Construction organizations traditionally assign project staff to primarily manage and control production while ensuring that the work meets specified quality requirements. To perform this effectively, they are given positional power. This means they have the power to hire workers, assign work, set production goals and performance expectations. They may reward performance and sanction failures to meet expectations.

Workforce safety and accident prevention is assigned to the safety function. These folks generally do not have positional power, and must not do anything that negatively impacts production. But are expected to ensure that accidents do not happen as these tend to negatively impact production goals. As a result, safety personnel must be able to influence worker behaviors so that they are cognizant of risks associated with their tasks and perform their work in a safe manner.

The Role of Power

Power has six attributes. Three are related to power associated with one’s position in an organization:

1. Reward power
2. Coercive power
3. Personal power is bestowed on a person by peers and is related to that person’s expertise, capabilities, or knowledge.
4. Expert power is associated with special abilities
5. Information power is associated with knowledge
6. Referent power is associated with anyone who is well liked and popular in the organization irrespective of position.

Organizations produce a product or service to generate revenue. They have systems (policies, processes, procedures, and practices), with which to create those products or services. To manage the operation, organizations have structures, departments and management to oversee and support the workers. At the operational level, production staff is responsible for performance and the safety function is responsible for worker safety.

Because of internal stratification, there could be barriers to getting work done or accomplishing a goal, which may require cooperating cross-functionally or influencing peers or others over whom one has no direct organizational or contractual power. In many cases, people may be part of a project team, in a work group, or in a cross-functional unit, having to use influence to get something accomplished or get the job done. To be successful, you may need to exert influence upward to sway the boss; horizontally to get others to assist, cooperate, or perform; and possibly downward to convince direct reports to do their very best rather than the minimum to get by.

Persuasion

At work everyone has a boss as well as peers. In all likelihood, to be successful you will need cooperation or assistance from others. Some people may not necessarily want or need to do so. An underlying principle of persuasion is that people expect reciprocity in the process. To be able to persuade effectively, you must create win-win trades when in difficult situations or when dealing with difficult individuals or groups.

This is especially true of construction. The construction process involves a large group of organizations, (contractors, vendors, and suppliers) that come together to build a facility or structure. In many cases, there is no contractual relationship between many of them. Because of the interdependent nature of construction, all these organizations and parties will need to work cooperatively to successfully complete the project.

Doing business is getting more complex, with greater time pressures, the need to do more with less, fewer middle managers, and employees expected to take on more responsibility and decision-making. Technology is changing rapidly, and knowledge is growing exponentially. There is a greater need to bring together diverse groups of people to work cooperatively to achieve success. With all the complexity and interdependence, the ability to wield influence is becoming more and more important to one's ability to function effectively in the organization.

Safety is another aspect of the building process that requires cooperation as well as active participation from all the builders and their crews to achieve an injury-free work environment. The safety personnel usually do not have positional power and therefore may encounter workers’ resistance to changing the way they do things. Workers may be under pressure to meet production goals and the suggested change may or will adversely impact their goal. To accomplish this seamlessly and effectively, safety personnel will have to be able to persuade and influence others.

Influence

According to Robert Cialdini, six basic tendencies of human behavior come into play when exerting influence to achieve a positive response. These are:

1. Reciprocation
2. Consistency
3. Social validation
4. Liking
5. Authority
6. Scarcity

These six tendencies affect business and organizational dealings, social involvements, and personal relationships. Therefore, understanding and utilizing this knowledge effectively will not only make us successful in business but also enhance our relationships and our lives.     

The Six Basic Tendencies

To use the art of influence, it is important to build relationships. Good relationships lubricate the process. Building goodwill is an important aspect of the art of persuasion. It is easier to ask people we know and who like us for a favor than those who do not. Also, to exert influence effectively, one must be perceived as being competent, making reasonable requests, and having the good of the organization at heart. This provides credibility — you are working for the good of the organization, which benefits everyone, and not just yourself.

1. Reciprocation

Reciprocation is at work when you try to affect an affirmative response. It is about exchange—give and take. There is an expectation that a favor will be repaid at some future date. This is known as the law of reciprocity.

2. Consistency

We are driven to remain consistent in our attitudes, declarations, and actions. If we take a position or agree with something, we tend to try to be consistent later. So, we can initially try to get agreement with something innocuous or reasonable and then ask for something more substantial that we actually want. Because of consistency, others are more likely to respond affirmatively to the second request after having agreed to the first.

3. Social Validation    

When people are uncertain about what action to take, it's normal to look to others to see what they are doing. This is known as social validation. We try to get an idea of what is acceptable or makes sense given the circumstances. 

When faced with resistance to change by a worker. Find others who are doing it “right” and praise them in the resister’s hearing. After a number of such action change will be made. Or have the ones doing it “right” talk to the resister. 

4. Liking

It is a proven fact that people are most comfortable with those who are more like them or think like them. We are more likely to say yes to people we like than to those we do not. 

Research has shown that factors that enhance likability are physical attractiveness, appearance, having things in common, things we are familiar with, and people who compliment us. Recognizing this, we can actually work on developing and improving rapport. 

5. Authority

The rule of authority tells us that people are almost instantly deferential to those in a position of power. The things that may influence us include titles, clothing, trappings, or knowledge. Authority is good, but credibility is even better. Credibility results from expertise and trustworthiness. You become more trustworthy and influential when it becomes evident that you truly believe what you are saying. This can be especially useful when dealing with project safety.

6. Scarcity

The perception of being in competition for limited resources has a powerful motivational effect. This becomes even stronger if immediacy is added to the mix. The effect of scarcity on human judgment is demonstrated when a buyer "is sitting on the fence" and the real estate agent tells them there is another potential buyer with cash who has seen the property and will be back tomorrow with his spouse to put in an offer. The fence-sitter reacts and responds quickly. On construction projects, time is generally a limited resource, and the potential to save time may be used to achieve compliance.

Barriers

When a good working relationship exists, getting something done may be as easy as asking for it. Sometimes, though, it's not that easy. The art of exerting influence becomes important when others fail to respond as requested. A barrier to influence may be a lack of common goals, priorities, agendas, or a lack of common ground. They want something in return for their cooperation that we may have difficulty providing. Enmity, rivalry, and/or politics may be involved.

Look inward for barriers to exerting influence successfully. These may include such things as lack of working knowledge of the art of exerting influence, not preparing sufficiently, becoming discouraged too quickly, or failing to try different means or approaches. Perseverance, in most cases, pays off. Fear of rejection or negative reactions and not presenting the request in a win-win manner are also potential barriers to success.

Conclusion

The competitive marketplace, the rapid growth and use of technology, and the need to work efficiently require decisive and "smart" employees. This necessitates that people quickly and effectively resolve issues to get things done. Less dependence on organizational power and more on earned power makes for agile responses to solving problems. The art of influence or persuasion is a powerful and necessary tool in organizational life. Even better is using it effectively to carry out tasks and achieve goals successfully. Persuasion is especially useful in the management of safety. Mastering the art of influence is a powerful tool in ensuring one's success within the organization.