In most organisations, the people who get things done are the most persuasive, not the most senior. Influencing without formal authority — across hierarchies, functions and partnerships — is one of the most underrated professional skills. This one-day course gives you a practical framework for mapping influence networks, building credibility and framing proposals in ways that align with what your stakeholders care about.
Understanding influence dynamics and power in organisations, persuasive communication and stakeholder framing, managing resistance constructively, sustaining credibility over time.
Every session runs in a small, boardroom-format group — typically six to eight senior professionals. Your trainer tailors content to the specific industries, organisations and challenges each participant brings, so you work on real situations, not generic examples. The learning combines evidence-based best practice briefings with structured discussions, practical workshops and peer learning. This is training with a coaching and consulting flavour — focused on building skills and producing outputs you can apply in your work immediately.
- Map the influence networks and power structures that shape decisions
- Align proposals to stakeholder interests and values
- Adapt your influence approach to different people and contexts
- Build credibility through consistent language and behaviour
- Frame requests and proposals to minimise resistance from the outset
- Manage pushback and objections without escalating
- Navigate matrix and cross-functional relationships more effectively
- Maintain influence over time through delivery and relationship management
- Power, credibility and trust
- Mapping formal and informal networks
- Influence styles and stakeholder preferences
- Defining shared interests and outcomes
- Structuring logic, emotion and values
- Language patterns that build commitment
- Social proof and sponsor leverage
- Handling objections and pushback
- Coalition building and ally strategy
- Micro-commitments and incremental wins
- Virtual and hybrid influencing
- Protecting relationships under pressure
- Trust "banking" and reliability signals
- Reputation risks and how to avoid overreach
- Stakeholder cadence and communication hygiene
- Reviewing and adjusting your influence plan
Professionals, project managers and functional leaders who need to secure decisions, resources or collaboration from people who do not report to them. Particularly valuable in matrix organisations, cross-functional roles and partnership settings where formal authority is limited.
The following are some of the ISOC trainers who regularly lead this course, depending whether you join us in London, Dubai or live online.
A great deal. The small-group format and intensive, practical approach mean every participant leaves with specific, applicable skills and techniques.
Nothing specific is required. If you have a current project or challenge relevant to the course topic, bring it along — the practical exercises can incorporate real-world contexts.
Negotiation training focuses on specific encounters with a counterparty — deals, contracts, formal positions. This course addresses the ongoing influence dynamics inside organisations: stakeholder relationships, credibility and alignment built over time.
The principles apply in any setting where you need commitment or action from people who do not report to you — senior stakeholders, boards, external partners or clients. The matrix framing is a useful lens even without formal matrix structures.