Human Relations in Organizations: Applications and Skill Building 8th Edition by Robert Lussier

Exercise 39

Below are three situations. For each situation, select the most appropriate influencing tactic(s) to use. Write the tactics on the lines following the situations. At this time, don't write out how you would behave (what you would say and do).
1. You are doing a college internship, which is going well. You would like to become a full-time employee a few weeks after you graduate.
Which influencing tactic(s) would you use?
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Who would you try to influence? How would you do so (behavior)?
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2. You have been working for six months. As you are approaching the elevator, you see a powerful person, one who could potentially help you advance in your career, waiting for the elevator. You have never met her, but you do know that her committee has recently completed a new five-year strategic plan for the company and that she plays tennis and is active in the same religious organization as you. Although you have only a couple of minutes, you decide to try to develop a connection.
Which influencing tactic(s) would you use?
_________________________________________________
How would you strike up a conversation? What topic(s) would you raise?
_________________________________________________
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3. You are the manager of the production department. Some of the sales staff has been scheduling delivery dates for your product that your department can't meet. Customers are blaming you for late delivery. This situation is not good for the company, so you decide to talk to the sales staff manager about it over lunch.
Which influencing tactic(s) would you use?
_________________________________________________
How would you handle the situation (behavior)?
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Select one situation that seems real to you, that is, one you can imagine yourself in. Or write in a real-life situation that you can quickly explain to a small group. Now, briefly write out the behavior (what you would do and say) that you would use in the situation to influence the person to do what you want.
Situation # ______________ or my situation:
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Influencing tactic(s) to use:
_________________________________________________
Behavior:
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
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Objective: To develop your persuasion skills by using influencing tactics.
AACSB: The primary AACSB learning standard skills developed through this exercise are analytic skills, leadership, and strategic management.
Preparation: You should understand the five influencing tactics and have completed the preparation.
Experience: You will discuss which influencing tactics are most appropriate for the preparation situations. You may also be given the opportunity to role-play how you would handle the one situation you selected; you will also play the role of the person to be influenced and the observer.
Break up into groups of three, with one or two groups of two if needed. Try not to have in the group two members that selected the same situation; use people who selected their own situation. First, try to agree quickly on which influencing tactics are most appropriate in each situation. Select a spokesperson to give group answers to the class. In preparation for role playing, have each person state the behavior to handle the situation selected. The others give feedback to improve how to handle the situation-by avoiding, changing, and/or adding to the behavior (for example, "I would not say; I'd say; I'd add to what you have now).
One situation at a time, each group spokesperson tells the class which influencing styles it would use, followed by brief remarks from the instructor. The instructor may also ask people who selected their own situation to tell the class the situation.
Sharing: Volunteers give their answers to the application section.