When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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Earn a shareable career certificate
There are 3 modules in this course
This course is the third of a series that will help you become an effective leader and advocate, both within and outside your organization, on issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion. In this course, you’ll explore various approaches to interacting with stakeholders who represent perspectives outside your own organization and/or perspective. Whether you are dealing with sales interactions, personal interactions or other difficult situations, you’ll be able to practice and hone your skills for engaging external stakeholders, at work and beyond. You’ll learn by playing games (realistic simulations) in which animated characters challenge you to understand their perspectives and interests. The simulations cover a wide range of situations in where you must deal with external stakeholders, providing a safe space to practice difficult conversations and explore diverging perspectives.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
• Confirm your assumptions about the interests of others
• Ask key questions to figure out people’s underlying interests
• Target your communication to the interests of external stakeholders
• Anticipate, acknowledge, and handle the objections of external stakeholders
• Communicate “cautionary tales” to objecting stakeholders, if necessary
• Influence the decision-making of external stakeholders
The intended audience for this course is leaders, managers, team leads, team members, HR professionals, and others who interact in a team environment. The prerequisites for this course include experience interacting in a team environment, and any relevant experience either giving or receiving feedback to or from others.
This module explores techniques you can use to understand the underlying interests that motivate people and drive their decision-making. You will learn how to develop targeted assumptions you can evaluate by engaging various external stakeholders in conversations about their interests. You'll learn by playing games (realistic simulations) in which animated characters challenge you to understand their perspectives and interests.
Relationships Lab: Getting Unexpected Feedback from a Friend•20 minutes
Relationships Lab: Understanding How Your Customer Sees Value•20 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Fellow Learner Introductions•10 minutes
Speaking To The Interests of Others
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
This module examines methods to communicate effectively with external stakeholders. In this module, you will evaluate what happens when you do not speak to the interests of others, learn how to recover from missed opportunities, and explore ways to target your communication to capture the full attention of external stakeholders. You'll learn by playing games (realistic simulations) in which animated characters challenge you to understand their perspectives and interests.
What's included
11 videos1 reading7 assignments3 app items
Show info about module content
11 videos•Total 12 minutes
It is Not Easy to Speak to Customer Interests•1 minute
What Happens When We Do Not Speak to Customer Interests•1 minute
Frontload the Most Attractive Elements of Your Package•1 minute
Negotiation is Not Poker•1 minute
How You Communicate Your Views is Important•1 minute
Do You Have a Responsibility to Ask, “Why Me?”•1 minute
First, Confirm Your Understanding of Each Key Stakeholder's Interests•1 minute
Avoid Stakeholder Interests Your Value Differentiators Do Not Satisfy•1 minute
Clearly Link Your Value Differentiators to Interests Satisfied •1 minute
Present Your Best Value Differentiators First•1 minute
Do Not Overstate How Your Value Differentiators Satisfy Interests•2 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Focus on Areas of Alignment While Acknowledging Conflicting Interests •10 minutes
7 assignments•Total 90 minutes
‘What Happens When We Do Not Speak to Customer Interests’ Reflection•10 minutes
‘Negotiation Is Not Poker’ Reflection•10 minutes
‘Focus on Areas of Alignment While Acknowledging Conflicting Interests’ Reflection•10 minutes
‘Picked For Privilege’ Reflection•10 minutes
‘Clearly Link Your Value Differentiators to Interests Satisfied’ Reflection•10 minutes
‘Targeting Your Message So Customer Stakeholders See Value’ Reflection•10 minutes
Module 2 Assessment•30 minutes
3 app items•Total 60 minutes
Relationships Lab: Communicating Value So Your Customer Gets It•20 minutes
Relationships Lab: Picked for Privilege•20 minutes
Relationships Lab: Targeting Your Message So Customer Stakeholders See Value•20 minutes
Overcoming Objections and Influencing Others
Module 3•4 hours to complete
Module details
This module addresses a variety of situations and reasons people may object to your suggestions and proposals, so you can anticipate and overcome those objections. In this module, you will explore how to handle objections to influence the decision-making of others. You will also determine when and how to use “cautionary tales,” and when it makes sense to push back against people with power who oppose or resist your objectives. You'll learn by playing games (realistic simulations) in which animated characters challenge you to understand their perspectives and interests.
What's included
10 videos1 reading8 assignments3 app items
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 11 minutes
To Influence Customers, Understand Their Interests •1 minute
(Only) if Appropriate, Communicate a Cautionary Tale•1 minute
Communicate Consequences•1 minute
Use Concrete Examples•1 minute
First, Acknowledge the Objection•1 minute
Overcome Challenges and Build Relationships•1 minute
Be Sure Your Cautionary Tale Is Relevant, Credible and Unpleasant •1 minute
Do Not Back Down, Bluff or Exaggerate•1 minute
People With Power May Not Listen Without “Threats” of Disruption•1 minute
When You Communicate “Consequences,” Open the Door to Negotiations•1 minute
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
When does it make sense to challenge others?•10 minutes
8 assignments•Total 140 minutes
‘Communicate Consequences’ Reflection•10 minutes
‘Influencing Customer Decision-Making In Your Favor’ Reflection•10 minutes
‘Overcome Challenges and Build Relationships’ Reflection•10 minutes
‘Overcoming Objections - I Used Another Agent’ Reflection•10 minutes
‘When Does it Make Sense To Challenge Others’ Reflection•10 minutes
Communicating Your Disruptive Plans to Those in Power’ Reflection•10 minutes
Module 3 Assessment•30 minutes
End-of-Course Final Assessment•50 minutes
3 app items•Total 60 minutes
Relationships Lab: Influencing Customer Decision-Making In Your Favor•20 minutes
Relationships Lab: Overcoming Objections - I Used Another Agent Before•20 minutes
Relationships Lab: Communicating Your Disruptive Plans to Those in Power•20 minutes
Earn a career certificate
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Alignor is the world leader in performance improvement solutions utilizing the interest-based approach that drives results and builds relationships. Our realistic online simulations, data analytics and coaching tools are designed to deliver a competitive advantage for your organization with results you can measure.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.