The Power of Being An Advisor
You have worked hard to form and nurture your relationship. You have a good open exchange of ideas and opinions, which is all good. As a result, you may have earned the right to become a trusted advisor to the other party in your relationship. Generally as an advisor you have a closer relationship that provides some additional perks. Before we look at those potential perks, the advisor as a project manager role is interesting one. As the point person for the project, you are initially given access to others such as those in management that members of the project team are not. With that access, you are able to provide updates and position items that are related to the project for this audience. You are a set of the eyes and ears that they have on the project. As a result, you are positioned as their advisor by virtue of your role. The key is to make sure to gain and grow their trusts for the long-term by delivering information in a timely, thoughtful, and honest way. The benefit is that you will transition from the role of advisor to a trust advisor, which I will detail more in a bit.
As project manager and advisor, you are in a position to shape how the information about a situation is presented to the person or group that you are looking to influence. That is a powerful position because by default you are influencing them just by the information that is revealed and not revealed. It is hear that the honest aspect of what is presented comes into play because you can’t assume that you are the only source of the information. If the other person or group finds out through other channels that you didn’t present a complete picture your credibility will be shot or at the very least damaged which will diminish you ability to influence them for that moment and in the future. I realize that there are innocent mistakes and that very few would ever take advantage of the situation to actually mislead in anyway overtly, but it is good to know the power of the position.
In the advisor role, you also need to do more than deliver information about your project. There is a need to remain as objective as you can in order to be able to see all sides of the situation. You want to be able to present not only your side, but be aware and be able to articulate the opposing perspective. As you transition from the advisor based on role to a trusted advisor you will notice that the need for your advice and the opportunity to influence others will grow because the person or group values your ability to see all sides. They are not surprised or placed in positions of vulnerability because they took your advice or heeded you warning.
As with any relationship, the ability to deliver on your commitments is a key item in earning the trust. As an a person looking to influence others, you will need to prove your worth in stages to not only influence that person or group, but show them that you have a successful track record of influencing others in general. The visible proof to the outside world is your commitment to resolution of any promise that you make. People want to know that you are as committed as they are if they accept your advice. The last thing that a person wants is to be left out on an island alone and vulnerable based on taking your advice and being influenced by you on a decision. They want to know that you are committed and will be there to support them. If you are not as committed to your advice that you are willing to support it and those that take it, you will need to hang it up as a person that hopes to influence others. Word will get out and people or groups may not even take your calls.
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