I was talking with an acquaintance recently who had read on the Global Leadership & Consulting (GLC) web site an item about “Center of Influence,” and he wanted to know more about that concept. In particular, he wanted to explore how it might relate to his own profession, and perhaps to him personally.
Social media these days is awash with discussion about “influence” and “influencers”, often equating one’s “influence” with the number of followers, friends, contacts, and the like. In that social media context, an influencer is anyone who can cause a reaction or impacts the way people feel and think about things.
But when thinking of one’s own professional or personal life – as this colleague was – Center of Influence (often expressed as Sphere of Influence, or SOI) is a different matter altogether. In that sense, SOI expresses the individual’s collective field of colleagues, acquaintances, and even one-off interactions that might lead to a contact, an introduction, an offer, a reference, and even a simple mention, that might lead to you developing a new connection. These become the individual’s “influencers.”
This concept is important regardless of whether one is looking at alliances, partnerships, fund-raising, business development, or even old-fashioned personal relationships.
SOI is not a listing of who you know, friends on Facebook, co-workers, fellow members of an organization, names in a contact file, or customers. Rather, SOI is a recognition of those who can make the kinds of connections, referrals, and recommendations that can take you to new opportunities.
Some might think of SOI as a “network,” but a network suggests you want something from that group. The term “influence” suggests the people we meet by intention or chance have some direct power to promote, support, invest, in you, your cause, your mission.
The beauty of the SOI concept is that each influencer you add to your sphere comes with their own sphere of influence, potentially increasing your opportunity. In some cases the influencer may be the decision maker or gate keeper; in others, he or she may be a lateral connection, someone with whom you have had an experience, or some positive human contact at some point in your lifetime, and with whom you created a relationship (however slight at first).
It almost always starts with some initial conversation, a human connection rather than a digital link-up. The connection may even be a brief encounter, just a business card exchange, for example.
There are many events and interactions that can affect your SOI. For example:
- An artist donates a painting to a charity, and along the way meets a person who wants to represent him and help him market his art and share his story with the world. That person – and many of his/her associates – are now part of the artist’s SOI.
- The president of a company has an advisory board to help him garner industry insight and perspectives; those advisors are part of his SOI.
- A management company executive who is “rolling up” medical practices is able to extend his/her SOI with each acquisition, as it brings in each practitioner’s sphere of colleagues, patients, vendors, and researchers.
- The insurance agent meets a doctor who accepts a specific insurance product the agent sells, and the practitioner agrees to allow the agent to market his service in his office.
- The manager of a doctor’s office helps a patient get a follow-up appointment with a top specialist in the country.
Lessons learned:
– Never discount the importance of the connection. Often, the person we least expect to have the authority is the one that may help us navigate a problem, or even hold the keys to the person who can help us.
– Recognize that chance meetings occur. People come into our lives – sometimes for a reason, and sometimes by happenstance.
– Never kick anyone out of your sphere because of who they are or what they became. Regardless of how they come into your SOI, “park” them in the same way we park our car and pick it up later.
– Be very careful about burning a bridge to someone in your SOI; you may someday want to cross that bridge again!
– Lastly, it is important to realize that relationships are reciprocal; if they’re in your SOI, chances are, you are in theirs, as well.
“I am a part of all that I have met.” – Alfred Lord Tennyson
Next steps: Reach out to me through the GLC website or email me at dr.tara@glcconsultants.com to continue the discussion! – T.S.
Dr. Saltzman is a dynamic and highly accomplished entrepreneur and professional development, corporate and educational leadership expert with a proven track record of successes, especially achieving a fusion between education and business sectors. She fervently believes everyone has the capability to achieve his or her dreams if they believe in themselves.
Leave a Reply