Influencer: The Power to Change Anything

  This book was recommended to me in an anonymous survey I sent to co-workers asking what they didn't like about me and how I can improve. It was written psychology style of Freakonomics. It focuses on 6 different sources of proven influence power and how they can have been used to accomplish some pretty amazing goals reading it at some point when I feel that I could use the reinforcement. Some of the teachings are counterintuitive to what you would expect by simple common sense, which is the biggest power in the book.

Easily the most powerful book I've read in the past few years.If you're looking to make things happen...on a large or small scale, checkout the influence masters profiled in the this book.

Book has some decent points, but the constant jumping around from story to story made it a tough read. Not much is taught here that isn't common sense and the way it us written leaves a lot to be desired.If you are looking for a great leadership book, look into John Maxwell's books. They are much better.

This book is PHENONMENAL!!! Talk about unlocking the 6 pillars to making change stick! Boy I wish they would have given me this book when I was kicking off by Blackbelt. An absolute must for anyone in the Continuous Improvement game.
Am currently using it now ........ BRILLIANT!!

  I read one business book after the other.(Long commute - audiobooks).Every once in a while a book really impacts me.This is one.If you want to improve yourself at all, or work on your business, family, community, dream project ... read this book.

This is a very relevant book for those that are looking for what to implement and how to go about doing it. It has timeless examples and ways to help work with others.

Brilliantly written and woven together. I found this a REAL PAGE TURNER, one using its own recommendation of using effective story telling!

After reviewing and/or reading 5,000 plus books on psychology to management, and writing on it for the last 7 years, I found this informative, exciting and very implementable!I could see that I was relying on too much "persuasive talk" and "rational" arguments, but missing much of what is truly effective.

I will use their worksheet and my personally derived checklist to be sure I implement these strategies - and, as they suggest, not to stop too soon or to go too narrow.I love the idea of "overdetermining", to assure success - which is also one of the key two factors determining personal success: confidence that you have the ability to implement what is needed to get the result.

I am also an avid proponent, from seeing the extraordinary results, of "deliberate learning" (as is the point of Blanchard in Know Can Do) and "deliberate practice" -for without it, we are randomly wandering around in life at a small fraction of the potential we can live at. [Deliberate practice is a key point in the classic McKay book Time Management, which is uniquely powerful in its perspective.)

Great job!(Now I will look forward to the previous works of the authors and making and solidifying new distinctions that create a greater level of power for creating what is positive and progressive.)

A good work, but also a sales tool for the academic/consultant authors to market their consultancy business, with all the inevitable new terminology.

Summary: Identify behaviours to change (and the influences on those), not outcomes. Identify positive deviants and their behaviours and share these (train, mentor). Use socially connected and influential champions (influence). Change the physical environment to get good behaviour. Align behaviours with values (what people want) and values with behaviours so people are intrinsically motivated (enable people to do what they want using information & feedback). Practice new things, learn, improve with small steps.

In the books terminology the "six sources of influence" are:
1. Personal Motivation (aligning with values)

2. Personal Ability (training)

3. Social Motivation (influential champions)

4. Social Ability (people helping each other, teams)

5. Structural Motivation (aligning reward systems)

6. Structural Ability (physical layout, environment)

Distinguishes between innovators and early adopters or opinion leaders.

Suggests to tell things in stories (parables?) or using demonstrations rather than stating conclusions and recommendations.

Refers to power of image and associations such as being 'one of us', 'respected or not', etc.

Says people will change their minds if they think it is worth it and they can do what is required.

Is still pretty top down - speaks to 'leaders' and managers.

Does suggest to openly discuss culture in order to openly change norms.

Is very assertive on the academic style of research, despite using many examples of influencers who weren't academics or, I suspect, using academic sources to create their ideas for influence.

Taking their advice on stories I would pick "Maverick" as a better book on organisation change (and what a better organisation might look like), but this is a good work and well worth it.