Former Edward J. Frey Dean, Stephen M. Ross School of Business
7 Learning Experiences
Influencing People without Authority
3-Course Series
36 hours
12 hours per course (approx.)
About Influencing People without Authority
Influence is a critical skill in today’s workplace, especially when you don’t have formal authority. In Influencing People without Authority, you’ll build practical skills to communicate effectively, give and receive feedback, and persuade others with confidence.
Through this Specialization, you’ll learn how to build relationships that strengthen your influence, apply persuasive communication techniques, and use feedback as a tool for growth. You’ll explore how to present ideas with clarity and impact, combine data with storytelling, and develop strategies to influence peers, managers, and stakeholders.
By the end of this Specialization, you’ll be able to:
Apply influence tactics to persuade others across teams and roles
Build strong professional relationships to increase trust and credibility
Give and receive feedback that supports growth and performance
Communicate ideas clearly through presentations and storytelling
Distinguish ethical influence from manipulation and respond effectively
This Specialization is designed for real-world application. You can use these skills right away—whether you're collaborating with peers, presenting ideas, or working to influence decisions without formal authority.
Applied Learning Project
You’ll engage with lectures, assessments, and guided activities that help you apply concepts to real workplace scenarios. In Influencing People, you’ll complete hands-on assignments to design strategies for influencing key stakeholders and plan how to respond to unwanted influence. In Feedback Loops: Feedback Fundamentals, you’ll work through exercises that help you identify ineffective feedback patterns, respond to unclear or biased feedback, and build self-feedback strategies. In Speaking and Presenting: Pitches and Persuasion, you’ll get the opportunity to reflect on your ideas through weekly discussions and, through assessments, you’ll learn to apply concepts like body language, storytelling, and optimism to strengthen your persuasive communication. By the end, you’ll have a set of repeatable communication and influence techniques you can use right away to build relationships, present ideas, and guide decisions.
Skills You'll Gain
- Business Networking
- Develop Networks
- Advanced Negotiation
- Critical Thinking
- Negotiation
- Negotiation Strategies
- Business Negotiation
- Leadership
- Social Skills
- Decision Making
- Public Speaking Preparation
- Communication Strategies
- Constructive Feedback
Jack D Sparks-Whirlpool Corporation Research Professor of Business Administration and Professor of Management and Organizations, Stephen M Ross School of Business
7 Learning Experiences
Director of Artificial Intelligence Initiatives
16 Learning Experiences
Course content developed by U-M faculty and managed by the university. Faculty titles and affiliations are updated periodically.
3 Courses in this series
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Free U-M Access CourseInfluencing People
Develop skills to build influence without authority by using effective power dynamics, relationship strategies, and ethical persuasion techniques.
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Free U-M Access CourseFeedback Loops: Feedback Fundamentals
Build strong feedback skills to enhance personal growth and improve your relationships at work and beyond.
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Free U-M Access CourseSpeaking and Presenting: Pitches and Persuasion
Learn to combine data, expertise, and vision to deliver compelling, persuasive pitches that resonate with your audience.
