influence-craft_skill

Overview

This skill maps organizational power dynamics and teaches how to build influence without formal authority using Jeffrey Pfeffer's power frameworks. It guides product people and managers to get buy-in, navigate politics, manage up, and form coalitions across teams. The focus is on practical, repeatable steps to expand political capital before and during initiatives.

How this skill works

The skill inspects stakeholder networks, identifies sources of power (expertise, resources, relationships, information, position, charisma, will), and generates a targeted influence plan. It produces stakeholder maps, coalition strategies, and a short action plan with pre-meetings, messaging tailored to motivations, and early-win tactics. Outputs are concise templates you can apply directly to a project or pitch.

When to use it

• You need cross-functional buy-in for a new product or feature
• You are managing up and need support from a senior leader
• You must navigate competing priorities or informal politics
• You want to build influence before launching a high-stakes initiative
• You are forming a coalition across teams with different incentives

Best practices

• Map who decides, who influences, and who controls resources before drafting plans
• Tailor pitches to each stakeholder’s motivations—mix data and story
• Run pre-meetings to surface and address concerns early
• Start with small, visible wins to build credibility and momentum
• Share credit and help others succeed to strengthen relationships

Example use cases

• Create a stakeholder map and action plan for a cross-team product launch
• Prepare a one-page influence brief to get a VP to sponsor a roadmap change
• Design pre-meeting talking points to convert fence-sitters before a review
• Plan a coalition strategy to redirect scarce engineering resources
• Build a multi-quarter plan to increase your informal influence in a new organization