Influencing and Decision Making
Build confidence in influencing others and making sound decisions at work. This practical course helps you shape outcomes, handle challenge, and make clearer decisions in complex, people-driven environments.
In this course, you will learn how to:
- Use practical influencing techniques to shape discussions and outcomes
- Recognise and respond to different influencing styles and sources of power
- Communicate more effectively using language and non-verbal cues
- Handle challenge, resistance and confrontation with confidence
- Understand how bias, perception and judgement affect decision making
- Apply decision-making frameworks in uncertain and complex situations
Who is this course for?
Professionals who need to influence others and contribute to decisions as part of their role. Ideal for people working in project teams, matrix environments or roles where collaboration, challenge and judgement are essential.
Enquire NowFrequently Asked Questions
What is the focus of the Influencing and Decision Making course?
Who should attend Influencing and Decision Making training?
What techniques will I learn during the course?
Is this course practical or theory-based?
How is the Influencing and Decision Making course delivered?
What support is available after completing the training?
Course Outline
Course overview
Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours)
This is a highly interactive and practical course which will help you to use influencing and decision
making techniques.
This workshop has been specifically designed to give you an opportunity to learn and test a range of influencing and decision making models and techniques.
The course is aimed at anyone who interacts with others on a regular basis, especially those in project management disciplines, multi disciplinary, matrix type organisations where healthy debate and challenge are key to achieving optimum resolutions.
Objectives
By the end of the course you will be able to:
- Utilise a variety of new techniques to enhance your influencing skills
- Recognise the impact of non-verbal communication and use it to enhance influencing behaviours
- Use language skills necessary to get your message across in an influential way
- Apply different techniques for dealing with aggression
- Understand VUCA – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity & Ambiguous
- Use Perception, Bias, Decision Making and Judgement
- Understand personal preferences and approaches to Decision Making
- Speed read others approach to decision making
- Apply Mindsets, Skillsets and Toolsets for decision making
Content
What is influencing?
- Sources of power
- Influencing skills
- Choosing the right approach
Developing Skills
- Communication skills – the language of influence
- Different influencing techniques and when to use them
- Having the confidence to challenge
- Dealing with confrontation and challenges in a confident manner
The Decision Lifecycle – Personal Preferences
- Understand the human facts that influence decision making
- Understanding personal preferences and approaches to Decision Making
- Understand the impact of Perception, Bias and judgement in decision making
- Speed reading others approach to decision making
Frameworks to provide context for decision making
- Understand the business factors that influence decision making - VUCA
- The Cynefin Framework – decision making in complex situations
- Understanding which business context, you operate in – simple, complicated, complex or chaotic
- Understanding how to decide in complexity
Practical
- Practical exercises
- Case studies
- Personal action planning
Why Choose Underscore for Influencing and Decision Making Training?
Underscore Group delivers practical, instructor-led leadership and personal development training that helps people communicate clearly, build confidence, and work more effectively with others. Based in Sussex and supporting organisations across the UK, we specialise in relatable, real-world learning that strengthens capability at every level — from early-career professionals to experienced managers.
Every session is tailored to your organisation’s culture, values and ways of working, ensuring the skills taught transfer directly into day-to-day behaviour. Our leadership and people-skills programmes are trusted by organisations across finance, aviation, healthcare, construction and professional services.
- Trusted by leading UK organisations
- Expert trainers with real business experience
- Small-group sessions (6–8 people)
- Practical, hands-on learning approach
- Virtual & onsite delivery across the UK
- Six months of post-course support
Get in Touch
Still have questions about this course?
Click Enquire Now and our team will share full details on content, dates, and pricing — and help you decide if it’s the right fit for you or your organisation.
Enquire NowLooking for training in a different area?
Browse all our Corporate Training Courses across Leadership, Project Management and Microsoft 365.
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Additional Insights
Continue your learning with related tools, articles, case studies, and podcast episodes that explore how these skills are applied in real-world contexts.
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