Influence management is the ability to get things done with and through others that you have no direct influence over while direct is doing the same thing wiht people that work for you or that you compensate in some way.
Which is more valuable? What job roles require which type?
Way back in the early 80’s I received some advice that I needed to develop my influence management skills as they were more difficult to develop and practice. Boy was that mentor right. It is hard to get things done with a random collection of people that you don’t directly manage.
Actually influence management is exactly the role a sales professional fulfills in a technology solution company today. They have to manage customers, sales engineers, delivery staff, administrators, invoicing clerks, marketing folks and more.
Worse yet is they have to do it without the benefit of any skill development in this regard or even recognition by the company that they have to manage this phlanx of resources in order to win and maintain customers.
Do you agree? If so then hug (figuratively) your sales professionals today, they deserve it.
Influence managment sounds like a whole lot of stress and to boot, no recognition by the company? A very big hug for your sales professionals.
Project Management is built on Influence Management. The difference b/w PM and sales is that the projects and the team members often change much more often.
Either way, it is a required skill in a number of areas.