Influence and Negotiation: The Work of Leaders

Effective influence and negotiation skills have become important leadership competencies in today’s workplace environment. According to Roger Fischer and William Ury of the Harvard Negotiation Project, traditional negotiation styles based on positional bargaining and pressure tactics are ineffective in teaming and matrixed environments. In their book: “Getting to Yes”, they demonstrate that teamwork and excellent customer service depend on the use of strategies that promote win-win negotiation outcomes and allow team members and stakeholders to influence one another without the use of pressure or authority.

This course is designed to provide the influence and negotiation skills necessary to increase collaboration and achieve mutually beneficial agreements without depending on formal authority or the right to tell people what to do. Participants will also explore the scope of their professional networks and evaluate those networks to develop strategies for both building and maintaining workplace connections. Finally, participants will create and share a personal leadership philosophy that will serve as a basis for actions and intentions moving forward.

Learning Objectives

  • Discuss how to best apply Robert Cialdini’s principles of influence in the workplace
  • Learn how to adapt their mindset and leadership style to turn goals and vision statements into alignment, accountability and execution
  • Explore leadership presence and how to effectively use different communication structures to be influential
  • Persuasively communicate vision and strategy with concise, structured messaging
  • Draw individual influence network maps and assess how to develop and maintain their network relationships
  • Develop a Personal Leadership Philosophy that defines intentions and actions moving forward