How to Influence People at Work: 13 Effective Ways to Build Credibility

Co-authored by Guy Reichard and Jennifer Mueller, JD

Last Updated: July 19, 2021 References

Before you can influence people at work, they have to trust you. Without trust, they simply won't feel comfortable following your lead or going along with what you want to do. Building trust is not the easiest thing to do, but we here at wikiHow have got you covered! In this article, we've gathered the best tips for you to use to build trust and credibility so you can influence people at work.

1

Master your own job first.

You'll have more influence if you do your job well. This can take some time, depending on your education and experience level—but it's worth it. Once you have a reputation for having high standards and working efficiently, you'll gain a lot of respect and prestige in the workplace.^{[1]
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- It doesn't matter what your job is—you can exert influence at virtually any level if you're good at what you do.
- Everyone at work knows who barely skates by doing the bare minimum, who tries to cover up their lack of knowledge with business buzzwords, and who farms out the bulk of their work to other people. If you want to influence others, you can't be one of those people!

2

Produce consistently good work.

People are more inclined to trust you if they know what to expect from you. If your results are consistent, people feel comfortable relying on you to get something done. This translates to influence because if you say something is possible, people will tend to believe you—after all, you have a track record of getting things done.^{[2]
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- Factor in proficiency as well. After you've been doing something for a while, you'll get better at it. If the quality of your work product consistently improves, you'll gain more influence in the workplace.

3

Focus on solutions rather than problems.

Figure out how to fix something instead of worrying about how it happened. You'll gain influence if you find a way to solve problems that are within your control to solve. While understanding how a problem happened can lead to information you can use to keep the problem from happening again, it doesn't solve the problem in the short term.^{[3]
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- For example, suppose you have a production bottleneck that's keeping your department from meeting its deadlines. Rather than trying to figure out why there's a bottleneck, find a way to correct it. You'll gain influence because people at work will realize that you focus on getting things done.

4

Listen actively to your coworkers.

Gain trust by showing that you look out for people besides yourself. When a coworker or employee is talking to you about what they want, turn to face them, make eye contact, and engage with what they're saying. You might even try repeating it back to them to demonstrate that you've listened and internalized what they're saying. If you act based on what they've told you, they'll be more inclined to follow your lead.^{[4]
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Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
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- Pay attention to others' wants and needs to find a path that serves the best interests of the company as a whole, not just you or your department.
- Where you have to compromise, make sure there's a balance of benefits for a lot of people. If you've listened, you'll understand how to prioritize competing interests to find the best solution for your organization as a whole.

5

Build personal connections with your coworkers.

Express interest in your coworkers' hobbies and families. Taking a few minutes to get to know people at work on a personal level shows them that you see and respect them as people. When you ask about their personal interests, they understand that you appreciate them as an individual apart from the value they provide to the company.^{[5]
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Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
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- For example, if Jim from accounting has a plaque over his desk with racing medals, you might forward him an email about a local 5K.
- If you have a hard time remembering details, keep notes on your phone or on a single document.
- You can also set reminders to ask coworkers about things they mentioned previously. For example, if your coworker mentions their son is in a soccer tournament over the weekend, you might set yourself a reminder to ask them on Monday how it went.

6

Work in teams rather than going it alone.

Collaborating with coworkers builds trust and influence. When a project lands on your desk, rope in a coworker or two to help you. Even if you could easily complete the project yourself, your coworkers will appreciate working alongside you. Through the process, they'll get to know you and your work style a little better, which will only increase your influence with them.^{[6]
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- You can also combine forces to increase the power of your influence. For example, if you and a coworker have influence in different areas and both want to implement a particular change, you might work together to apply influence in your respective spheres.

7

Help out coworkers when you can.

Look for opportunities that won't cost you much but will help a lot. If you're seen as someone who's a team player and is always willing to help out another employee, people will support you and your ideas more readily. The smallest thing can make a big difference in a coworker's day.^{[7]
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- For example, suppose a coworker is always asking you for supplies. Keeping a handy stockpile of supplies for them encourages them to continue to come to you, which will make them grateful to you. They'll probably be more willing to back you when you have an idea.
- Information is also valuable. If people at work see you as someone who always has the inside scoop, you'll have more influence with them.
- The same goes if you're a leader—if an employee has a problem and needs a little help, be flexible enough to offer that help and they'll remember it later. For example, you might give an employee the afternoon off so they can go watch their kid's school play.

8

Use informal channels to solve simple problems quickly.

Share your inside knowledge to help your coworkers. Informal channels develop when employees figure out more efficient ways of handling problems. If you know how to get things done quickly without ruffling a lot of feathers, you'll gain a lot of influence with your coworkers. ^{[8]
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- For example, suppose Brenda, your direct report's supervisor, tells you, "If you have an issue with TPS reports, just bring it straight to me." If you hear someone else talking about an issue with TPS reports, you might tell them to take it straight to Brenda. She'll appreciate it and your coworker will get their problem solved more quickly, which will grow your influence.
- Make an organizational chart of your workplace so you can see who each employee has direct influence over. If you can't directly influence someone, you might be able to influence someone who does have direct influence over them. Indirect influence can be just as valuable as direct influence if you play your cards right.^{[9]
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  Trustworthy Source
  Harvard Business Review
  Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
  Go to source}

9

Develop expertise in a particular niche.

People will automatically go to you when they have something in that niche. Look around your workplace and identify the people you work with who are known as experts in various things—then choose something else. Learn everything you can about the niche you've chosen and make sure people in your workplace know about it.^{[10]
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Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
Go to source}
- For example, you might publish articles in a trade journal or speak at a conference. These are relatively easy ways to establish your expertise. You can also take on a leadership role in a trade organization.
- Another way to convey niche expertise is to blog about your niche on LinkedIn or other social media. Share articles and information related to your niche along with your own interpretation.

10

Make connections with industry leaders.

A powerful network builds your value and increases your influence. Your company doesn't exist in a bubble. If you have strong connections with other movers and shakers in your industry, people will be more likely to listen to your thoughts. You can also leverage your network to get things done that others might have a harder time doing.^{[11]
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- For example, suppose your company is running up against a deadline and needs more materials to get the job done. Unfortunately, there's a shortage of the necessary materials—but you have a strong relationship with someone at a supplier that can get the materials more easily. Solving this problem definitely increases your influence around the workplace.

11

Be assertive without being aggressive.

Express your thoughts in a straightforward manner. If someone disagrees with you, listen and show that you're open to their suggestions rather than getting defensive or combative. Avoid appealing to someone's emotions to try to convince them to do something. Instead, present facts on your side and respect their decision.^{[12]
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Trustworthy Source
Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
Go to source}
- For example, suppose you're getting pushback on your budget proposal. Acknowledge their concerns without getting angry or upset. If you've anticipated similar concerns, you can describe how your proposal covers them. Otherwise, you might say "I hadn't considered that, but I'm open to suggestions on how we could resolve your concerns while going forward with my proposal."
- Don't forget your tone of voice as well! You'll convey power and authority if you speak at a slightly lower pitch than you normally would.

12

Maintain a positive demeanor and body language.

Stand with good posture, smile, and make eye contact. When you're speaking with someone, turn toward them and give them your full attention. You might even try mirroring their body language to make a deeper connection with them—this is especially helpful when you're talking to your boss.^{[13]
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Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
Go to source}
- If you have a hard time with posture and confident body language, practice in a mirror until it feels natural to you.
- Find something you appreciate about each of your coworkers. That will help keep you in a more elevated mood throughout your day.^{[14]
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  Expert Source
  
  Guy Reichard
  Executive Life Coach
  Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.}

13

Be open to criticism.

Acknowledge your own problems and own up to your mistakes. People will trust you more if you're willing to admit when you're wrong and do what's necessary to work on problems you might have.^{[15]
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Expert Source

Guy Reichard
Executive Life Coach
Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.} Nobody's perfect, and it won't help to pretend like you are.^{[16]
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- If you're the boss, owning up to your own mistakes and not treating them like a big deal encourages your employees to take risks as well and not be afraid to fail.
- Being quick to own up to your own mistakes or issues also helps you control the surrounding narrative. If you bring up a mistake you made and outline the steps you're going to take to correct it, people won't talk as much about the mistake itself.