Step into Leadership

Collaborating & Influencing

Using your leadership skills to collaborate with and influence others can be an effective way of improving outcomes. As a front line worker your leadership will often be seen in how you work in partnership with people who use your service, as well as colleagues from your own organisation and other agencies or sectors.

Influencing the thinking, practice and decision making of others may involve:

• Building positive working relationships and networks based on transparency and integrity
• Identifying and working towards a shared purpose or goals
• Understanding how diverse views can lead to creative solutions for better outcomes
• Using evidence, information and research to influence others, including those who have authority over you.

Collaborating & Influencing Resources

• The importance of interpersonal skills Brief overview of interpersonal and communication skills.
• Personal Skills A number of resources for personal skills development are hosted on Good Practice for leaders and managers including negotiation and influencing. Registration or an Athens username is needed – but if you work in Social Services and don’t already have one, you can request one from Social Services Knowledge Scotland (SSKS).
• 2015 Frontline Worker and Citizen Leadership Research Report An action research project commissioned by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and carried out by an inclusive team of researchers from Diversity Matters, exploring the changing dynamic of frontline and citizen leadership, and what this means for skills development, the workforce and for organisations.

Podcasts

• Robert Robertson: early years practitioner
  This story was recorded live at a Scottish Social Services Council leadership event in September 2017. Robert Robertson, an early years practitioner at Springvale Early Years Centre talks about his leadership capabilities and his experience of collaborating and influencing in his work. He speaks about influencing others through ‘risky’ outdoor play at the service and about empowering children as ‘little leaders of learning'.
  
   
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• Mary-anne Gemmell: childminder
  This story was recorded live at a Scottish Social Services Council leadership event in September 2017. Mary-anne Gemmell talks about how she is a leader within her service. She goes on to highlight how she works alongside other professionals to ensure she provides the best service she can for the children in her care.
  
   
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