If you're unfamiliar with the CASEL framework, we highly recommend reading this article first, as it will greatly enhance your understanding of soft skills.
Check it out here.
Introduction to Influencing:
Influencing refers to the ability to persuade or motivate others to take a specific action or adopt a certain perspective. Whether it's convincing a friend to try a new game during recess or persuading colleagues to support a proposed project at work, influencing plays a crucial role in navigating social interactions and achieving personal and professional goals. Understanding the nuances of influencing is essential not only for personal success but also for fostering effective communication, collaboration, and leadership in an increasingly interconnected world.
Core Area of Competence:
The soft skill is found in the following core areas of competence, and more specifically under a core behavior of each area:
Social-Awareness: Awareness of how individuals and groups cooperate toward achieving common goals.
Relationship-Management: Cultivate constructive relationships with others.
Self-Awareness: Awareness of personal strengths, challenges, and goals.
Core Behaviors that require influencing:
Influencing is manifested differently in each age group:
6-8 Years:
Social-Awareness:
Identifying Opportunities for Cooperation: Persuading peers to participate in cooperative activities or projects.
Example: A child convinces classmates to join them in cleaning up the classroom by explaining the benefits of having a tidy space and how everyone can contribute.
Relationship-Management:
Facilitating Inclusive Play: Influencing playtime dynamics by promoting inclusivity and resolving conflicts.
Example: A child encourages peers to include everyone in a game, ensuring that no one feels left out and mediating disagreements to maintain a positive play environment.
Self-Awareness:
Assertively Expressing Preferences: Expressing preferences and opinions persuasively.
Example: A child persuades their parents to let them choose the family movie night selection by explaining why their choice is the most enjoyable option for everyone.
9-11 Years:
Social-Awareness:
Collaborative Problem-Solving: Collaborating with peers to advocate for and implement positive changes in their environment.
Example: A child rallies classmates to participate in a school-wide recycling initiative, persuading others of the importance of environmental conservation and leading by example.
Relationship-Management:
Promoting Inclusivity and Resisting Negative Influences: Influencing peer group dynamics by promoting inclusivity and resisting negative influences.
Example: A child encourages friends to accept a new student into their social circle, demonstrating acceptance and inclusivity, while also resisting peer pressure to engage in risky behaviors.
Self-Awareness:
Assertively Presenting Ideas: Using self-awareness to assertively express ideas and opinions.
Example: A child confidently presents their ideas for improving school lunch options to the student council, persuading decision-makers of the benefits of healthier meal choices for the student body.
12-14 Years:
Social-Awareness:
Mobilizing Peers for Collective Action: Influencing group dynamics by mobilizing peers for collective action and social change.
Example: A teenager organizes a fundraising campaign for a local charity, inspiring classmates to join the cause and leveraging collective efforts to make a positive impact on the community.
Relationship-Management:
Encouraging Engagement in Prosocial Activities: Influencing peers to engage in constructive and prosocial activities.
Example: A teenager encourages friends to volunteer at a local homeless shelter together, emphasizing the importance of giving back to the community and fostering meaningful connections through shared experiences.
Self-Awareness:
Inspiring and Motivating Others: Using self-awareness to inspire and motivate others.
Example: A teenager shares personal experiences of overcoming adversity during a school assembly, using their story to empower peers to persevere through challenges and pursue their goals with determination.
15-17 Years:
Social-Awareness:
Advocating for Societal Change: Influencing public opinion and advocating for societal change.
Example: A teenager starts a social media campaign to raise awareness about mental health issues and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. Through sharing personal stories, educational resources, and promoting open discussions, they encourage their peers and community members to prioritize mental well-being and advocate for better access to mental health resources and support services.
Relationship-Management:
Providing Guidance and Direction: Influencing group dynamics by providing guidance and direction.
Example: A teenager takes the lead in a group project, effectively delegating tasks, facilitating communication, and motivating team members to achieve common goals.
Self-Awareness:
Encouraging Others to Recognize Their Own Strengths: Using self-awareness to inspire and empower others to recognize and leverage their strengths.
Example: A teenager, who has developed a strong sense of self-awareness, recognizes the unique talents and abilities of their peers. They actively encourage and uplift others by providing positive feedback, highlighting their strengths, and offering support and encouragement to pursue their goals.
Promoting the Soft Skill:
For Parents and Care Givers:
Discover the ideal curriculum for your children on our platform, tailored to meet your unique learning needs and preferences.
Encourage Public Speaking: Encourage children to participate in public speaking opportunities, such as school presentations, speeches, or community events. Offer support and coaching to help them develop confidence and articulate their ideas persuasively.
Encourage Active Listening: Teach children the importance of active listening in effective influencing. Encourage them to listen attentively to others' perspectives, ask clarifying questions, and demonstrate empathy before presenting their own ideas or arguments.
Debating Exercises: Organize family debates or discussions on topics of interest, allowing children to express their opinions and practice persuasive communication skills. Provide guidance on constructing arguments, presenting evidence, and responding to counterarguments.
For Tutors:
Debate Club: Organize a debate club where learners can engage in structured debates on various topics. Assign teams and topics, provide guidelines for constructing arguments, and encourage students to persuade their opponents and the audience through effective argumentation and presentation skills.
Persuasive Presentations: Assign learners to prepare persuasive presentations on topics of interest or relevance to the subject matter being studied. Encourage them to research their topic thoroughly, develop compelling arguments, and use visual aids or storytelling techniques to engage and persuade their audience.
Campaign Projects: Assign learners to create and execute a campaign on a relevant issue or cause. This could involve researching the issue, developing a campaign strategy, creating promotional materials, and persuading others to support their cause through outreach and advocacy efforts.
Case Studies Analysis: Present learners with case studies of influential individuals or successful persuasion campaigns and facilitate discussions on the strategies used to influence others. Encourage students to analyze the tactics employed, identify key factors contributing to their success, and consider how they could apply similar strategies in their own contexts.
Feedback and Reflection:
After debates, role-playing exercises, or persuasive presentations, provide feedback on the clarity, persuasiveness, and impact of the learner's communication. Highlight strengths in articulating ideas, engaging with others, and tailoring messages to the audience. Encourage reflection on how communication strategies can be refined to enhance influence.
After negotiations offer feedback on the learner's ability to understand and empathize with others' perspectives, emotions, and needs. Recognize instances where empathy was effectively used to build rapport and trust. Encourage reflection on how empathy can be leveraged to influence others positively and on lessons learned and areas for improvement in navigating challenging situations.
During community engagement projects or campaigns, offer feedback on the learner's ability to influence stakeholders, mobilize support, and effect change in community engagement projects or initiatives aimed at addressing social issues or advocating for causes. You can encourage reflection by asking questions like: “What was my main aim when starting this project and how far I’ve come to reach my goal?”, “Which practices I’ve used helped me get closer to my goal? Is there something I said/ did that made me lose my influence?”
During group projects when learners take on leadership roles, provide feedback on the learner's effectiveness in leadership, including their ability to influence team members, motivate others, and drive initiatives forward toward achieving objectives. You can promote self-reflection by asking questions like: “How did I do and how did I feel being the leader?”, “What was something I found very difficult and why?” “Am I satisfied with my performance? What would I still need to do, to be satisfied?”, “What can I learn from this experience on influencing? How can I apply what I’ve learnt in the future?”
Additional Resources:
Read “The Secret to Persuasive Communication” on Forbes.
Watch “How to speak so that people want to listen” where Julian Treasure talks on TEDGlobal.
Watch “How to disagree productively and find common ground” where Julia Dhar talks on TED@BCG.
Read: “13 habits of the most persuasive people” on Business Insider.
Check out the Rose of Leary, a model on how to influence others.
Read “The Psychology Of Persuasion: Get What You Want More Often” on Forbes.
Watch “The Power of Influence” where Shawn King talks on TEDx Talks.
Conclusion:
In navigating interpersonal relationships, advocating for ideas, and achieving goals effectively, mastering the soft skill of influencing is crucial. Empowering individuals to communicate persuasively, build rapport, and influence positive outcomes in diverse contexts, this skill is indispensable. Parents and tutors play a pivotal role in fostering an environment conducive to growth and mastery by providing guidance, support, and opportunities for skill development. Encouraging proactive engagement in nurturing these skills cultivates a culture of continuous improvement, empowering individuals to thrive in various personal and professional endeavors.
References:
Frye, K. E., Boss, D. L., Anthony, C. J., Du, H., & Xing, W. (2022). Content analysis of the Casel framework using K–12 state SEL Standards. School Psychology Review, 1–15. doi:10.1080/2372966x.2022.2030193
Derin, T., Nursafira, M. S., Yudar, R. S., Gowasa, N. S., & Hamuddin, B. (2020). Persuasive communication: What do existing literature tells us about persuasive communication among students?. Utamax: Journal of Ultimate Research and Trends in Education, 2(1), 12-18.
James, Price, Dillard., Michael, Pfau. (2002). The Persuasion Handbook: Developments in Theory and Practice.
Johnson, W. C., & Young, N. (2012). Power of Persuasion: Becoming the Influencer. Facilities Manager, 28(3), 30-34.
Dondio, P. (2022). Resource for Developing Persuasion Communication Systems: Key Variables, Techniques and Theories.