A book review of Influencer: The Power To Change Anything, by Kerry Patterson – Joseph Grenny – David Maxfield – Ron McMillian & Al Switzler, is dedicated to scholars and practitioners that have made each of us a powerful agent of change.

Influencer is a powerful book that is easy to read with business change in mind. the authors use a wide variety of examples that are not limited to business. At the same time, these examples can easily be seen from the business point of view. In addition to business the authors include proofs related to children, health and the medical field. Regardless of your business, the examples easily connect with todays work environment.

Influencer is basically divided into halves. The first half is The Power To Change Anything. In this half the reader is presented with the examples that are referenced in the second half of the book. This is good groundwork that is very useful when referenced in the second half of Influencer.

The second half is Make Change Inevitable. Here the authors section influence into six sources. There are two primary domains, motivation and ability. Each of these domains are sub-divided into personal, social and structural sources. Properly influencing the six sources will make change inevitable.

the Authors clearly explain that the six sources must all be worked on for change to be successful. For example, people must be properly trained to bring their personal ability to the level required for to make the planned change. You will also need to use the help of other people to support the change, This support can include making sure that people understand how this change, possibly obe that they don’t like because it is boring or they see as of little value, is actually vital for their organization. This is personal motivation.

The other four sources are social ability, social motivation, structural ability and structural motivation. If you try to move forward with a change without influencing all six sources you are likely to fail in your effort to change.

Once you have read Influencer and understand the importance if the six sources, you will be ready to make a positive change inevitable. Done correctly you will be able to make changes that have previously been impossible. To me, the best example of change used by the authors is a medical one. Using the six sources a parasite, the Guinea Worm, has been eradicated in 11 of the 20 countries afflicted with it worldwide. This change was done without medicine and on an extremely limited budget. The result was achieved by changing the behavior of people living in the contaminated area.

To make change inevitable the manager of that change will need more than motivating speeches. People need to be properly trained and they have to learn how the change that will take place supports their organization. These are the key factors to personal ability and personal motivation.

When training for change, the training is best lead by the leaders in place, the leaders that will be there while the change happens. These team leaders must find the opinion leaders in the group. Opinion leaders are the people held in high esteem by others in the office and accept his or her opinions even though they may not be a hierarchical leader. These opinion leaders must understand that the change is required and will be positive for the organization and it is best if they are openly involved in the change. Accomplishing this will support the social ability and social motivation sources.

The people that hold true authority in the area to be changed have to become real leaders of change. They ahve to show that they have mastered the behavior in question and fully support the change. Whatever changes are required in the workplace must be made (something often overlooked). Accomplishing these will mean that you have the structural ability and structural motivation sources covered.

Influence is something that is best done in a community. One person can make a change, but it is easier and will have greater acceptance when there are multiple level of hierarchy actively involved. Working with a team brings more positive aspects of the change into the open and will help acceptance and increase the probability of success.

Influencer is a great read for anyone who has a change to implement. Once you master the six sources of influence you will see that you have the ability to change anything.