University of Southern Maine

Leading Through Influence: How to Get Commitment

Learn techniques for improving influence skills, whether influencing an audience of 1 or 100, by structuring influence messages so that others will understand them and be more willing to consider them. Influence is at the heart of most professions. Increasing others' buy-in and commitment to ideas, suggestions, and directives is important to success at work. This workshop is designed to help participants assess how to build relationships and communicate their ideas to others with credibility, confidence, and clarity. We will explore why some people are more influential than others and focus on specific how-to skill building. This helps participants with and without formal authority to create mutually beneficial outcomes. People who must generate commitment in others, whether or not they have formal authority, will benefit from this course, especially if they are working in an environment characterized by diverse needs and interests. In this course you will have an opportunity to learn how to:

• understand what people expect from formal and informal leaders, in order to be more influential
• create lasting rather than superficial influence
• identify and assess situational factors that can increase your influence success
• choose and tailor an influence strategy to meet the specific needs of a target audience
• communicate to maximize impact and credibility
• be a more prepared and self-confident agent of influence
• design a personal plan for a real-world influence attempt

Registration has ended. Please browse courses for future offerings of this course.

$195 (7 contact hours/ 0.7 CEUs)
Abromson Center, 88 Bedford Street, USM Portland campus