The "Influence Map"

Hi Friday Warbler crew, this one's IMPORTANT.

Think you know who makes decisions at your company?

Think again.

The org chart shows hierarchy. But influence flows through invisible channels that most people never see.

Today's guide: How to map real influence and activate it for your initiatives.

The Influence Paradox

Three types of power exist in every organization, and career success comes from activating all three for your initiatives.

First is formal power - what the org chart shows. Second is expert power - who people actually ask when they need answers. Third is network power - who connects everyone else.

Most people only work the org chart, which is why they fail.

The most successful professionals understand that influence is like water - it finds its own level, regardless of titles.

The 5-Layer Influence Map

Picture five concentric circles, like ripples in a pond. Your initiative is the stone you're throwing, and understanding each ripple determines whether you make waves or barely cause a splash.

Layer 1: Direct Decision Makers (Center)

At the center are those who can actually say yes to your initiative. These aren't always who you think.

The hiring manager controls headcount, but do they really decide, or do they need their VP's blessing first? The budget owner signs the check, but who influenced that budget allocation six months ago?

To identify true decision makers, ask three questions. Who needs to sign off on this? Whose budget would this come from? Who has veto power even if they're not in the room?

I learned this the hard way when my "approved" project died because the real decision maker - the CFO's trusted analyst - wasn't even in our meetings.

Layer 2: Hidden Influencers

The second layer holds the real power brokers - people decision makers listen to.

Every executive has a trusted lieutenant whose opinion carries more weight than entire committees. Every technical decision has an architect whose nod means more than formal approval processes.

Watch who speaks first in meetings - not because they're senior, but because others wait for their perspective. Notice who gets pulled into side conversations when big decisions loom. Track whose casual comments become next quarter's strategy.

These hidden influencers often have innocuous titles but outsized impact.

Layer 3: Information Brokers

The third layer controls something more valuable than decisions - they control information flow.

Executive assistants who manage calendars effectively control access. Team leads filter what floats up and what stays buried. That person everyone CCs? They're shaping the narrative without saying a word.

One of the most powerful people I've worked with was a principal engineer who wrote the weekly tech digest. His summary of initiatives became the executive team's reality. Projects he mentioned thrived. Projects he omitted died.

He never made a single decision, but he influenced them all.

Layer 4: Blockers & Skeptics

The fourth layer could kill your initiative, and smart operators court them first.

The burned-before skeptic remembers when a similar project failed spectacularly. The resource guardian protects their team from yet another initiative. The culture protector sees your idea as a threat to "how we do things here."

These aren't enemies - they're your early warning system.

The questions they ask are the ones executives will think but not voice. Address their concerns early, and they become your strongest advocates. Ignore them, and they'll kill your initiative with a thousand small cuts.

Layer 5: Amplifiers

The outer layer makes things "a thing."

These early adopters get excited about new ideas and share that excitement. They write the docs everyone references, share links in public channels, and their enthusiasm is contagious.

Never underestimate amplifiers. I've seen mediocre initiatives succeed because the right amplifier made them cool, and brilliant initiatives fail because they had no champions making noise.

The Department Power Matrix

Real influence rarely follows the org chart, and each department has its own hidden power structure.

Engineering In Engineering, the formal power sits with the Vice President and directors, but the real influence often lies with that one architect everyone respects, or the Site Reliability Engineer who knows where all the technical debt is buried. The takeaway: Technical credibility beats titles. The staff engineer mentoring everyone shapes more decisions than any director.

Sales Sales looks straightforward - Chief Revenue Officer, Vice Presidents, regional directors. But watch who really moves needles. The takeaway: Performance creates influence. The top rep sets cultural norms, the ops person with real data shapes strategy, and the Sales Engineer who saves difficult deals gets executives' ears.

Product Product organizations think they're data-driven, but influence flows through stories and relationships. The takeaway: Narrative beats metrics. The go-to designer and the customer success person with the best war stories influence roadmaps more than any analyst.

Marketing Marketing might seem fluffy to outsiders, but internal influence is laser-focused. The takeaway: Results rule. The content person who sets the company narrative and the demand gen wizard who drives pipeline matter more than brand philosophers.

The Influence Activation Playbook

Mapping influence is just the start. Activating it requires orchestration worthy of a conductor.

Step 1: Map Your Initiative (10 minutes)

Start by spending ten focused minutes mapping your specific initiative. Identify three decision makers who can actually say yes, five hidden influencers who shape those decisions, three information brokers who control narrative, two potential blockers who could kill it, and five amplifiers who could make it spread.

Step 2: Analyze Power Dynamics (20 minutes)

Then spend twenty minutes on power dynamics. For each person, understand what they care about most - not what they say they care about, but what their actions reveal.

What would make them say yes? More importantly, what would make them say no? Who do they listen to when forming opinions?

Step 3: Build Your Activation Sequence

Your activation sequence matters more than your idea quality.

Weeks 1-2: Seed with Amplifiers

In weeks one and two, seed ideas with amplifiers through casual conversations and interesting data points. Let them spread organically - forced viral rarely works.

Weeks 3-4: Align Hidden Influencers

Weeks three and four focus on hidden influencers through one-on-one conversations where you genuinely seek their input. Address their concerns early and make them co-creators, not reviewers.

Their buy-in creates momentum that decision makers feel.

Weeks 5-6: Neutralize Blockers

Weeks five and six require courage - engage your blockers directly. Understand their fears, find common ground, and give them a win.

The skeptic who becomes a believer is your most powerful advocate.

Weeks 7-8: Activate Decision Makers

Only in weeks seven and eight do you approach decision makers, but now you come with a coalition built, concerns pre-addressed, and momentum established.

The decision becomes obvious, almost inevitable.

The Influence Scripts That Actually Work

The right words matter, but authenticity matters more. These scripts work because they're genuine attempts at collaboration, not manipulation.

For hidden influencers: "I really value your perspective on this topic. Before I take this wider, what am I missing?"

This positions them as advisors, not obstacles.

With information brokers: "You have the best pulse on the department. What's the right way to position this?"

This acknowledges their power and makes them allies.

For potential blockers: "I know you've seen similar initiatives. What made the successful ones work?"

This honors their experience and transforms skepticism into wisdom.

And for amplifiers: "Saw some interesting data on this topic. Thought you might find this fascinating..."

This feeds their curiosity and natural tendency to share.

The Power Move Techniques

Four advanced techniques separate influence artists from amateurs.

The Advisory Board

Create an informal group with one person from each key department, mixing influencer types. Monthly input sessions make them invested in success - people support what they help create.

The Pre-Meeting Circuit

Before any big meeting, have one-on-ones with each attendee. Surface concerns privately, build agreement individually, and the meeting becomes ratification, not negotiation.

The Champion Swap

Build influence currency across departments. "I'll champion your initiative in engineering if you help me navigate sales politics."

These mutual wins create lasting alliances.

The Prototype Power

Showing beats telling every time. Build a scrappy demo, get amplifiers using it, create FOMO, and let demand pull your initiative forward instead of you pushing it.

The Weekly Influence Routine

• Monday: Update your influence map based on last week's learnings

• Tuesday: Coffee with one hidden influencer - keep it casual, build relationship over agenda

• Wednesday: Activate an amplifier with something interesting to share

• Thursday: Address one blocker concern directly

• Friday: Share wins with decision makers to build momentum

The Uncomfortable Truth

Your great idea isn't enough.

The best initiatives die when launched into organizational headwinds, while mediocre ideas with tailwinds soar.

The successful ones ride organizational currents that were carefully engineered through influence mapping. Because in every organization, there's the way things supposedly work according to process documents, and the way they actually work through relationships and influence.

Career success comes from navigating the second while respecting the first.

Your Influence Challenge

This week, pick one initiative and map all five layers of influence.

Have coffee with one person from each layer.

Remember: Organizations are networks, not hierarchies.

Work the network, win the game.

~ Warbler