Influencing Skills for Project Managers
Build the credibility, trust and support you need to move projects forward.
Learn. Apply. Succeed.
- Build the credibility and trust needed to influence project stakeholders at every level
- Understand how personal power and dependency affect the ability to gain cooperation without formal authority
- Use DiSC® to recognize different communication styles and adapt an influencing approach accordingly
- Identify stakeholder needs, motivations and perspectives before deciding how to approach an influence challenge
- Ask effective questions that uncover concerns, clarify priorities and create opportunities for mutual benefit
- Strengthen messages with relevant evidence, stakeholder benefits and an emotional connection that inspires action
- Plan important influence conversations so others understand what they need to know, believe, do and feel
- Apply the course tools to a real project-related challenge and leave with a practical strategy for moving it forward
Is This Course Right For You?
Project managers, project leaders and other professionals who need to gain stakeholder support and achieve project results through people they may not directly manage.
The Learning Experience
- Project-relevant instruction. Learn from an experienced PMP and DiSC®-certified instructor who connects the course concepts to the realities of gaining support, navigating competing priorities and moving projects forward without formal authority.
- Practical, hands-on learning. Explore influence and communication concepts through discussion, collaborative exercises and realistic scenarios, with opportunities to practice new approaches and receive immediate feedback.
- Application to a real challenge. Use practical worksheets and job aids to plan an upcoming influence conversation based on a project-related situation you are currently facing.
Duration: 7 hours. Available for private delivery and customizable to match your organization’s needs.
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DateLocationTime
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Nov 12, 2026 - Nov 12, 2026Toronto, ON9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (ET)
Do you need a different date or location? We offer Courses On Request.
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DateLocationTime
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Nov 13, 2026 - Nov 13, 2026Remote Access9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (ET)
Do you need a different date or location? We offer Courses On Request.
When colleagues learn together, everyone benefits!
Connect with an advisor to discuss delivering this course to your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m responsible for project results, but many of the people I depend on don’t report to me. Is this course right for me?
Yes. This course is intended for project managers who need to gain cooperation and move work forward through stakeholders, functional teams, sponsors, colleagues and others they may not directly manage. It focuses on building the credibility, trust and stakeholder alignment needed to influence without relying on positional authority.
My stakeholders have different priorities and communication styles. Will this course help me work with them more effectively?
Yes. Participants use DiSC® to better understand their own communication style, recognize what different stakeholders may respond to and adapt their approach accordingly. They also learn to explore stakeholder needs and motivations before deciding how to frame a request or message.
Is this a technical project management course?
No. This course does not teach project planning, scheduling, budgeting, risk management or project-management methodologies. It develops the interpersonal influence skills project managers need to gain stakeholder support, communicate persuasively and move projects forward when formal authority is limited.
Is this course only for people with a PMP designation?
No. Participants do not need a PMP designation or any other project-management certification. The course is intended for project managers, project leaders and other professionals whose success depends on influencing stakeholders and achieving project results through people they may not directly manage.
How is this different from a stakeholder-management course?
Stakeholder management often focuses on identifying, analyzing and planning engagement with stakeholders throughout a project. This course concentrates specifically on the interpersonal side of influence: building credibility, understanding stakeholder perspectives, adapting communication and crafting messages that are more likely to gain support and inspire action.
I have an important stakeholder conversation coming up. Will I be able to apply the course to it?
Yes. Participants have opportunities to apply the course tools to their own influence challenges. They plan how to approach an upcoming conversation, consider what matters to the stakeholder and shape a message around what they want that person to know, believe, do and feel.
Will this course help me negotiate with stakeholders?
The course explores how credibility, stakeholder needs, effective questions and mutual benefit can support an influence conversation, including situations that move toward negotiation. It is not a comprehensive negotiation course, but it can help participants approach these conversations more thoughtfully and persuasively.
