Influencing People from Coursera

This course will improve your ability to influence people in situations where you cannot use formal authority. You will learn about effective ways to build, develop, and sustain a power base in your organization. You will also learn influence tactics that enable you to be more persuasive and influential in working with your superiors, peers, and even subordinates. In addition, you will learn how to build and maintain high-quality relationships to further maximize your informal power and ability to influence others. Importantly, you will distinguish between influence and manipulation and learn how to protect yourself from the unwanted influence of others.

The influence strategies you learn in this course will make you a more confident and influential leader, presenter, and decision-maker. You will more effective in pitching business ideas to your superiors, influencing customers, and building coalitions across stakeholders. This course will not only give you strategic guidance on how to develop and maintain your network for influence and power, but we will also equip you with specific tactics and strategies that are proven to work for gaining power and influencing people.

What's inside

Syllabus

Building Your Base of Power

To lead effectively, you must have power. Your power can be formally defined, for example your position or job title. Your power can be informal, for example your expertise or charisma give you power that enable you to influence others. In this module, we will explore the meaning of power and where it comes from, helping you identify your bases of power and opportunities to increase you power over time.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Explores interpersonal skills, which are required in business and management roles

Taught by Maxim Sytch, Ph.D., a recognized expert in influence and power dynamics

Examines various strategies and tactics to build influence and power

Provides practical guidance and tools for building and maintaining effective relationships

Offers strategies to protect oneself from unwanted influence and manipulation

Reviews summary

Practical influence tactics and strategies

According to learners, this course provides practical and actionable strategies highly relevant to professionals, particularly those in management or leadership roles. Students appreciate the clear structure and the insights on building influence without formal authority. Many found the content on defending against unwanted influence particularly valuable. While the course is largely seen as a strong foundation, some suggest supplementing it for deeper dives into specific areas. The instructor's expertise is frequently praised.

The instructor is knowledgeable and engaging.

"The professor's delivery is clear and his insights are very valuable."

"It's evident the instructor has deep expertise in this area."

"Enjoyed learning from someone so knowledgeable about the subject."

"The instructor made the complex topics easy to understand."

Excellent starting point for understanding influence.

"Provides a solid conceptual framework for understanding power and influence."

"This course gives you a strong base to build upon if you want to learn more."

"It's a great introduction to the topic, covering key principles effectively."

"Helped me grasp the fundamentals of non-formal authority influence."

Insights on recognizing and resisting manipulation.

"The module on protecting yourself from unwanted influence was eye-opening."

"Understanding how others try to influence me was a critical takeaway."

"Gave me tools to identify manipulative tactics used by others."

"I feel better equipped to handle persuasive attempts directed at me."

Content is best suited for a professional context.

"As a manager, I found the course directly relevant to my daily challenges."

"This is definitely geared towards a business and organizational environment."

"Great for anyone looking to enhance their influence in a corporate setting."

"The scenarios discussed were very relatable to my professional experiences."

Provides actionable tactics for real-world use.

"I found the strategies to be immediately applicable in my professional interactions."

"This course is very practical and gives you techniques you can start using right away."

"Learned specific tactics for influencing peers and superiors that I'm already implementing."

"The examples provided helped me understand how to apply the concepts in my workplace."

Some topics could benefit from more depth.

"While practical, I wished some topics were explored in more detail."

"Felt like a good overview, but I'll need to seek additional resources for deeper understanding."

"Could use more in-depth examples for specific complex situations."

"The coverage on building relationships was good, but could be expanded."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Influencing People with these activities:

Practice your active listening skills

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This activity will help you to improve your ability to listen attentively and understand the needs of others.

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Identify a partner for the exercise.
Take turns speaking and listening for 5-10 minutes each.
Practice active listening skills, such as making eye contact, nodding, and asking clarifying questions.
Reflect on your experience and identify areas for improvement.

Watch TED Talks on influence and persuasion

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These TED Talks will provide you with insights from experts on how to become more influential and persuasive.

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Watch several TED Talks on influence and persuasion.
Take notes on the key takeaways from each talk.
Reflect on how you can apply these insights to your own life and work.

Volunteer in a role that requires you to influence others

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This activity will provide you with hands-on experience in using your influence skills to achieve a positive impact.

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Identify a volunteer opportunity that aligns with your interests and goals.
Apply for the volunteer position and prepare to demonstrate your influence skills.
Fulfill your volunteer role and actively seek opportunities to use your influence skills.
Reflect on your experience and identify areas for improvement.

Four other activities

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Practice using influence tactics in role-playing exercises

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This activity will provide you with an opportunity to practice using different influence tactics in a safe and controlled environment.

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Identify a specific situation in which you want to increase your influence.
Develop a plan for how you will use different influence tactics in this situation.
Role-play the situation with a partner, practicing your use of influence tactics.
Reflect on your experience and identify areas for improvement.

Read 'Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion' by Robert Cialdini

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This book will provide you with insights into the psychology of influence and persuasion, helping you to understand how to build relationships and increase your influence.

View Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of... on Amazon

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Read the book in its entirety.
Take notes on the key concepts and strategies discussed in the book.
Reflect on how you can apply these concepts and strategies in your own life and work.

Develop a plan for building relationships with key stakeholders

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This activity will help you to develop a strategy for building strong relationships with the people who can help you achieve your goals.

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Identify the key stakeholders who can help you achieve your goals.
Develop a plan for how you will build relationships with these stakeholders.
Implement your plan and track your progress.

Develop a personal power base statement

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This activity will help you to identify and articulate your unique strengths and qualities that give you power and influence.

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Identify your key strengths and qualities.
Explain how these strengths and qualities contribute to your power and influence.
Write a brief statement that summarizes your power base.

Career center

Learners who complete Influencing People will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

CEO

CEOs are responsible for the overall success of their companies. They make decisions that affect every aspect of the business, from product development to marketing to finance. To be successful, CEOs need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships. The Influencing People course can help CEOs develop the skills they need to be effective leaders.

See salaries and explore the career path for CEO

Management Consultant

Management consultants help businesses improve their performance. They work with clients to identify problems and develop solutions. To be successful, management consultants need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships. The Influencing People course can help management consultants develop the skills they need to be effective in their roles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Management Consultant

Sales Manager

Sales managers are responsible for leading and motivating sales teams. They need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships with customers. The Influencing People course can help sales managers develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Marketing Manager

Marketing managers are responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns. They need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships with customers. The Influencing People course can help marketing managers develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Public relations manager

Public relations managers are responsible for managing the public image of their organizations. They need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships with the media. The Influencing People course can help public relations managers develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Public relations manager

Human Resources Manager

Human resources managers are responsible for managing the human resources function of their organizations. They need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships with employees. The Influencing People course can help human resources managers develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Human Resources Manager

Nonprofit Manager

Nonprofit managers are responsible for leading and managing nonprofit organizations. They need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships with donors and volunteers. The Influencing People course can help nonprofit managers develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles.

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Politician

Politicians need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships with constituents. The Influencing People course can help politicians develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles.

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Lawyer

Lawyers need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships with clients and colleagues. The Influencing People course can help lawyers develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles.

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Teacher

Teachers need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships with students and parents. The Influencing People course can help teachers develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles.

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Doctor

Doctors need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships with patients and colleagues. The Influencing People course may help doctors develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles.

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Engineer

Engineers need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships with colleagues and clients. The Influencing People course may help engineers develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles.

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Scientist

Scientists need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships with colleagues and funding agencies. The Influencing People course may help scientists develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles.

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Writer

Writers need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships with editors and publishers. The Influencing People course may help writers develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles.

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Artist

Artists need to be able to influence people and build strong relationships with galleries and collectors. The Influencing People course may help artists develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles.

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