Influence Is Built in the Translation

I recently came across some SHRM research about what helps CHROs gain influence within their organizations. The findings pointed to the importance of connecting workforce issues to business outcomes, becoming more financially fluent, and using data to communicate beyond an HR-only perspective.

The research focused on HR leaders, but I kept thinking about how widely it applies. At some point in our careers, being knowledgeable about our work is no longer enough. We also have to help other people understand why what we know matters to them, and while that may sound simple, it can be harder than we realize.

When we care deeply about something, we tend to assume its value is obvious. If you work in human resources, the importance of investing in people may feel self-evident. If you work in communications, you already understand the risks of unclear messaging. If you lead operations, you can spot inefficiencies long before anyone else notices. The fastest way to lose influence, however, is to assume everyone values what you value or sees what you see.

I have sat in enough leadership meetings to know that good ideas do not always move forward simply because they are good ideas. Sometimes the person presenting the idea has not connected it to the concerns of the people being asked to support it. They are explaining the issue from their own perspective without translating it for the people across the table.

That does not mean abandoning what matters to you or stripping the humanity out of the conversation. It means making the full impact visible.

If employee morale is declining, for example, that matters because people deserve to work in an environment where they feel respected and supported. It may also be affecting retention, customer service, productivity, attendance, and the team's ability to meet its goals. Both things can be true, and both belong in the conversation.

The same is true when we talk about workplace civility. I believe deeply that people deserve to be treated with dignity at work. I also know that incivility creates distraction, weakens trust, slows collaboration, and takes time and energy away from the work people are there to do.

Connecting those dots does not make the human impact less important. It helps other people understand that what happens between people is not separate from the business. It is part of the business.

This is one of the less-discussed parts of executive presence. We often talk about presence as confidence, polish, or the ability to communicate well. But real presence also involves understanding the broader organization and aligning your expertise with its priorities.

You can know your subject inside and out and still struggle to gain influence if you cannot explain why it matters to someone who sees the organization differently. That becomes especially important when you are trying to influence without formal authority. You may not have the title or final decision, but you can make it easier for the decision-maker to see the issue clearly.

Data can help, but I do not think every conversation needs to become a presentation filled with charts and spreadsheets. Sometimes the most useful data is a pattern you can name: the number of people leaving, the complaints that keep resurfacing, the missed deadlines, the customer feedback, or the hours being lost to a problem no one has addressed. That information gives the issue weight, but the leader still has to provide context and explain what it means.

Before bringing an idea or concern forward, it may be helpful to pause and consider what matters most to the people you are talking to. What are they responsible for protecting or achieving? How does this issue affect those priorities, and what evidence would help them see the connection?

Those questions are not about manipulating the message or telling people only what they want to hear. They are about meeting people where they are and giving them a reason to care.

Your expertise may earn you a place in the conversation. Your ability to translate that expertise is often what allows you to influence where the conversation goes next.