Focus on Influence

Focus on Influence is about: developing interpersonal skills, reflection and insight, assuming responsibility, personal commitment, enhancing flexibility and achieving goals together with others.

Target Group: The programme is for individuals who wish to raise their mastery of interpersonal skills to a higher level, are prepared to subject their own behaviour to critical examination and are motivated to increase their effectiveness in working with others.

Objectives and benefits: Participants may expect to have increased their flexibility and skill in the use of a variety of influence behaviours in different situations. To this end they will have:

• analysed how others experience their influence behaviour;
• have received clear feedback regarding what they could do more or less in order to increase their effectiveness;
• learned a simple behavioural model which facilitates thinking about and discussing influence behaviour;
• engaged in extensive skill practice in those behaviours which they themselves decide to hold the keys to enhanced personal effectiveness;
• acquired insight into the personal and interpersonal processes which stimulate, and inhibit, effective behaviour;
• established a solid link between learnings acquired during the programme and the challenges of day-to-day life and work.

Outline

Focus on Influence features a set of flexible design concepts. Special emphasis can be placed on negotiation, consulting, leadership, cross-cultural communication or facilitation skills as required. Courses can be run in English, French, German and Dutch. On-line pre-work is additionally available in Chinese. The course is designed to be residential, running over a period of 3.5 - 5 days, depending on specific content and design needs.

Focus on Influence is part of the global core curriculum for Philips and NXP Semiconductors, and forms a key element in the management development programmes of Umicore, Huntsman and Masterfoods.

A typical 3.5 day public course outline:

Pre-work: Online 360° questionnaire on personal influence behaviour

Day 1: (evening only): Introduction to programme. Personal introductions. Initial diagnostic exercise.

Day 2: Diagnosis and analysis of personal influence behaviour in the normal work setting and in the training environment. Exploration of the dimensions of influence behaviour and further reflection on personal learning goals

Day 3: Setting and testing personal learning goals. "Open Space": self-directed learning based on each individual's personal learning goals

Day 4: Transfer of learning: application planning, "rehearsing" for application in a real-world setting, and action planning

Influence Model
The influence model used during the programme describes three fundamental dimensions of behaviour. Within this framework there are nine specific behaviour categories. No dimension or category is superior to any other; all can, if used effectively and appropriately, be instrumental in achieving personal effectiveness within organisations.

COMMITTING TO RESPONSIBILITY: THE "I"-DIMENSION
We state what we want from or expect of other people. We present our ideas and arguments clearly and persuasively. We make clear what we stand for and what our objectives are. We state our judgements of people, their behaviour and situations explicitly and forthrightly. We set our boundaries and expect others to respect them. We present our vision of desired futures and urge others to join us in our effort to achieve them.

COMMITTING TO RESPONSIVENESS: THE "YOU"-DIMENSION
We seek the views and opinions of others, and ask about their feelings. We seek to discover what is true or important for others, and what their objectives and goals are. We attempt to understand how they judge people and situations and where their limits or boundaries lie: what they are prepared to do, and what not. We listen attentively and demonstrate our determination to understand what others are trying to communicate to us.

COMMITTING TO RELATIONSHIP: THE "WE"-DIMENSION
We seek to create a relationship characterised by trust and understanding. We attempt to connect with another person by trying to see the world as (s)he sees it, and by showing how the other person has affected us. We disclose our hopes and our anxieties. We let the other person know what drives and motivates us. We reveal our vulnerabilities and, recognising that goals are seldom achieved alone, we ask that others join with and help us.

Public courses
Learning Consortium runs a small number of public courses in Focus on Influence in either English or Dutch language. If you would like to register your interest for one of these courses, or for more information, go to our Public Courses pages.  Cost €2,100 excluding hotel costs.

In-company courses
In-company courses are run in English, Dutch, German and French.

Download our Focus on Influence brochure here