How to Win Friends &
Influence Councillors
Helen Ball FILCM
Town Clerk – Shrewsbury Town Council
SLCC – Larger Councils Champion
Health Warning
These are the ramblings of a Clerk who has:
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No academic qualification in psychology
Been a practitioner for 17 years
A morbid fascination in people watching
Been the brunt on Councillor frustrations
A sense of humour
Taken a light-hearted but respectful approach to building
officer/member relations
• No desire to ever be a Councillor
• Full commitment to the Local Council Sector
Aims of this Session
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What is Personality & Behaviour?
How does it affect us as practitioners?
How can we identify our own personality traits?
How can we identify the personality traits of others?
Look at the DISC Personality Profiling Model?
How can we putting what we’ve learnt into practice?
How can we develop our personality to influence Councillors?
Top tips for keeping harmony
Personality & Behaviour?
• Pattern of emotions, attitudes, behaviours constantly
displayed by an individual over time
• Each individual has a unique personality
• Can we mould our behaviour?
• By identifying personality patterns in ourselves we can predict
our reactions to people, situations & challenges
• By identifying personality patterns in others we can
understand their beliefs, values & attitudes and predict their
reactions to us, other people, situations & challenges
Personality profiling the post of Clerk
• Independent
• Trusting
• Inspiring
• Adaptable
• Consistent
• Planned
• Respectful
• Accurate
• Analytical
• Careful
• Confident
• Loyal
• Enthusiastic
• Considerate
• Good Listener
• Risk taker
• Goal orientated
• People orientated
TASK - What’s Your Style?
Dominance
Influence
Steadiness
Compliance
Bold
Optimistic
Adaptable
Analytical
Strong-willed
Enthusiastic
Loyal
Precise
Outspoken
Motivator
Patient
Orderly
Confident
Energetic
Supportive
Accurate
Decisive
Persuasive
Good Listener
Detailed
Competitive
Inspiring
Controlled
Perfectionist
Risk-taker
Talker
Consistent
Considerate
Impatient
People-Orientated
Tolerant
Respectful
Independent
Extrovert
Avoids Conflict
Sensitive
Goal Orientated
Likes attention
Dislikes Change
Inquisitive
Ego-centric
Animated
Relaxed
Careful
Aggressive
Trusting
Planned
Worrisome
Me
Dominance
Influence
Steadiness
Compliance
Bold
Optimistic
Adaptable
Analytical
Strong-willed
Enthusiastic
Loyal
Precise
Outspoken
Motivator
Patient
Orderly
Confident
Energetic
Supportive
Accurate
Decisive
Persuasive
Good Listener
Detailed
Competitive
Inspiring
Controlled
Perfectionist
Risk-taker
Talker
Consistent
Considerate
Impatient
People-Orientated
Tolerant
Respectful
Independent
Extrovert
Avoids Conflict
Sensitive
Goal Orientated
Likes attention
Dislikes Change
Inquisitive
Ego-centric
Animated
Relaxed
Careful
Aggressive
Trusting
Planned
Worrisome
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Dominance Style
THEIR OFFICE
CONVERSATION
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Pictures of them with dignitaries
Back to Back Meetings
Trophies & Awards
Not set up for leisurely meetings
Blunt & straight to the point
Appear rude when first approached
Not very trusting
Wants Big Picture not detail
MANNER
DECISION
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• Quick decision maker
• Wants to know return on
investment
• Make decisions without following
procedure
• Solution focused
Strong & highly confident
Impatient & Independent
Not here to make friends
Its all about me
Influencer Style
THEIR OFFICE
CONVERSATION
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• Very talkative & friendly
• Doesn’t enjoy listening
• May become bored & easily
distracted
• “We did…” “The Team…”
Pictures with their family & friends
Could be messy
Full waste bin
Knows their team
Coffee Table style meetings
MANNER
DECISION
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• Spontaneous decision maker
• Not interested in detail
• Conscious of decision impact on
others
• Not as worried about money
Want things to reflect well on them
Outgoing, creative & excitable
Receptive to new ideas
Optimistic & self confident
Steadiness Style
THEIR OFFICE
CONVERSATION
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Pictures of family or team
Very organised & orderly
Will find time to meet
Knows team members personal
situations
• Office set up for long meetings
• Likes to chat
• Enjoys listening & getting to know
you
• Long stories
• Lots of detail
MANNER
DECISION
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Easy going & laid back
Patient
Not rushed
Plain & dull colours
Need time to think about decisions
Risk averse
Needs a committee
No decision is a good outcome
Compliance Style
THEIR OFFICE
CONVERSATION
• Incredibly organised & extremely
neat
• Everything filed away
• Lots of reference books on
regulations
• Progress on a whiteboard
• Only wants detailed facts
• Listens intently
• Can get bogged down in technical
detail
• No big picture focus
MANNER
DECISION
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High maintenance
Logical & accurate
Love detail
Reserved, but get them talking on
their pet subject, you won’t stop
them
Fussy decision maker
Can be slow to act
Finds it hard to delegate
Too much on their plate
DISC – Famous Personalities
DOMINANCE
• Barack Obama
• JFK
• Margaret Thatcher
• Gordon Ramsey
• Tiger Woods
• John McEnroe
INFLUENCE
• Bill Clinton
• Oprah Winfrey
• Steve Martin
• Robin Williams
COMPLIANCE
• Bill Gates
• Jackie Onassis
• Albert Einstein
• Al Gore
STEADINESS
• Mother Teresa
• Gandi
• Michelle Obama
• Laura Bush
DISC – Star Wars
DOMINANCE
INFLUENCE
COMPLIANCE
STEADINESS
DISC – The Simpsons
DOMINANCE
INFLUENCE
COMPLIANCE
STEADINESS
DISC – Harry Potter
DOMINANCE
INFLUENCE
COMPLIANCE
STEADINESS
QUESTION - What would happen?
• If we were all:
• Dominants
• Influencers
• Steady
• Compliant
• What would happen if there were no:
• Dominants
• Influencers
• Steady
• Compliant
DISC – The Question
DOMINANCE
What?
COMPLIANCE
Why?
INFLUENCE
Who?
STEADINESS
How?
DISC – The Driver
DOMINANCE
Success
COMPLIANCE
Credibility
INFLUENCE
Status
STEADINESS
Relationships
DISC - Motto
DOMINANCE
Just Do It
COMPLIANCE
Do it right
– the first time
INFLUENCE
Have Fun
doing it
STEADINESS
Do it
together
DISC – on the front line
DOMINANCE
READY, FIRE,
AIM
COMPLIANCE
INFLUENCE
FIRE, FIRE,
FIRE
STEADINESS
Aim, aim, aim READY, READY,
READY
The Puddle Scenario
• Dominance – Just do it,
take the risk and jump in
• Influence – Have we
ever experienced this
before; What was the
public reaction
• Steadiness – What if it
goes wrong; Have you
risk assessed the
situation
• Compliance – how big is
the puddle, any research
on water displacement &
how watertight are the
wellies
TASK – Selling this Conference
• In your tables, create a strap line for
this conference in each of the four
behaviour styles:
• Dominance
• Influence
• Steadiness
• Compliance
Reporting on Conference
DOMINANCE
INFLUENCE
• Bullet Points of what was on the
agenda
• Return on investment
• Will it help me do my job quicker
• Love the networking, learning that
X Parish Council did it this way
• Evening entertainment was a blast
COMPLIANCE
STEADINESS
• How valid/relevant is the
information learnt
• Will need to research more
• Much reflection
• Lengthy report about absolutely
everything
• Finite detail of every session
Dealing with a Dominant Councillor
• Be clear, specific, brief and to the point
• Stick to business, cut the small talk, focus on solution
outcomes
• Don’t be frightened to push back, they will respect you for it
• Stay out of their personal space
• Talk about the results they are looking for & how to get them
• Be sure of yourself, confident and firm
• Spare the details, they aren’t interested
• They prefer to move quickly to complete a project
Dealing with an Influencer Councillor
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Be enthusiastic & stimulating
Smile & stay close to them
Take time to be sociable, yet fast moving
Be casual & don’t come on too strong
Cater to their sense of flair & style
Listen to them & talk about their feelings
Don’t criticise their past decisions
Can decide quickly, especially if it plays to their emotions
Relatively easy to up-sell them to another model or extra
features
Dealing with a Steadiness Councillor
• Sell your sincerity & commitment first, before what you are
providing
• Find genuine areas of common interest
• Talk softly, be warm and non-threatening
• Don’t rush them; they can’t work to immediate deadlines
• Serve them in an informal, orderly manner
• Assure them of the reliability of the information
• Reassure them of their good decision when concluding
Dealing with Compliant Councillors
• Convincing them you have the answers can be difficult; they
are sceptical of anything you claim to know
• Offer something better than what they have
• Be straightforward, direct & low key
• Stick to business; be non-emotional
• Support their logical, methodical way of thinking
• Give them details to read
• Provide solid tangible, practical evidence
• Do not be general in you answers
• They love anything that improves their standards or efficiency
Shrewsbury Town Councillors
• Labour
• Liberal
• Conservative
• Total
7
5
5
17
• Dominance
• Influence
• Steadiness
• Compliance
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4
4
5
Finance Committee
• Dominance
• Influence
• Steadiness
• Compliance
Chairman – D
Vice-Chairman - S
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2
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• Meetings last 45-90
mins
• Reports short and to
the point
• Actions outcome
driven
• Plenty of Officer
Delegation
Recreation & Leisure Committee
• Dominance
• Influence
• Steadiness
• Compliance
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3
2
2
• Chairman – D
• Vice-Chairman - S
• Meetings last 90-150
mins
• Reports lengthy
• Discussion lengthy
• Decision making may
take more than one
meeting
• Often refer to Council
or F&GP
Planning Committee
• Dominance
• Influence
• Steadiness
• Compliance
2
2
1
3
• Chairman – C
• Vice-Chairman - C
• Meetings last 90
mins (if the
Dominants are
present)
• Need detail on
planning policy, tree
type
• Always want to know
public comment
How to develop your styles
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Dominance
Be an active listener
Be attentive to other team
members
Be less controlling
Develop greater appreciation
for others’ feelings/opinions
Show support for other team
members
Take time to explain the
“whys”
Be friendlier & more
approachable
Influence
• Be less impulsive
• Be more results orientated
• Exercise control over your
words/actions
• Focus more on details & facts
• Slow down your pace
• Talk less, listen more
How to develop your style
Steadiness
Compliance
• Be more open to change
• Be more direct in your
interactions
• Focus on overall goals rather
than procedure
• Show more initiative
• Work at expressing thoughts,
opinions & feelings
• Concentrate on doing the
right things and not going
things right
• Be more decisive
• Be less critical of others’ ideas
• Respond more quickly to
accomplish team goals
• Strive to build relationships
with other team members
• Focus less on facts and more
on people
Six Ways to make people like you
1. Become genuinely interested in other people
2. Smile
3. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the
sweetest & most important sound in any language
4. Be a good listener & encourage others to talk about
themselves
5. Talk in terms of the other person’s interests
6. Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely
12 Ways to win people to your
way of thinking
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The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it
Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say “You’re
wrong”
3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly & emphatically
4. Begin in a friendly way
5. Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately
6. Let the other person go a great deal of the talking
7. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers
8. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view
9. Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas & desires
10. Appeal to the nobler motives
11. Dramatise your ideas
12. Throw down a challenge
How to change people without giving
offence or arousing resentment
• Begin with praise & honest appreciation
• Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly
• Talk about your own mistakes before criticising the other
person
• Ask questions instead of giving direct orders
• Let the other person save face
• Praise the slightest improvement & praise every improvement
• Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to
• Use encouragement
• Make any fault seem easy to correct
• Make the other person happy about doing the thing you
suggest