Influencing Skills
Your practical influence skills toolkit
If you want to get things done, you’ll need to understand how influence works. Like the word power, there is some suspicion about the word. But if you think of anything that is important to you, then you probably wish that the right people, including you, have enough influence to change things for the better.
This topic has also been extensively studied, and so lots of people are using the tools of influence on you all the time. Just go to your social media channel of choice! Knowing these tools is partly a defence: know what ‘influencers’ are doing. But done ethically, with values to move things in a positive direction, then you’re being open, above board. You’re listening deeply to the needs, interests, motivations of others, as well as your own. You know who you are, who the others are, what the reality of your organisation is. You’re focused on the behaviours you want to see changed. You build rapport. You adapt your style, language and framing as needed, sometimes pushing when you need to, but mostly working with the positive motivations of others in ‘pull’ style.
This is a topic that can be trained in a fun way to illustrate the deeper principles. It can be a component of a training or a one-day course.
Influence Essentials Feedback
Mr. Whelehan knows how to create a group and how to animate. He gives the chance to each participant to express themselves and to improve. The exercises were great.
He managed that everyone felt comfortable but at the same time pushing us to go
out of our comfort zone.
Great trainer. Extremely well-prepared course. I have never attended a training during which I have stayed so focused and interested all the time. Big thank you to Laurence. We as a company would be very interested to arrange this training inhouse for a wider group.
PwC Academy Influence Skills Participant
PwC Academy Influence Skills Participants
For further Feedback, please go to the Recommendations section at the bottom of my LinkedIn page
I’ve been a business owner and freelance trainer for twenty years. Part of my job has been to help others see the value in what I do. I need to understand the needs and intended outcomes of my clients and participants. Then I need to show how my skills, experience, methods match with that. All of this is influence, and ethical. And - I need to deliver!
When I’ve lead teams and projects, I need to be clear and convinced of my message, through my experience, and through consulting with the team. Then I need to work with the motivations of the team to bring the project to a good conclusion. Again it’s using the principles of influence, and it’s ethical.
I’ve learnt and applied the principles of influence for the last two decades from the classics like Carnegie and Cialdini but also from watching fellow professionals in action.
Laurence Whelehan - Influence Skills Trainer & Coach
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+49 152 0309 8845
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