"You own the project."
That's the greatest lie ever told in project management.
You don't own the people. You don't control the budget. You didn't set the strategy. You don't decide the timeline. But when things go wrong? Everyone looks at you.
In Episode 7, Rick A. Morris makes the case that influence is the single most important skill a PM can develop—and shows you how to use AI to map, craft, and execute influence strategies that actually work.
The Reality of PM Authority:
What you do own: the percentage chance of success. By doing analysis, framing decisions, and influencing whoever you're speaking with toward the right outcome.
The Three Currencies of Influence:
💰 Credibility - People trust your judgment because you've earned it (not because of your title)
💰 Reciprocity - You help others achieve their goals, and they help you achieve yours (the most powerful lever PMs have)
💰 Vision - You paint a picture of success so compelling that people want to contribute
Common Influence Mistakes PMs Make: ❌ Over-relying on logic ("surely they'll see the math") ❌ Positional pleading ("the CEO said so") ❌ Passive aggressive escalation ("I guess I'll have to escalate...")
The DISC Secret Weapon: One message. Four different ways to say it. High D wants bullet points. High C wants data. High S needs to understand change impact. High I wants to know what's exciting. Meeting people where they are isn't manipulation—it's respect.
Three AI-Powered Prompts Demonstrated Live:
🔹 Influence Network Mapper - Maps key influencers, identifies positions/motivations, recommends tactics, and builds a sequencing strategy. Claude's standout insight: "You're not building consensus. You're building a sequence of aligned conversations so that by the time you reach the CEO, the decision feels inevitable rather than contentious."
🔹 Stakeholder Persuasion Message Crafter - Craft messages that land. The Netflix analogy AI generated: "Netflix didn't launch with a recommendation engine. They launched with the catalog. An AI feature trained on zero user behavior doesn't differentiate you—it could embarrass you."
🔹 Reciprocity & Coalition Builder - Build genuine influence through service, not transactions. Rick's honest tool critique: Claude's suggestion to explicitly name a past favor was too direct. ChatGPT's approach—aligning the ask with their interests and removing burden—was more effective. (Yes, Rick will tell you when AI gets it wrong.)
The Sequencing Strategy: Engineering manager → Product owner → Marketing director → CEO. Pre-wire every conversation so the final meeting is a confirmation, not a confrontation.
Your Non-Negotiable Experiment: Use the Influence Network Mapper on a real decision you need to influence this week. Have at least one conversation using the strategy AI helps you design. Notice: Did mapping reveal leverage points you hadn't considered?
Episode Timestamps:
Resources: PMThatWorks.com | YouTube - AI Driven PM
Next Episode: The Three R's—Resistance, Revenge, and Resentment. Why change initiatives fail and how to navigate your way out.
Subscribe if this changed how you think about your role as a PM.
Remember: The most effective PMs don't win by being the loudest. They win by knowing exactly who to talk to, in what order, with what message.
