Influence your career progression

While managers may be adept at using these skills in the normal course of their work (as witnessed by the presence of influencing skills in the majority of security management roles), when it comes to the all-important job interview the focus is much more on trying to secure the job by demonstrating competence. The essential influencing skills are forgotten about. Yet the job interview is the ideal medium for managers to use those skills to ensure a successful outcome.

By tuning in to the preferred thinking style of the interview panel, job applicants can firstly develop a rapport with the interviewer and then seek to gently influence the outcome of the interview.

To illustrate my point, just before Christmas I attended the Jerry Springer Opera in London. As we entered the auditorium, and knowing my connection with the security industry, a colleague pointed out three security officers standing at the front of the stage. Black-shirted, square jawed and with a steady gaze on the assembling crowd. A friend suggested they looked like a pack of rotweillers spoiling for a fight, while another member of the audience was heard to remark how they looked and acted just like those guards employed at their London office.

Cutting a long story short, the three officers were the butt of much humour before the curtain went up. At that point, it became quite clear they were actors and part of the show.

The security professional's role
During the show there were many sightings of said officers as they rushed to and fro controlling the thespian crowds. Finally, the spectacle moved to its closing moments, when the main security officer took centre stage and was depicted as a loyal, faithful and dedicated servant. Not surprisingly, this security 'hero' received the first ovation of the evening, a sure sign that all previous mirth had now been replaced by total respect. The auditorium was awash with talk of how the security staff were the unsung heroes of the plot.

Ordinarily, I'd walk away from such an evening out with no more than a passing thought. Maybe humming a few bars from one or two tunes that had been aired. By chance, the following day I'd arranged to conduct an exit interview for one of our clients. The interviewee explained his international role, the ever-present level of risk when dealing with counterfeiters, how he'd weave his way amid the fine line between the needs of international laws and his employer, the heavy politics of managing human resources and finally his personal agenda of needs, wants and desires.

As I sat visualising all of this information, I was struck by what I'm inclined to call a 'Jerry Springer moment'. In other words, I found myself linking all the emotions of the Opera and connecting them to the role at hand. It wasn't so much that I was hearing about this type of role for the first time, although many parts of it were indeed unique. Rather, it was the simple fact that I was feeling the role of the security professional.

In simple terms, I'd experienced a change in my normal or preferred thinking style. More importantly, the cause of this change wasn't from within me, but in how the speaker portrayed their role. They had communicated their tasks in a way that meant something to me. They had established a good rapport.

My reaction is by no means atypical. We've all experienced occasions when we've been in an ordinary sort of mood which has then been altered by listening to a motivational speaker. For those on interview, however, the issue is really all about how these human factors can best be used to their advantage.

The use of mirroring and appropriate language in the context of an interview will ensure that what you say is understood

Establishing a good rapport
The first step is to establish rapport, which can be achieved by mirroring the person to whom you wish to influence (ie copy their body posture, voice tempo and, if possible, breathing rate). You should exercise caution here, though. If you're too obvious about it all, the interviewer will feel uncomfortable as their subconscious mind discovers your stalking techniques. Try it at home. It can be fun.

The next step is to identify how the person you wish to influence interprets the world. Fortunately, the majority of people recollect information through a preferred style that's predominantly either auditory, visual or kinaesthetic (feelings). The clues as to how we interpret the world are to be found in the way we speak, and are also in the eyes.

For instance, someone who says: "I feel we should move towards a better future" is a feeling person, whereas those who use expressions like: "We should see how the land lies" are more visual people. Finally, those who use expressions such as: "It sounds like a lot of fuss to me" are mainly auditory (sound)-based.

To demonstrate how this works, firstly identify your own style. How do you perceive the world? Then gather a group of your colleagues together and ask them to tell you what they did last night. You'll then understand what some of these people say and mean.

With the others, it'll be easy to comprehend what's said, but you'll not fully understand what they mean. If you analyse what the latter group said, you'll quickly see that those you found most difficult were likely to have a style that's different to your own.

Now consider the impact of all this on your next job interview...

Make yourself understood
The use of mirroring and appropriate language in the context of an interview will ensure that what you say is understood. If the person you wish to influence is mainly visual, then use language that paints a picture of your job role (for example, I keep my desk free of clutter by running a 'Things to do' list on my desk and a wall planner behind me). For an auditory person, you'd use clues based around sound and tone or pitch (for instance: "I hear what you're saying, and this is an important issue for me, too. I spend time talking with my team, and reviewing progress against targets").

Similarly, for feeling styles (both emotional and physical) you'd adopt a more person-centred style (eg: "I feel that being organised helps me to maintain control over my tasks and keep on top of things").

The examples cited here are purely illustrative. Without the necessary competence, it's unlikely – but not impossible – to succeed at an interview. With a little practice, though, you will succeed in situations where ordinarily you'd have clashed with your target influence.