How to go about influencing people across different functions and teams?

1. Build relationships and build trust- get to know the people you want to influence- we are all human and want to do great work with people we know, like and trust- invest in this.
2. Listen- you may not agree with your stakeholders, but understand their perspectives, what drives them- incentives, how they are compensated, goals, career aspirations, super powers.
3. Communicate- clearly, often and transparently. Oh, and don’t use fancy language, $1000 words or tech jargon (sorry if any of my responses do this, I might not even notice when I do sometimes, but always ask to be called out on it).
4. Back everything with data and/or proof points. Math doesn’t lie (quoting my data science partner).
5. Persistence Pays- sometimes you have to be able to sell internally- winning hearts and minds takes time and effort.

To influence people across different functions and teams you need to focus on our common denominator of being human with our individual perspectives. Here are my five tips to accomplish this:

1. Lead by example. Embody the type of person that people respect even if they do not agree with you. Show up in the way that you would like others to show up for you.
2. Empathy. Put yourself in their shoes and approach interactions from this lens. It’s important to be respectful even if you have to agree to disagree.
3. Clear communication. It’s important not to only communicate, but to ensure it is transparent, clear and ongoing. Clear communication should be the norm.
4. Data-informed. Ensure your information is backed up by data. While perspectives are important, influence is better driven when it’s not just an opinion.
5. Adaptable. When trying to influence stakeholders, it’s critical to be adaptable and flexible. This will help you build rapport.