How to Influence Without Direct Authority

Most managers have less formal authority than they need to carry out their responsibilities. Effective, innovative managers know how to use informal and indirect authority to influence key stakeholders: the boss, peers, associates, customers, suppliers, and staff.

This course will show you how to expand your power and positive influence beyond your formal authority in order to get the job done. Learn to understand the sources of informal power and develop the persuasive skills necessary to lead

How You Will Benefit

• Build and leverage the power base you already possess
• Establish trust, credibility, and rapport
• Work across organizational lines to get the job done
• Communicate a convincing, credible professional image
• Find ways to overcome bureaucratic impediments
• Learn to deliver an influence opportunity through in-class practice

2-Day Agenda

Day One: Becoming Influential

• Defining influence
• Your influence baseline
• Identifying your sources of power
• Becoming influential: partnerships and influence
• Assessing your flexibility and impact on influence
• Reviewing your knowledge of the organization and perspective it provides

Team Project

There is a team project component to this session. Prior to the start of the session, you will be contacted by the program coordinator to select a time to complete this project. It can be completed either:

• Day 1: 5 - 6:30 p.m.
• Day 2: 7 - 8:30 a.m.

Day Two: Putting Influence Into Practice

• Preparing to influence: identifying and assessing stakeholders
• Creating your message
• Planning and preparing for your conversation
• Following up: next steps if they say “yes”; next steps if they say “no”
• Influencing your boss