Mastering Interpersonal Influence

29 October 2010 and Phil has just completed a two day Training Workshop for the Internal Audit function of a major Financial Services business in Edinburgh.  He ran the event at their prestigious office complex in the busy City Centre.  Eighteen people attended the two day event.

The event was characterised by active learning including the use of role plays.  In total we managed and facilitated the work of six rolling teams of three people.  All completed at least eighteen short role plays.

Philip believes that one has to use the tools of influence that best fit with the ‘authenticity’ that makes people who they are.  So, there are no tricks – the content of the workshop is based on using the best of research in the applied behavioural sciences

The role plays were designed to focus on difficult situations that internal auditors had experienced in the field.  Philip wrote the role plays after interviewing each of the eighteen people.  The purpose of this approach was to develop a degree of competence to deal with difficult people and in particular senior managers who may see internal audit as more of a nuisance than an aid.

Here is an outline of the two day event.

PDF of Sldes for Interpersonal Influence››

This coming week sees Philip running a series of events in Change Management and the week ends in sessions for the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors at their Scottish Annual Conference at Airth Castle.  Philip is running two short events on Dealing with Difficult People.

Link To Worksdhop at CIIA Conference on Dealing with Difficult People››

Internal Audit – Interpersonal Influence Programmes

Philip has developed many programmes over the years to resolve issues that are experienced by companies.  Designing programmes specifically to meet needs has become part of Philip’s style of development and learning.

Telecoms Industry Internal Audit Division

Some years ago now he worked with the Internal Audit division in a major telecoms company in equipping staff with interpersonal skills in a bid to improve the service that internal audit provided to their clients, 

As a result of the programme the number of recommendation and accepted proposals improved drastically.  So much so that throughout the UK all audit teams attended the same three day training in interpersonal skills.

Improving Change Management Capability

This initiative was to cascade right the way through the organisation and was continued for a number of years.  The telecoms business further expanded the programme to the purchasing, procurement function and finance.

Presenting Magically

As an off-shoot of this event he also designed and delivered a presentation skills programme which was also attended by staff from many functions.  With presentation of self being increasing important in promoting the individual as a brand he has enjoyed delivered the events throughout the Branch in Edinburgh.

Influencing a major element of change mastery

About this time Philip has secured consultancy work in the US with Case Corporation and part of his intervention was to help risk and compliance set up a similar programme which quickly spread throughout the company.  This event was restated many times in various plants and in many functions over a period of seven years.

Insurance Businesses

In recent times Philip has designed and delivered similar programmes for a large Insurance business head-quartered in Edinburgh.  He is also worked with the Institute of Internal Audit on a mentoring programme which has been running successfully since Nov 2009.

Tailored Programmes for Insitute of Internal Audit

Also he has designed similar ‘interpersonal influence events specifically as open programmes for the Institute or tailored to specific company or organisational needs and delivered by him on behalf of the Institute

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Influencing Others: Internal Audit

Presenting or influencing others is solidly based on the important skill of changing how others think and behave after and during the time that you have communicated with them. By focusing on changing behaviour as the end product, we can then work with our research material to give you the power to control what others receive in terms of your communication.

We draw on our research into evolutional psychology and the most relevant research in the applied behavioural sciences. You will have the opportunity to test and apply these principles in workshops, case studies and real plays which are clearly designed to equip you with the skills to radically improve your ability to influence others.

During the one day workshop will enable you to:

• Identify the traits of an effective communicator, influencer in your role of internal audit
• Assess on your personal traits to be your 'authentic self' when influencing others
• Initiate and quickly establish rapport with a wide variety of people in a variety of audit experiences
• Learn how to influence others in the audit team – this includes your boss, your colleagues and direct reports
• Develop strategies to influence - assess key objections to your proposals even before you present them to the business
• Apply the most recent research evidence on how to communicate directly to influence the behaviour of others
• Learn how to use and apply 'body language' to reinforce your spoken message
• Understand how to deal with the objections of specific personality types
• Self-assess your authentic self using six interpersonal influencing strategies