ultimately be dissatisfied, and a dissatisfied team member works for you in any given circumstance.

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9.5 Behaviour skill sets: PUSH and 9.6 Verbal and non-verbal
PULL communication
In this model, there are two categories of positive or Effective influence involves the consistent use of verbal
empowering behaviours - Assertive or PUSH and and non-verbal forms of communication. Or, to put it
Responsive or PULL. Each of these categories has two another way, the consistent use of words, the voice and
associated types of behaviour, as is shown in Boxes 1 body language. To influence effectively, you do not just
and 2. need a good message: you need to know how to
influence others to your point of view by effective use of
your voice and body language.

A key secret of effective influence is to pitch your voice

and body language at levels that match the needs of the

Box 1: Categories of behaviour

Category Behaviours Definition
Assertive (PUSH) Rational Persuasion Expressing your views and opinions
backed up with reasons with enough
conviction to be taken seriously, with the
objective of moving things forward.
Stating Expectations Making it clear what you
want/need/expect from another individual
and, where appropriate, making explicit
the consequences of meeting or not
meeting your expectation.
Responsive (PULL) Listening Listening to others in order to understand
their ideas, opinions and feelings, and to
demonstrate actively that you have done
so.
Openness Openness is the disclosure of relevant
facts, thoughts and feelings that you
believe will be useful to the other person.

Box 2: Behavioural skills model

' 1999 Sheppard Moscow Scotland Ltd

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situation and reflect your needs and those of the other want more of. Most of us are rarely listened to - or
people being influenced. believe that to be the case.

In PUSH situations you aim to take charge of the space ¥ Listening is the best way to find out what is important
to a particular person. From listening comes the
and time around you. High energy verbal and non-verbal
information that tells you whether someone else
communication will ensure high influence provided they need or could want what we have to offer. When you
are not overdone. know what a person wants and needs, there are two
possibilities; either the skills or resources you have
In PULL situations the aim is to play down your energy
to offer fits those needs or it does not.
and match it to the needs of the other person. Here you
let the other person take charge of the space and time, If you want to be effective at influencing others you
while you respond to their energy. Both Assertive and cannot do it with techniques alone. You have to build trust
Responsive behaviours can be used to influence others. and openness and create relationships. Doing so has to
be based on individual regard , an acknowledgement of
Box 3 offers advice with regard to the use of verbal
the worth of an individual irrespective of his/her actual or
communication.
perceived status (i.e., what others think or what you think
of them). Individual regard cuts both ways, however: you
9.7 Persuading and influencing cannot expect it, if you do not offer it, but, whether as a
The myth of persuasion is that great persuaders are born team member or team manager, you should offer it
that way, that they are smooth talkers. In fact, what is of equally.
greater importance is the fact that they are great listeners.
The key to influencing is establishing common values,
Listening is vital in order to persuade:
ones that may not initially be yours, or even theirs. What
¥ People feel good and are more likely to listen to you are those common values? They include, for example:
if they feel you have really listened to them. Being
¥ The task that needs to be done;
heard is a special experience that we all like and
¥ The way(s) in which it can be achieved;

Box 3: Using language to Auditory:

convince That sounds good

To communicate with influence it is vitally important to I hear you

use language which engages the hearts and minds of I’m pleased you said that
your listener. Skilled communicators use language which Tell me again
creates a climate of trust. Analysis show that effective
It rings a bell.
communicators have an ability to adapt their language to
match the language of the person to whom they speak.
Feelings:
Your speech is an expression of the way you think and
That feels right
the values you hold.
It made an impact on me
Everyone has specific means by which s/he becomes
convinced. Part of what convinces is the channel through I was really moved
which they receive information and which they interpret That’s sad
and associate with it. I know how you feel.
We interpret and associate in several ways: We all have the ability to interpret and associate in these
ways, however most of us use one way more
Visually:
predominantly than another. By listening to others it is
I get the picture easy to detect which method a person chooses most
I see what you mean and to match your language to it.

I can see it clearly now Appeal to people’s senses by using the appropriate style
It’s clear to me and you have their attention.

Show me again.

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¥ The roles that team members need to play in order supportive person and they are likely to build long-term
for the task to be achieved; relationships.
¥ The establishment of a fitting partnership between How to influence:
different stakeholders.
¥ Stress the worthwhile nature of causes in the long
Persuasion can also be seen as motivating others. In term, emphasising the relationship between your
some cases, you may be motivating others to do what objective and their personal development;
they want, what is in their best interests, and what will ¥ Ask for their help in tackling a problem;
satisfy their values. In other cases, establishing that
¥ Be careful of criticism; they are particularly likely to
common ground may be the first task, through the
fear ridicule and failure.
creation of a shared vision (see Chapter 4).
How to manage someone who has this style:

9.8 Influencing and negotiating ¥ Give them recognition for their ideas, achievement
and contribution;
strategies
¥ Provide opportunities for them to work with or
alongside others;
1: Identifying styles and adapting yours
¥ Share information and be open;
We use language in the same way and in different ways:
¥ When setting goals and targets, both parties should
we are precise in the use of some words, and diffuse in
be involved, and the manager should make
the use of many.
opportunities available for the subordinate to achieve
People comprehend different meanings from the same these targets.
sentence, or read subordinate — even subliminal — How to influence a team manager who has this style:
messages into sentences. They may do so for positive or
¥ Demonstrate your value and contribution to the
negative reasons, and one of the reasons for establishing
organisation;
trust among members of a group is precisely to avoid
¥ Sincerity and honesty will be particularly respected. It
counter-productive over-analysis of meanings from any
will be better to admit mistakes and seek help rather
given group of sentences delivered, decisions taken, or
than cover them up;
options proposed or explored.
¥ Be willing to participate in activities and tasks.
How people listen is crucial to understanding what others
read into what you say. Your own behaviour, and the ways Style Two: Competitive
in which you interact with others, has a bearing on how
This person tends to rely on power based on authority
easily - or not - you will be able to convey the truth of
and position and approaches tasks in a strongly
what you wish to say, and reduce misunderstandings.
competitive manner. The main aim of the competitive
Without being over-prescriptive, it is possible to determine person is to achieve results, challenge others to get on
four principal ways in which individuals interact within a with doing things.
group. They are not exclusive, but recognising where and
How to influence:
how they arise within a group enables you to develop a
means of achieving the best results for the individuals and ¥ Emphasise the opportunities being offered to the
person and the ways in which they can personally
the group. The proposed strategies are designed to apply
raise their profile.
whether you are a team manager or a subordinate
member. ¥ If it is possible to give authority to this person, they
are likely to respond favourably;

Style One: Supportive ¥ Responds well to direct approaches and will be

intolerant of woolly approaches which might be seen
Here, people likely to believe in the importance of as weakness.
personal relationships. They tend to approach problem-
How to manage someone who has this style:
solving from a collaborative point of view and are
supportive to others who are less experienced. They ¥ Provide challenges, autonomy and individual
enjoy working with others and will share responsibility and responsibility;
resources readily. Trust is an important issue for the ¥ Recognise his or her achievement;

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¥ Define clearly the demarcation of the role so they do that are in the best interests of the organisation or
not undermine or encroach on the responsibility of authority. This will often mean a suspicion of change and
others; preference for consistency.
¥ Provide the opportunity to take initiative within given
How to influence:
boundaries.
¥ Demonstrate a careful and cautious approach.
How to influence a team manager who has this style:
¥ Take a direct approach; How to manage someone who has this style:

¥ Demonstrate your capability and independence, but ¥ Provide high levels of detail and planning;
don t be afraid to recognise the boss as a resource ¥ They need time to make considered decisions, and
to draw on for assistance when required; don t like being rushed or pressurised;
¥ Stick to your views and meet objections head-on ¥ They like to be treated fairly with pragmatic
when you know you are right; management style.
¥ Don t take a submissive stance. They enjoy a How to influence a team manager who has this style:
challenge and the cut and thrust of a strong
argument: you may need to mirror the direct and ¥ Be careful in making recommendations for change. A
straight-talking approach. useful tactic is to stress how your recommendations
are similar to or build on historical methods and
systems;
Style Three: Restless
¥ Stress conformity and logic;
People who enjoy change and thrive on opportunities to
be in the spotlight. Tendency to be optimistic, active and ¥ Respect organisational norms and standards and be
well prepared with relevant facts and information to
sociable. Like to deal with new and different people and
hand. This person will want to be confident that you
situations.
have explored all possible options before agreeing to
How to influence: your proposal.

¥ Emphasise the benefits of change: they like new

ideas; 9.9: Towards / Away from
¥ Stress the excitement and emotion associated with motivational strategies
any proposal. Towards / Away from is another form of analysis which
How to manage someone who has this style: may prove useful.

¥ Be flexible. Accept that this person does not like Towards people are motivated by what they want and
routine, firm scheduling or close supervision. They move towards their goals. At the extreme, they may not
will respond best to variety rather than routine tasks; recognise problems or consider potential obstacles.
¥ Offer supportive responses and do not ¥ Typical Towards expressions: attain , have , get ,
underestimate the impact of humour. achieve , benefits , advantages , enable ,
How to influence a team manager who has this style: accomplish .

¥ Emphasise the eagerness and positive open Towards people want to attain goals and want to know
attitudes to new ventures; benefits of doing a particular task.
¥ Be wary of going into too much detail when Away from people are motivated by what they don t
explaining things. This person will tend to have short want, they move away from or want to solve problems;
attention span;
the result may be problem avoidance. At the extreme,
¥ Make an impact quickly and express yourself they tend to concentrate on crisis and can be seen as
succinctly and clearly; cynical and negative.
¥ Offer to take on some of the more routine ¥ Typical Away from expressions: won t have to ,
responsibilities in order to relieve the manager of solve , prevent , avoid , fix , not have to deal with ,
them. what went wrong , eliminate .

Style Four: Consolidative Away from people look at problems, at what s gone
wrong with proposals. Give them problems to solve and
This style tends to be biased towards order, routine and
task to fix. They are very good at picking out spelling
detail. They are comfortable with policy and doing things
errors.

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Determining whether a person falls into the Towards or ¥ Proposition: State your proposal in a concise and
Away from category is a matter of entering dialogue. bold way.
What follows are examples of questions to elicit Toward / ¥ Reason: Give your best one or two reasons for your
Away from strategies and values: proposal.
¥ How did you decide to take your present job? ¥ Other view: Give the downside, counter arguments
(not too many), and show you have considered the
¥ What s important to you about your job?
alternatives.
¥ What was the basis of your decision to take your
¥ Examples: Prove your case, give your best
job?
examples (not too many), give benefits and
¥ Why is that important to you? successes.
¥ Why bother? ¥ Proposition: Restate your proposition and visualise
your outcome
9.10 Making your case Presentations need information, variation in pacing and
At some point you will seek to persuade others of a body language, and vivid verbal and visual images to
course of action. The following guidelines may be helpful make it compelling. They also need to appeal to both
in focusing on how to achieve the best results from a logic and emotion.
given situation. As usual, there s an acronym involved:
PROEP.

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Box 6: Tactics for working with an At the negotiations

international organisation Know your brief. Be aware of how far you can commit
yourself, what type of reserve you might need to apply
This document, which includes extracts from Negotiating
and on what you can compromise.
in the EU by James Humphreys, explores team-working
options with particular relation to the EU. Arrive on time. Meetings invariably start late, but you can
use the time to network and plan any last minute
It is in many areas applicable to any partnership activity
strategies.
within the context of an organisation-to-organisation
relationship, as opposed to working with a collection of Use your negotiating capital sparingly. There is an
individuals, but will still have applicability in the latter unstated assumption that each member state may raise
case. a certain number of points of objections. Those who
raise too many objections will not win all their points,
Before the negotiations however sensible they are, because others will get tired
Consult relevant staff within DFID and outside if of listening to them. Keep your negotiating capital for
appropriate. your key points.

Set objectives which are clear and realistic. Make sure Speak clearly and concisely. On a small number of
you know your main priorities, your chances of getting points. Avoid rambling on, using language which is hard
them agreed and any compromises you could accept. If to translate (such as colloquialisms, irony and puns) and
you are providing briefing for someone else, you may undermining your strong points by making weaker ones.
find the guidance on briefing helpful. Speak early. If you want to steer the debate along
Plan your influencing. What are the various stages of the particular lines, convince waverers or spoil someone
negotiations? Who do you need to influence, and when? else s intervention. Speak later if you think others will
make your point for you, if you want to hear the
Network with the relevant staff in the Commission and arguments of others first so you can counter them or if
other member states. This is a far more important skill in you want to summarise the debate and draw conclusions
Brussels than in the UK. The more people you know, the (although it is usually the Presidency which
more likely you are to see an early draft of a particular summarises).
document. Remember to return such favours to your
allies when you can. And for the card players amongst you:
¥ Keep a poker face. If a point made and secured by
Influence early. Don t be embarrassed about influencing
another delegation helps the UK, try not to show
— everyone else does it in Brussels. The earlier you try to this by smiling. Others may assume you still need to
do it, the more likely you are to achieve your objectives. be given something to balance the deal.
You might offer to help an understaffed section of the
¥ Don t overbid. If you have secured your main
Commission with the drafting of a particular document, points, don t risk your goodwill by quibbling on
for example. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes minor ones.
to secure changes to such documents.
¥ Don t fold too soon: There is usually pressure to
Build alliances with other member states on issues of agree a deal, and not doing so may be seen as
mutual concern, and try to convince the waverers. This failure, but it may be worth holding out for the right
package.
may mean making concessions on points which are less
important to the UK. Our natural allies on development ¥ Never deal from the bottom of the pack. Your best
asset is your trustworthiness.
issues are called the like-minded.

After the negotiations

Check any minutes or conclusions reflect the discussions
you had.

Guard against backsliding on your hard-won points.

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