How can you exert influence without having formal authority?

This question prompts you to share examples of times when you successfully persuaded or guided others without holding any formal power or authority over them. It emphasizes your abilities in persuasion, communication, relationship development, and conflict resolution, as well as your capacity to collaborate across various hierarchical levels. In your response, consider emphasizing these key aspects: Point out a particular example where you had an influence despite lacking formal authority. Explain the context, the steps you took, and how you managed to influence others. Reflect on the outcomes of your actions.

In my previous position as a product manager, I frequently needed to persuade other teams such as marketing, design, and engineering, despite not having direct authority over them. I learned how essential it was to influence through building relationships, aligning on shared objectives, and demonstrating professionalism. One particular example was when I was tasked with launching a new product feature. I had to persuade the engineering team to prioritize its development, even though they were busy with other projects. I created a comprehensive presentation to help them understand the customers' challenges, our market positioning, and the potential revenue the feature could generate. We explored the trade-offs and benefits for the company. Ultimately, they chose to prioritize the development of this feature, which resulted in a 15% increase in our quarterly revenue.

During my time as an HR executive, I observed that our office lacked energy efficiency. I took the initiative to research this issue and discovered several affordable strategies that could help us decrease energy consumption without hindering productivity. However, to implement these changes, I required support from the operations team, as the new strategies would alter existing routines. I sought assistance from a colleague in Operations, with whom I had collaborated on various projects. We shared my ideas and together created a presentation that showcased the advantages of adopting these new measures. We highlighted the potential cost savings, the positive impact on workplace culture, and the enhancement of our sustainability efforts. Both the operations team and senior leadership were persuaded, leading to the successful implementation of the changes, which resulted in a 30% reduction in energy costs over the following year. This experience illustrates how I effectively utilized strong communication skills, relationship-building, and data-driven insights to influence others without direct authority.