Influencing up, across, and after a 'no'
Step 1 / 4·Influencing up
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Learning objectives — after this module you will:
- Present a proposal to a time-poor senior
- Influence a peer department where you have no authority
- Handle a 'no' without damaging the relationship
Influencing up
Work effectively with people who have less time than you.
Influencing upward is the most misunderstood direction. It isn't flattery, and it isn't just reporting thoroughly. It's making saying YES to you EASY: easy to understand, easy to evaluate, easy to defend when someone questions it later.
Five rules for influencing up
- OPEN WITH THE DECISION NEEDED, not with context. 'I need you to choose between A and B before Friday', then the explanation.
- BRING OPTIONS WITH A RECOMMENDATION. Three options and no recommendation pushes the thinking up to your boss; say which way you lean and why.
- STATE YOUR CONFIDENCE LEVEL. 'I'm confident on the cost, the timeline is an estimate based on one similar project' — nothing builds credibility faster.
- DELIVER BAD NEWS EARLY AND DIRECTLY, along with what you've already done about it. Bosses hate surprises more than they hate problems.
- UNDERSTAND YOUR BOSS'S PRESSURE. They're persuading someone too. A proposal that helps them answer the question their boss keeps asking gets prioritised.
Two ways to raise a problem upward
Handing the problem up
“'The supplier says two weeks late — what should we do?'”
You've just moved all the thinking to someone busier than you. Do that a few times and you're filed under people who create work.
Bringing options
“'The supplier is two weeks late. I see two routes: push the rollout back two weeks, or start with the pilot group on a manual workaround. I lean towards the second because it keeps our commitment to the plant. I need your confirmation by tomorrow afternoon.'”
Your boss only has to read and decide. You've also shown you thought about consequences — which is exactly how the credibility account gets funded.
Key takeaway: Influencing up means making YES easy: open with the decision, bring options with a recommendation, state your confidence.