Reciprocity and reciprocity-based strategies are often discussed in project leadership training courses. People often wonder what reciprocity truly means and how it can be exercised effectively. Reciprocity is influence based on meeting peoples' needs in exchange for the support and assistance they provide. For example, when charities put small gifts into their donation request envelopes, they are hoping that giving you a gift will induce you to give them one in kind. Reciprocity is sometimes difficult to exercise because it is so counter-intuitive. Although you are driven to a situation because of something you need, in order to be successful you should think about what the other person needs as well. Project leadership training can prepare you with the skills you need to be successful at employing a reciprocity-based strategy. You must transition into the mind of the other person and ask, "What do they need?" It is only by making this difficult transition that you can make effective use of these strategies. The keys to successful reciprocity-based strategies are based on four major principles. Training in project management can help you understand these principles. The first is to think about the person you are trying to influence as a strategic ally. This decreases the likelihood that-should you not get what you want right away-you will start to see the person as an adversary. A second principle is to know the ally's world. This means both understanding why they do what they do-and why they might be resistant to your ideas-as well as understanding what really matters to them. Being self-aware is a third key to success. You must understand your own assumptions about what you want and need from the relationship. In addition, the influencer sometimes fails to differentiate between critical conclusions and flexible means, meaning they focus too much on things that are not critical. Finally, both parties must understand the nature of the exchange transaction. That means they must know how to use reciprocity by stating needs and being aware of the needs of others; by stubbornly sticking to one right way of doing things instead of compromising; and by overusing approaches that have proven successful in the past even when they are not effective in the present situation. These principles are covered in training in project management programs and can provide you with a respectable certificate while preparing you with a solid background to help you implement these strategies effectively in the workplace. Training in project management can often show you how to display the leadership competencies used in reciprocity-based strategies such as Use of Socialized Power, which emphasizes influence by way of building networks and alliances. These skills are considered extremely valuable in many different industries. The Use of Socialized Power strategy must be complemented by the competency Perceptual Objectivity: the capacity to convey to others that we understand the positions they take, their interests, drives, and needs, and can empathize with the sacrifices they may make for the good of the organization. Finally, Self-Control-the ability to manage your impulses-is also quite important. Building a true capacity for exchange requires patient deliberate effort, controlled restraint, as we work to develop the relationships in the long run. If you want to be effective at employing any of the three influence strategies you cannot just enact your need structure; you need to be calculative about your behavior and not just act out in a way that might be harmful to your ability to influence. There is great truth in Seneca's observation that "He is most powerful, who has power over himself." Copyright (c) 2010 eCornell
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