Program objective
Develop the ability to influence decisions across organizational boundaries through stakeholder insight and clear strategic communication. Participants build evidence-led recommendations, address competing interests and secure specific commitments.
Who this suits
Managers, project leads, business partners and specialists who influence stakeholders without relying solely on formal authority.
Professional objectives
- Diagnose stakeholder interests, influence and sources of resistance.
- Build persuasive recommendations grounded in evidence and mutual value.
- Secure clear decisions and commitments across organizational boundaries.
Key learning outcomes
- Create a stakeholder map and a prioritized engagement plan.
- Prepare an influence strategy for a cross-functional proposal.
- Deliver a one-page executive briefing and a concise verbal recommendation.
- Develop a persuasive narrative and test it with a stakeholder objection.
- Rehearse a contested-priority conversation and record the agreement.
- Build a stakeholder follow-up tracker and a relationship review routine.
Module map
- 1.Stakeholder analysis and engagement
- 2.Credibility and influence strategies
- 3.Executive communication
- 4.Persuasion and business storytelling
- 5.Objections and competing priorities
- 6.Commitment and relationship follow-up
Modules in detail
1
Stakeholder analysis and engagement
Theory & concepts
Map interest, influence, impact and dependencies for a real initiative. Identify decision-makers, implementers and overlooked voices, and develop an engagement plan that addresses both formal authority and informal networks. Distinguish decision authority, influence, interest and impact instead of relying on hierarchy alone. Identify dependencies and the sequence in which support needs to be secured.
Professional application
Identify stakeholders who approve, contribute, use or are affected by the outcome. Review changes in influence and interest as the work progresses rather than relying on a fixed map.
Hands-on exercise & output
Create a stakeholder map and a prioritized engagement plan.
2
Credibility and influence strategies
Theory & concepts
Build trust through preparation, reliability and an understanding of business priorities. Choose between consultation, evidence, coalition-building and reciprocal support, while recognizing the limits of influence in a given context. Select rational persuasion, consultation or coalition-building according to context. Examine credibility, reciprocity and reliability, and avoid promises that cannot be fulfilled to gain short-term agreement.
Professional application
Choose an influence approach that fits the relationship, evidence and decision. Build credibility through preparation, consistency and an honest account of constraints.
Hands-on exercise & output
Prepare an influence strategy for a cross-functional proposal.
3
Executive communication
Theory & concepts
Structure a concise briefing around the issue, evidence, options and recommendation. Lead with the decision required, distinguish facts from assumptions and adapt the level of detail for executives or technical specialists. Use an issue-evidence-options-recommendation structure with a clear decision request. Adapt the executive summary, financial implications and detail to the stakeholder's responsibilities.
Professional application
Prepare an executive message that states the issue, implication, options and recommendation. Make the requested decision explicit and remove detail that does not help the audience act.
Hands-on exercise & output
Deliver a one-page executive briefing and a concise verbal recommendation.
4
Persuasion and business storytelling
Theory & concepts
Connect the proposal to stakeholder goals and credible outcomes. Use relevant examples and data to explain value, make trade-offs visible and avoid exaggerated claims or messages that overlook legitimate concerns. Translate technical detail into a business consequence and a credible value story. Use comparisons and evidence without hiding uncertainty or overstating the expected result.
Professional application
Connect evidence with a relevant business story without exaggerating the result. Distinguish emotional resonance from unsupported claims and adapt the argument to the stakeholder's priorities.
Hands-on exercise & output
Develop a persuasive narrative and test it with a stakeholder objection.
5
Objections and competing priorities
Theory & concepts
Use questions to identify the need behind an objection. Reframe disagreement around shared interests, negotiate realistic commitments and distinguish issues that can be resolved collaboratively from those requiring escalation. Explore interests behind objections about timing, cost, workload or risk. Use conditional commitments and negotiated priorities to resolve disagreement without escalating prematurely.
Professional application
Explore the concern behind an objection before responding. Separate genuine capacity or commercial constraints from misunderstandings and develop alternatives that protect essential outcomes.
Hands-on exercise & output
Rehearse a contested-priority conversation and record the agreement.
6
Commitment and relationship follow-up
Theory & concepts
Close discussions with an explicit decision, owner and next step. Maintain an engagement tracker, communicate changes early and review whether the quality of cooperation is improving delivery outcomes. Define owners, deadlines and evidence of completed commitments. Track changing interests, communicate bad news early and review whether engagement is improving the quality of decisions.
Professional application
Confirm ownership, deadlines and unresolved conditions when agreement is reached. Maintain trust through early updates and reliable follow-through rather than relying on repeated persuasion.
Hands-on exercise & output
Build a stakeholder follow-up tracker and a relationship review routine.
Integrated assignment
Prepare a stakeholder strategy and decision brief, then rehearse an influence conversation that addresses resistance and secures a clear next step.
Delivery & methodology
Format
Part-time professional training
Attendance
Face-to-face · Live online
Location
Dubai / UAE for face-to-face cohorts; online attendance available
Timing
Session hours, timetable, venue and cohort availability are confirmed in joining instructions.
- Pre-course needs and learning-goals assessment
- Facilitated theory and professional concepts
- Guided demonstrations, case analysis and hands-on exercises
- Application to workplace decisions, with discussion and feedback
- Post-course learning review and a personal application plan
Assessment & application
Before
Identify your role, experience, priority objectives and a workplace task you want to improve. Record a baseline confidence rating with an example of current capability.
During
Review module exercises for accurate use of the method, evidence supporting decisions, relevance to the case and clarity of the completed output. Use facilitator and peer feedback to refine the work.
After
Compare the completed assignment with your initial objectives. Explain the decisions made, identify remaining gaps and record the next practical steps.
Workplace transfer
Create a personal 30-day application plan with a defined action, target date, required support and an observable success measure. This is a participant follow-through plan; ongoing coaching is scoped separately.
Frequently asked questions
How does the program secure cooperation across functions?
It analyzes stakeholders, frames requests around shared value, builds credibility for executive communication and turns agreement into concrete commitments through an engagement plan.
Is persuasion ethical?
Yes. Ethical persuasion and shared value are central; the experience is not about manipulation.
Are the dates confirmed?
Dates, delivery format and places are confirmed by TIH before any booking is finalized. Use the enquiry option to check the next available cohort.
