How to get people to do what you want at work

In this article, we share tips and tricks on how to get people to do what you want at work and how to gain buy-in from a boss, teammate, or client.

One of the most important concepts I have learned in my professional career has been the concept of ‘influencing without authority’. Anyone who is planning to operate within a corporate environment should understand and practice this skill with competence. There is a lot of power that comes with being able to get people to do what you want at work.

‘Influencing without authority’ is the act of getting someone – such as a boss, a co-worker, or even a client – to do what you want them to do when you don’t have direct influence over their behavior. It’s certainly powerful, but if not done right, can yield some pretty negative unintentional consequences.

This is a skillset that some people spend their entire career perfecting, and it’s certainly not something you learn overnight or after reading one article on it. It takes repetitive practice, the ability to read people, and confidence.Don’t worry though! If you learn the basic tenets I share in this post, you will be well on your way to honing this skill.

**Just because you don’t have direct authority doesn’t mean to can’t create perceived authority and get people to do what you want at work.**

You do not have to rank higher on the org chart than the other person to have authority over them, though that is certainly one way to do it. The Harvard Business School’s Online Business Insights Blog describes 3 other (easier) ways you can gain authority in the workplace. I’ve summarized these methods below and added some additional thoughts based on my personal experiences.

Followership: Followership literally means you have ‘followers’ or ‘advocates’ in the workplace. With this followership usually comes respect, and with respect usually comes a desire to work with, listen to, and emulate the person. I’ll go into the tactics to gain followership in another article. All you need to know right now is that if you have followership, there is a good chance you have authority too.

Expertise and/or experience: This one is more obvious. If you are an expert at the task at hand or possess a unique skill set that no one else has, you probably have authority. People will trust your lead simply because they know you are more knowledgeable on the topic than anyone else.

Ability to align goals This method is the one this is often overlooked, and it’s going to be the focus of the remainder of this article. When you are able to align your goals to the goals of someone else, it makes it really easy to convince that person to go along with what you are pitching. If you can convince them that doing what you want them to do will bring them one step closer to their goal, why wouldn’t they do it?

Gaining authority by aligning your goals

One of the most effective and straightforward methods to gain this authority is by aligning your goals with those of others, particularly those in positions of power or decision-making.

Step 1: Understand the other person’s goals

In order to align your goals to someone else, you first need to understand what their goals are! This is the case whether you are dealing with a coworker, manager, or even a client. By understanding the other person’s goals and objectives, you are one step closer to being able to tailor your ask to align with what they care about.

Ask direct questions: The simplest and most effective way to understand someone’s goals is to simply ask them to their face. By showing genuine interest around what they are working on, you in turn will gather the information you need to position your ask.
Listen Actively: In addition to just asking, you can also just generally pay close attention to what they talk about and their responses to certain questions. As you are actively listening, make sure to note any specific metrics, challenges, or priorities they mention. You can leverage this info later when you make your ask.
- To a Coworker: “I’d love to know what your team is focused on this quarter. What are you goaled on and how are you measuring success?”
  - This approach not only demonstrates genuine interest in their work but also subtly indicates that any forthcoming requests from you will be designed to help them achieve their goals more effectively.
- To a Client: “What is your goal for this fiscal year? How are you (or your team) measured? What metrics do you care most about driving/improving/etc?”
  - This approach not only demonstrates your commitment to their success but it also helps you identify the key performance indicators that matter most to them, which in turn allows you to tailor your pitch or ask to their specific needs.

Also Read Simple Tips to Find the Sales Job of Your Dreams

Step 2: Align your ask with their goal

Once you understand the other person’s goals, the next step is to align the ask you’re about to make to these goals.

Identify areas of overlap: Look for places where your goals (and your ask) naturally overlaps with their goals. Maybe you both have the same end objective or same metrics you are trying to drive. Position your ask in this way, showing them that by agreeing to do this for you, they are actually helping themselves as well.
Consider adjusting your priorities if need be: If possible, tweak your ask to better match theirs goals. For instance, maybe your ask involves them doing a series of 5 actions, but only 2 of the actions directly align with their goal. Rearrange the priority of your asks and lead with the ones that you know ladder into their current objective. They will be more likely to say yes.
Make sure to communicate alignment of goals: This goes without saying, but make sure you clearly communicate how your ask directly aligns with their goals. Don’t assume that they will make the connection themselves. Explicitly tell them “by doing this, you will be one step close to achieving your stated objective of X”.
Deliver results and over-communicate them: This is a step that a lot of people forget to do, but it’s a really important one. Once the person has agreed to your ask, make sure you keep the lines of communication open and that you are consistently giving them status updates, reports, and hosting general check-ins. This will reinforce the fact that by agreeing to your ask they are in fact achieving their personal goals, and it will make them more likely to agree to your other asks in the future.

Conclusion

I will say this stuff does take a little finesse. You need to be able to read the person sitting across from you and understand how they communicate. For instance, if you know the person has a bit of an ego, you may want to pepper in a few questions like “what do you think?” so you don’t come across as too demanding. This is where the practice comes into play.

The great part of this framework is that it can be applied to a broad cast of characters: your boss, your client…honestly probably even your significant other 🙂 The sooner you start practicing, the faster you’ll grasp the skill. Give it a try during your next team meeting or client pitch. I think you will be surprised how such a simple change of frame can get you what you want.

If you liked this article, be sure to check out our related article on how to negotiate a higher salary. This is the ultimate test of leveraging your new found influencing without authority skills.