The Wharton School has launched a new program to help executives develop the skill of influencing others.
The program, titled Executive Influence: Increasing Your Impact With Persuasion and Power, is organized by Wharton’s Aresty Institute of Executive Education. The inaugural cohort is scheduled for an on-campus session from Feb. 5 to 8. The sessions will cover topics related to persuasion, networks, and coalitions, according to Wharton News.
The workshop is designed for executives in advanced stages of their careers, especially those who are taking on broader management responsibilities. Participants from various fields, including marketing, health care, and finance, will learn broad tools for expanding their influence capabilities.
Cade Massey, academic director and practice professor of operations, information, and decisions, told Wharton News that the ability to convince others is crucial for leadership.
“If we adopt influence skills into our professional and personal lives—build them into our repertoire, get comfortable with using them—it’s going to increase the probability that we'll accomplish our goals,” Massey said.
Wharton faculty will lead sessions on a variety of topics, including "Increasing Your Impact," "Good Politics: Ethics and Influence," and "Power for the Underrepresented." Participants will take assessments to reflect on their progress, finishing the week with a “Make It Your Own” exercise that allows them to apply the skills they learned to their workplace and life.
The program runs its assessments in collaboration with Wharton’s People Lab, which uses data-driven insights to advance individual development. People Lab maintains a platform of educational resources to help its users work on self-improvement.
In the news release, Massey said that executives taking on more responsibilities in the workplace need a “broader persuasion toolbox.”
“In this program we put the full toolbox out on the table to help people understand what they’re currently using and what they’re neglecting,” Massey said. “[People] will have the capabilities they need to actually live differently when they get back to their workplace.”
The program, which costs $9,850, is currently accepting applications.
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