Black Friday Sale: Save up to €500 on select courses. Ends in
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Browse our upcoming live online classes. Download your brochure to learn more.
Secure your place by paying in full or availing of our payment plan. For Part-time, on demand and on campus courses, pay in three equal interest-free instalments. For full-time Bootcamps enrol with a 50% deposit and the rest at the course start date. T&C's apply.
Why UCD Professional Academy?
- Valuable, trusted certification
- Industry expert lecturers
- Flexible learning options
Influencing without Authority Course Modules
Increasingly, roles and responsibilities within organisations don’t rely on a single person always being in charge. Instead, success often depends on how well people and teams collaborate. In this course, you will dive into the concepts of influence, persuasion, authority, and power as you develop your ability to influence vertically and horizontally within an organisation. You will explore the areas of emotional intelligence and effective communication skills, plus understand how reciprocation, commitment, social proof, and unity work as influential factors.
Discover the distinction between being in authority and being an authority, and learn strategies for building rapport, expanding your network, and overcoming resistance. With lots of practical examples and learnings from recognised influencers, you will be encouraged to put these ideas into action and share insights with your student cohort. The course is led by an experienced leader who has honed their influence skills over a successful career, and additional reading and podcasts will be recommended to help you deepen your understanding and sharpen your skills.
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1. Influence, Persuasion, Authority & Power In Today’s Organisation
Understand the key concepts of influence, persuasion, authority, and power. Learn how organisational structures are less reliant on traditional hierarchical structures, with greater need for collaboration and support within and between teams and across organisations.
- What to expect from this course
- Influence and persuasion
- Authority and power
- The importance of influencing skills
- A look at some great influencers
2. Emotional Intelligence, Communication Skills & Powerful Words
Learn about emotional intelligence and how to develop self-awareness as well as a better awareness of others. Explore the role of emotional intelligence in influencing others and look at communication skills, including some powerful words to influence and persuade.
- Emotional intelligence
- Assess your own emotional intelligence
- Communication skills
- Listening and active listening
- Verbal and written skills
3. Reciprocation, Commitment & Consistency
Discover the powerful impact of reciprocation, looking at the role of commitment and consistency in human behaviour and their effect on influence. Consider the practical application of these principles in today’s organisations.
- The principle of reciprocation
- Reciprocation: pitfalls and defences
- Commitment and consistency principles in human behaviour
4. Social Proof, Unity & Social Influencers
Learn about social proof and unity in the context of influencing. Explore how social influencers get their power, looking at key concepts in social influencing which are transferable skills you can use to influence day-to-day behaviour in organisations.
- Social proof
- Being influential in situations
- What is a social influencer?
- Examples of social influencers
- The tools of social influence
5. Being In Authority Vs Being An Authority
Understand the meaning of authority and how influential people in authority can be. Explore what it means to be an authority, looking at the numerous ways an individual can be deemed an authority by a group.
- Authority
- Being in authority vs an authority
- Develop yourself as an authority
- Using the influential aspects of authority
- Authority examples
6. Likeability, Relationships & Networks
Learn about the role of likeability in influence, and how to affect likeability by developing relationships. Look at the impact of growing your network on your influence abilities in a group or organisation.
- The principle of likeability
- What makes an individual likeable
- Likeability impacting on influence
- Moving the dial on likeability
- Developing a network
7. Principles For Building A Successful Rapport With Anyone
Understand how to build rapport and the relationship between rapport and influence.
- Rapport
- 5 techniques to build rapport
- Why rapport is important
- The impact or rapport on influence
8. Scarcity & Shortcut Decision Making In A Fast-Paced Context
Learn about the principle of scarcity as an influential factor. Consider the fast pace we operate in and how we use shortcuts to assist decision making - looking at key examples in life, work, and human behaviour. Explore the relationship between shortcut decision making and influence.
- The scarcity principle
- Scarcity in situations of influence
- Shortcuts in decision making
9. Dealing With Resistance & Negotiation
Learn what resistance to influence attempts looks like and explore the possible reasons for resistance. Discover key ways to overcome resistance, what a negotiation is, and when to use a negotiating approach. Explore the core concept of negotiation.
- Resistance in the context of influence
- Reasons for resistance
- Anticipating and overcoming resistance
- Influence and persuading in negotiation
- Getting to yes
10. Putting It All Together: Course Summary
Explore the key principles of influence and their practical application. Consider the ethical implications of influence, and at what point it becomes manipulation. Review how a good combination of influencing principles can bring you more success.
- Ethics: influence vs manipulation
- Combining influence techniques
- Practice, practice, practice
- Review of core course topics
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Find Out MoreAccess to thousands of journals, articles and papers. Free of charge.
Students taking part in this course will now have access to the EBSCO Online Library, free of charge, for the full duration of the course. Here you can browse thousands of relevant journals, articles and other reliable academic and commercial texts like the Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg Businessweek and Forbes Magazine, to supplement your learning and assignments.
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Whether you’re interested in making your training budget work harder with volume discounts across our standard portfolio, or have bespoke training needs to be addressed, we’ll help you level up. Our team of upskilling experts are ready to take the pain out of meeting your training targets.
Talk to our expertsFrequently Asked Questions
Is this course right for me?
This course is ideal for anyone who wants to excel in team leadership or mid-management roles, including project managers and assistant project managers. The principles and techniques learned will help you build a strategy to influence others, gain their support, and bring them around to your way of thinking - even where you don’t have formal authority over them. This course is not a leadership course or a management course, however leaders and managers will learn many useful concepts, including how to put the key principles of influence into practice. The material covered will help you develop your emotional intelligence and enhance your interpersonal skills, with tools that work in any industry or sector.
How will this course help with my career?
If you are someone who wants to effect change, you need to be able to bring people with you. This course will give you strategies to work with team members and colleagues in a collaborative and supportive manner that achieves your goals and allow you to contribute to organisational success beyond your formal role or title. You’ll learn skills to influence both horizontally and vertically in the organisation, helping you to become identified as someone who ‘gets things done’. This is the kind of quality that can help you push for additional responsibilities or promotion as you progress in your career. You will also be ready to influence job interviews, demonstrating interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and credibility to potential employers. Whether leading a team, managing projects, or seeking to influence stakeholders, your capacity to persuade and inspire others will set you apart as an effective and influential leader.
What is the learning experience like?
Many of our courses are now available in a variety of formats. All formats cover the same course content. You now have more choice in how you learn with us:
Live Online
Our online experience is designed to be just as interactive, supportive, and inspiring as the UCD Professional Academy campus experience.
Online courses can be accessed from any computer or laptop with an internet connection.
Live lectures are delivered using Zoom. During these lectures, your teachers will use technology interactively to ensure an engaging learning experience. When appropriate, students will be encouraged to activate their microphones so that they can ask questions and communicate with other students.
On Campus
UCD Professional Academy is delighted to welcome learners back on the UCD Belfield Campus. On Campus courses are delivered in-person with our industry experts in the O'Brien Science building.
On Demand
On Demand courses enable you to complete your course on your own schedule. Course modules are delivered in the form of one “lesson”. The lesson is broken up into short videos followed by activities designed to put the new information and concepts into practice through exercises, quizzes, forum participation and other activities.
What is the student experience like?
Student care is a high priority at UCD Professional Academy, which is why our Student Services team is on hand to support you throughout your time with us. They will respond to any queries you have, help you with any technical issues, and facilitate your learning experience at every point. All students are given access to our Student Portal, where you can see your timetable, access all your study materials, and manage your account.
How is this course assessed?
This course is assessed through two assignments, a reflective practice report and a final written project, allowing you to demonstrate your understanding of the course. The reflective practice report (worth 40% of your assessment) will discuss how you have applied 4-6 of the tools or strategies covered during the course in your personal or professional life, then reflect and evaluate them. The final project of approximately 3,000 words (worth 60% of your assessment) brings together the practical application of several principles of influence in a given scenario. Students will be asked to submit their proposed scenario for approval no later than week 5 of the course.
How do I get my Professional Academy Diploma?
Your UCD Professional Academy Diploma will be issued electronically on a secure platform, with a link that you can share with employers and others wishing to verify your credentials. You can also add this certificate to your LinkedIn profile.
What are the benefits of a Professional Academy Diploma?
UCD Professional Academy Diplomas and Certificates are designed to give your career an advantage. Developed in conjunction with industry thought leaders our courses teach practical, applied skills to support you to achieve your career and business goals. Professional Academy Diplomas are suitable for career minded learners wishing to advance their professional skills and prospects rather than their academic credentials.
The Professional Academy is an independent wholly owned part of UCD designed to address the need for skills development in the workforce. Courses tend to be short, designed and delivered by industry practitioners, and are not part of nor do they lead to a traditional University award such as a degree or a masters. They are widely accepted by employers and many students are sponsored to study by their organisation.
For full details of UCD Professional Academy’s Certifications & Governance please visit https://www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/governance/
What payment options are available?
You can secure your spot on most of our Live Online, On-Campus, or On-Demand courses with a low 30% deposit. The remaining balance can be paid in two equal instalments (30 and 60 days later).
For full-time Bootcamp courses, you can secure your spot with a 50% deposit, with the remaining balance due prior to the start of your course.
Please note that standard terms and conditions apply, which you can review here: https://www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/terms-and-conditions/