Influence and persuasion are the foundation for effective communication. Anytime you interact with others, you are trying to convince them to listen to you, hear your side of the discussion, win them over, buy something, or make a decision. Even simple interactions like deciding where the group will go to lunch involve influence and persuasion skills. These skills also provide the foundation to effectively negotiating and successfully dealing with conflict.

In this course, we will define and explore the differences between influence and persuasion. You will learn the ATTiC Framework to understand the components of influence. We will also learn to identify and look at examples of the Dark Side of Influence.

This course is part of the Three Part Challenging Communication Program (PROG 301). It can be taken as a stand-alone or combined with Mastering Negotiation Skills (COMM 301) and Mastering Conflict Management (COMM 302) courses.