Influencing the Organisation

Overview

Class Central Tips

In this course, you will look at how you can effectively manage stakeholders and industry/organisational politics, whilst successfully mobilising people. You will: – Consider how to build momentum and how to work across organisational, sectoral and country cultures. – Explore how you can align your mission with the organisation’s purpose and manage the politics to influence the organisation. – Look at how to lead in a matrix/complex structure as well as how to make your changes real. This course is aimed at leaders and managers who have five to six years experience and who are beginning to manage teams, customers and clients more regularly or more directly. Learners will likely have a technical or professional early career but as they are progressing in their careers, they are having to start grappling with the issues of team and organisational leadership. By the end of this course, you will be able to: – Work across organisational boundaries and engage with a wider group of stakeholders. – Navigate the realpolitik of their wider organisation and understand the importance of engaging with the political dynamic. – Extend and leverage your networks to be better positioned for the next phase of your career. – Identify levers for change and how best to utilise these in order to increase the possibility that your initiatives and programmes will be adopted.

Syllabus

Leading at an Organisational Level

This week we are going to explore how you can expand your perspective to think about leading at an organisational level. We shall consider some of the major obstacles that are faced when leading more broadly and we will help you identify areas into which you might want to expand. We will look at organisational politics and the opportunities and benefits they present, and how to successfully navigate organisational dynamics. You will consider the strengths you bring to the organisation and look at how you can maximise and extend your network.

Aligning Your Mission with the Organisation’s Strategy

This week we are going to look at how you can effectively align your mission with the organisation’s strategy, and explore how you can build your personal brand and reputation across the organisation. We will consider how to create a compelling, “purpose-led” story to tell as you develop your broader leadership role, as well as how to respond to and overcome resistance.

Making Your Changes Real

This week we will take you through how to make your changes happen, and explore the reality of change management. We will look at what gets in the way, the dynamics, tools and levers at your disposal, and how to create your own change plan. We will explore the phases of change and highlight key areas for attention during change initiatives.

Managing Your Transition

This week we are going to look forward to your planned or possible transitions in the future. We will ask you to think about your current career and your aspirations, as we share our advice on successful career development. We will provide you with some helpful tools to enable you to effectively manage your transition, ensuring that you end your old role and transition to the new effectively.