Competence and trustworthiness are the key attributes to becoming influential in the workplace. If you are to be influential, then people should see that you are reliable and they feel confident working by your side.
If you want to really be influential, then there are two extremes to avoid. One is being too aggressive, and the other is being too quiet. With these two extremes people will never, ever see your true value.
The middle ground balances everything. Confidence, connection, and consistency are the most important things to achieve influence in the workplace. These traits will give you influence in the workplace and you will get credit when you deserve it.
The tips below will show you how to cultivate influence in the workplace which can help advance your career.
The first thing you need to be conscious of is your body language. People watch our body language all the time. Here is what you should do with your body – put your shoulders back, your head and chin up , and your hands to your side. This shows how confident you are and at the same time that you can be a friend to anyone. This posture will also help you feel more confident about yourself.
Saying no to other people is difficult especially for nice people. However, it is not always good to say yes and there are times that you need to say no to other. You say yes if it is for the more important goals. If you have enough time, you can say yes to others’ requests. If you are the person who says yes to anyone who makes a request, then you can find yourself lagging behind many important projects. If you are frequently saying yes to people, you lose your goals in mind. Make sure to focus on your goals so you will know when to say yes and when to say no.
Learn to listen to others so that they will learn to trust you. Listen intently without being distracted. Or, you can gain trust by building up your coworkers. The compliments and praise that you will give others should be true and related to their skills and traits in the workplace. Read more here about building trust in the workplace.
If you produce consistent results then you can gain the trust of your superiors, colleagues and yourself. If you show results, then this will matter greatly in the kind of environment you are working in. Subpar work does not matter to anyone no matter how good you are.
Enhancing your skill set is very important. Take time to read books, watch videos, and do research to widen your knowledge of your field. Or, let someone mentor you.
If you want to grow then it is important to gain influence in the workplace. This takes cultivating a positive place to work.