Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Influencer... the power to change

by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com

Influencer, the power to change anything, is by many authors (Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler). Their claim to fame is Crucial Conversations and much of Influencer is a continuation of that conversation. Their concept is summarized very well on their website, so a peruse there is beneficial... with principles, examples outlined in quickfast read form. For a quick view
http://www.influencerbook.com/

We all think, observe, draw conclusions and act. To change the world we must change how people behave. We all need to see ourselves as influencers. The way to do this is by focusing on vital behaviors, find these and you are on the road to influence. Find what people do, give them reasons to change what they do.

Use personal, social and structural motivation, add to this mix "abilities" for doing each... change begins. Simply put, discover a few vital behaviors, change those, and "problems will topple like a house of cards."

Their recommendations come out of indepth studies by the five authors.
How do people change their minds.
--people choose their behaviors based on what they think will happen to them as a result.
--many thoughts are incomplete and inaccurate.
--two questions must be answered. "Is it worth it? Can they do the thing?" (So you have motivation with developed abilities. Once they want to, have reasons to, they need to "be able to do" the right things.)
--when it comes to resistant problems, verbal persuasion rarely works.
--the great persuader is personal experience.
--create a surrogate (place to practice) for actual experience.

Stories are great persuaders for changing minds. They increase understanding (with the personal experiences shared and that which others relate to), believing happens as you validate your expertise or right to talk about it. They then plug into emotions. Stories transport a person from critic to the role of participant... to empathize with you.

The six sources of influence to master are personal motivation (1) and ability (2), social motivation (3) and ability (4), and structural motivation (5) and ability (6).

The authors summarize it like this:
At the personal level, connect vital behaviors to intrinsic motives as well as coaching the specifics of each behavior through deliberate practice.
At the group level, social influence has the power to influence, motivate and enable target behaviors.
At the structural level, top performers attach appropriate reward structures, creating a system, process, machinery to support the vital behaviors.

The authors elaborate more, and it is an elaboration. Influencer is not something you hurry through. Here's just a few of their proverbial thoughts on these areas to muse.

Personal Motivation. Make the undesirable desirable.
Immersing in activity can neutralize displeasure. Connect value systems to activity, and show long-term value, reconnect to sense of morality. Motivation's origin is internal. We want to do well, be proud, feel we have accomplished something.

Personal ability. Surpass our limits.
Knowing content and doing it (well and consistently well) are two different things. Skill requires doing it with strategic, deliberate practice within self-discipline. It's the skill in practice that makes perfect with short intervals (baby steps) between feedback (correction or reassurance). Be clear, specific, attainable with emotion management.

Social Motivation. Harness Peer Pressure.
Spend time with formal leaders who influence many... those socially connected and respected. Stimulate public discussion on what needs changed. It's okay to speak out on what's wrong and propose a better way. Social influence can transform negative behaviors. "Give away credit every change you get, there's always plenty left for you."

Social Ability. Find strength in numbers.
Use social capital. The profound enabling power of an essential network of relationships. Groups of varied intellectual levels often perform better than any one individual. Turn "me" problems into "we" problems and social capital will resolve persistent, resistant behaviors. Interdependence shares ideas, lends a hand, collaborates. Our abilities to work in concert gives high yields to social capital.

Structural Motivation. Design rewards and demand accountability.
Reward "vital behaviors" not just results. When wrong behaviors are persistent a wise choice of punishment is appropriate... but you must do this carefully. Punish only when all else fails. And let people know the arrow is coming before you release the bow string.

Structural Ability. Change the environment.
These are non-human influences, tangibles, organizations, and relationships of space that encourage human interaction. Enable behavior to work best where structure, process, procedures open up the way.

You must address all six sources of influence when designing an influence strategy. Stop thinking of influence tools as a buffet, and recognize them as a comprehensive approach to creating systematic, widespread, and lasting change. They all interrelate which requires a unique recipe for each place influence is projected.

Their website has worksheets, a blog of others deliberating practicing the influence skill and more on vital behaviors and strategies for them.
http://www.influencerbook.com/

Those who are servants of the Most High God are established with influence of the Highest level... of Supernatural proportions.

Jesus said God will give us anything we ask for, for building fruit that lasts (John 15:16). When it comes to building His Kingdom, He gives us the influence to do it as well. He said it in the Psalms who are influential. "They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor." (Psalm 112:9, NLT)

This is for all who live to serve His purposes. This influence is through the induction of Spirit in our inner beings. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us and among us. When Jesus said that when we pray we should focus on cleaning our own inner being and come closer to Him. When we do clean our inner being we naturally come closer to Him. We don't have anything standing in our way, which allows the connection to Spirit to be purer, cleaner, not polluted by outside sources.
This purity of flow is where the power is released through us unhindered.

We are also protected.
No one could harm Him until His mission was completed. He influenced many to carry it on until it continued to total completion. Everyone we coach or develop or influence, becomes better than us. Jesus said we were to be better, more influential than Him. Those we influence become more influential than we are. He promised to us the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit He operated under. He said it had the greatest influence of all. This influence is Spiritual. It touches hearts of those we pray for, outside of our direct contact with that person. It convicts people to change their ways when we direct influence in Spirit toward them. It removes the impurities from other lives that we send the Holy Spirit to in our prayers and through the channel of Spirit of Christ.

We are to be the influencers.
"You must influence them; do not let them influence you! (Jeremiah 15:19, NLT)

Spirit moves through all things and transcends all matter and things that could stand in its way. It is the genuine mountain mover. Come to the Kingdom power. It is not words, intellectual arguments and thoughts that persuade people, change and convict hearts. It is Spirit power that changes people.

We have personal access to His Spirit, that lives in and through us. It is only the Holy Spirit that faithfully responds to our calls to Him. Call to God's Spirit and He will rescue, respond to you.

"Please, Lord, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me. May those who try to destroy me be humiliated and put to shame. May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace. Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, "Aha! We've got him now!" But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "The Lord is great!" As for me, since I am poor and needy, let the Lord keep me in his thoughts. You are my helper and my savior. O my God, do not delay." (Psalm 40:13-17, NLT)

He helps the poor and needy to give them His Power, the Greatest Power of Influence. Regardless of your position on earth, He can give you the Influence from Above... the Supernatural Power of Spirit. He can influence those of great position on earth, those with great wealth, those of great influence in their constituency.

Spirit controls the most powerful.
Spirit is the ultimate power, that influences all other powers.
We have this at our beckoning call.

"He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might. No, the Lord's delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love. Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For he has strengthened the bars of your gates and blessed your children within your walls. He sends peace across your nation and satisfies your hunger with the finest wheat. He sends his orders to the world— how swiftly his word flies! He sends the snow like white wool; he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes. He hurls the hail like stones. Who can stand against his freezing cold? Then, at his command, it all melts. He sends his winds, and the ice thaws." (Psalm 147:10-18, NLT)

He answers prayers with power that exceeds man's... to change minds, transform behaviors, renovate cultures. The Holy Spirit is the great Renewer of all things.
The Influencer of influencers is the Holy Spirit.

You can transport into this power. We can rest in this, remain kind and loving even to hostile situations. We flow in His Power for forging ahead for us, for His calling in our lives, for the great pleasures within His Spirit.

He grants the cries of our hearts... success, influence comes through Spirit Power
that's at work in us and for our behalf.

Saturday, December 08, 2007

The Age of Speed...living in the Speed of Light

by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com

The Age of Speed by Vince Poscente embraces the benefits of speed. We want speed but want it in the right places that enlarge our quality of life. When we harness the power of speed our work and lives become less stressful. Poscente shows how to make speed work to your advantage. So that it propels you closer to your goals and life as you want it.

Business is about being fast today. We want the products and services provided with minimum hassle and fast. We want speed for time-consuming events like long lines at the airport or grocery store. Or other things that take time away in value to our lives. But waiting in line for a ball game we really want to see and the anticipation of waiting can be part of the value factor. We get as much enjoyment within the anticipation. So speed is desired in the grocery store, but we want time to relish an event that we desire and find joy. In what we value we want to smell the roses along the way.

We don't just expect speed, we need it. We want speed so we can enjoy more of what we want to do. We want to get results better and faster for what brings us money, resources to do what we value the most in our lives. So speed gets us through faster what's necessary, what's less-desired, so we can be more into what is highly desired. This is what we cry for, more life, less hassle. It's not about being busy, but speeding up to get the right things. The way we get speed for getting the right things is to deliver it to those who demand it from us.

The magic formula is time, quality, cost.
When we deliver using less time, making better quality and quality experiences, and at less cost, we are the most sought after. Speed is about maximizing all three to the greatest degree. Change, speed of change, is here to stay so embrace it. Total time in a day is no longer in three neat slices of our daily activity pie...working 9-5, leisure, being home .All these are now intertwined throughout the day. With a click of the mouse we deliver a report, then another click we sent new family pictures to a friend, then at night we email a confirmation to a business associate.

Today's focus is values and priorities expressed in what we do throughout the whole day.Today people and businesses either resist or embrace speed. This gives us four groups... the zeppelins, balloons, bottle rockets, jets.

The zeppelins see no way of going faster. They see impending doom as feeling rushed, more stress, not in control.
Balloons' work engages them. They do it well, but they don't do it fast. They are happy craftsman who take as long as they want, but deliver a wonderful product. They are low on production volume, long in time, high on cost.
Bottle rockets are fast. They embrace speed. They take off fast but who knows where. They fly out of control and can miss a target and damage something else not intended. Their efforts are aligned, focused, but struggle to stay a healthy course.

The lesson to be learned is jets have focused destinations...harness the power of speed that are agile, aerodynamic, and aligned. These three traits make speed work for you.

Be agile-- be open to new ideas that surge speed. Be flexible and able to be responsive to change. Being humble and taking risks.
Aerodynamic-- free of clutter and drag that slows you down. Multi-tasking slows you down. Analyze your activities as to what can be interrupted or not. Decide to stay engaged or handle the interruption. Use filters...on your computer, phone to control your info inflow. Strategically multi-task and be selective on acceptable interruptions.
Aligned--have a focused destination and move rapidly to the focused point. Speed depends on walking the required tightrope fast to keep balance and reaching the destination quickly, efficiently. Focus on your destination and use speed to avoid clutter, being aerodynamic. Being aligned is staying true to your purpose, values, vision and natural strengths. When you do, everything happens faster. Being authentic makes progress automatic, clear, smooth, fast. Be authentic and focused moving speedily, consistently aligned with your vision. "Stay in your lane, people will move to you."

Speed keeps drag down. New devices, technology, ideology not aligned with our purpose won't get attached to cause drag slowing us down... speed won't let this happen. Speed creates simplicity. Simplicity increases speed. Fast is simple. Identify and eliminate everything not aligned with its authentic purpose.

Harness the Power of Speed. When confronted with speed move into its energy. By embracing it, moving with it, you use its energy for your speed. Anticipate the power of speed, seek it. Anticipating means to prepare for it, know its approaching and be ready to put its energy to work. With customers, anticipate their desires for speed. Know it's coming and be ready to respond to exceed expectations. Seek it by constantly evaluating your tasks and find shortcuts, efficiencies, streamlining systems.

Be a jet and be agile, be aerodynamic, be aligned.
Seek out speed in unique and innovative ways. Embrace speed and move with it. Poscente takes you through an applications section as he concludes The Age of Speed. He helps you prioritize speed for you and your organization, redefining your pie of daily activities, how to be agile, aerodynamic and aligned so you can harness the power of speed.
http://www.vinceposcente.com/

Jesus moved at the speed of light.
When He said He was the light of the World, this also indicated He was ideal speed.
He said like the lighting flashes and lights up the whole sky, so it will be when He comes. And when He appears to us He comes at the speed of light.

The Scriptures say that those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. When we call to Him, the Christ, we can expect Him to appear to us and appear quickly. He knows our lives and responds quickly... on call. When Jesus called out to Lazarus he responded quickly coming to life and walking out of his grave. When He called to Zacchaeus, He came to Him at once. When He called the disciples they followed Him immediately. When Jesus calls on our behalf He responds quickly and those He calls to on our behalf come quickly.

The Disciples got in a boat to cross a lake to a destination on the other side. A storm came up and it looked inevitable that the boat was going to sink. Jesus showed up in their distress and stilled the storm. It not only subsided immediately, they reached the other side of the lake immediately.... with speed even though speed boats weren't invented then. (John 6:16-21)

Jesus demonstrates the art of Supernatural Speed and He invites us to use it too.
Call on the Name of the Lord and you will.
Everything Jesus did was rapid. It was accomplished perfectly with great speed. In just a couple years, without advanced communication systems, He revolutionized a civilization with His Message.

He had not only the authority of Speed
but had the Power of the Spirit.

The demonic and evil spirits of the world trembled when around Him and followed His commands immediately as given. He commanded them to leave people, people who were being tormented mentally, and they left at once... with great speed He got results. He said He would share this Same Spirit of Speed with us.

We have the same potential of Supernatural Speed in our own lives, our own efforts. He simply said to live in Him and He'd live in us. In the lives of the believers that followed, they said, "for in Him we live and move and exist." (Acts 17:28)

They also moved with speed and got high-level performance results in short periods of time. They lived in the rhythm of Supernatural Speed. Enter in the mountain of transformation and in an instant we can be transformed with speed existing around us.

Use the forces of Spirit.
He said if you ask for it, He would freely give.

He freely gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask He promises in Luke 11:13. Enter this energy field of Spirit, and don't resist it. Flow with it and speed will enter all your actions as you become an instrument to transform the world, the daily encounters around you.

Move with the Speed of God's Great, Unmatchable Spirit.