One of the biggest gaps leaders at all levels often have is not being able to effectively communicate.

And despite their best efforts it can stay that way, particularly if they’re about communication in a very linear way.

Yes, communication is the ability to give clear directions, hear questions, respond with answers, so that someone knows exactly what to do and can go and get it done. But it’s much more than that.

Because effective communication, particularly for leaders, isn’t just about information, it’s about influence.

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review said: “To be effective in organisations today, you must be able to influence people.” And that’s at all levels.

You need to be able to influence up, to senior management or the board, or at the peer level so you can gain the support of colleagues, or downward so you can motivate your team to meet performance standards or individuals to do something in a different way.

The Review article also went on to say that because of short attention spans and information overload, influencing people is harder than ever before – but “more important than ever because of the pressure on getting results”.

The good news is, no matter what kind of industry or workplace you are in, the fundamentals of influence remain the same, and it all begins with building relationships.

It’s simple but can be forgotten – building rapport works! So take the time to get to know colleagues and your team, so you can better understand who they are and what matters to them. And vice versa, let them get to know you too.

Then, when you’ve got something you want people to get behind, here are our tried-and-tested steps to influential communication:

1. Know Your Goal

When you’re getting ready to talk with someone, first get clear on what you want them to think, feel or do after your conversation or presentation. For example, you want your colleague Jo’s support for a key meeting so you want them to feel excited about your project idea and be willing to support your plan.

2. Set the Context

To help meet your goal, you’ll want to lead your conversations by setting up a clear context, objective and agenda, and communicate that to the other party. For your colleague Jo, you’ll want to request a meeting, let them know what it’s about, why you both need to discuss it and what you’ll cover in the meeting, so your conversation stays focused and on topic.

3. Identify Inner Drivers

Building relationships helps you better understand what is important to others, and what drives their decision-making. Before you talk, get clear on what would motivate your manager, colleague or team member to accept or support what you’re saying.

4. Prepare for Push Back

Get clear on the business benefits as well as the individual benefits of the project or proposal you’re talking through. And, think proactively around what issues might be raised, or what resistance you might be met with and have solutions at the ready.

5. Use Persuasive Tools

Consider what kind of questions, stories or evidence you could use to support someone to overcome their resistance, or see your point of view, or recognise the positive impact of what you’re sharing on them and their team or department.

6. Clarify Next Steps

Gain agreement for your plan or proposal and establish clear next steps for everyone involved.

The thing about influence is that it’s a skill, so you can improve your ability no matter your starting point. And the more you practice the framework above, the easier it will become.

At the end of the day, it’s really about being able to put yourself in the other person’s shoes, figuring out why they might want to support what you’re saying, and then clearly communicating that to them so they know exactly why and how it’s to their benefit.