UNIVERSITY of WISCONSIN-MADISON

Influencing Without Authority

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Upcoming dates (1)

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For registration assistance: 608-262-2451

Schedule

Online materials available Oct. 30, 2026
Live sessions on Fridays, Nov. 6 & 13, 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m. CT
There will be approximately 1.5 hours of independent study.

Registration through: October 16, 2026

All times shown in central time.

Format

Live online

Fee

$480 standard
$380 gov't/nonprofit 

Instructor

Stacey Murphy

Cancellation Policy

  • Cancel three full business days before the class starts and receive a full refund minus a $50 administrative fee.
  • Cancel less than three business days beforehand, or do not participate, you remain responsible for the entire fee.

Summary

Influence is not about position, title or authority. It’s about building trust, credibility and partnership to shape thinking and inspire action. In today’s complex organizations, success depends on your ability to gain alignment, engage others and drive results across boundaries, even when you don’t have direct control.

This interactive workshop equips you with the mindset, tools and language to influence authentically and effectively. Through discussion, reflection and real-world application, you’ll feel more confident in building trust, listening and communicating for impact, asking powerful questions and navigating resistance with curiosity. You will leave with practical influence tools you can immediately apply to strengthen relationships, gain stakeholder buy-in and lead collaborative outcomes that stick.

Learning objectives:
  • Examine influence as a core professional capability grounded in trust, preparation and understanding others’ motivations rather than authority or positional power.
  • Evaluate personal effectiveness in the three pillars of trusted advising — credibility, insight and collaboration — and identify strategies to strengthen each area.
  • Demonstrate active listening, empathy and awareness of intent versus impact in communication.
  • Apply powerful questioning techniques to foster curiosity, generate insight and create shared ownership, transforming conversations from persuasion to co-creation.
  • Analyze stakeholder influence, motivations and priorities to develop value propositions that align with their needs and interests.
  • Apply strategies for responding effectively to resistance by staying curious, validating perspectives, reframing objections and maintaining partnership through the language of influence.

Overview

How you will learn:
  • Prework discussion board on Canvas plus self-assessment — 20 minutes
  • Asynchronous content — 40 minutes
  • Day 1 live online class — 3.5 hours
  • Day 1 homework (question bank, value prop, discussion) — 30 minutes
  • Day 2 live online class — 3.5 hours

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Earn Continuing Education Hours

By participating in this class you will earn:

Instructional Hours 8
University of Wisconsin Continuing Education Units 8

Explanation of Continuing Education Hours

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Program Questions?

Contact online@dcs.wisc.edu or 608-262-1156

Registration Questions?

Email registration@cerc.wisc.edu or call 608-262-2451.

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Meet your instructor

Stacey Murphy