Mastering ethical influence and persuasion in critical roles
In December, Birkbeck welcomed 20 participants from Malaysia, all working in various government roles, to study on our newly developed short course on Ethical Influence and Persuasion. The course ran over three days and was delivered face-to-face to maximise learning outcomes and engagement.
Designed and delivered by Birkbeck Business School, the course delved into the art and science of persuasion within organisational settings. An ethical approach to influencing and persuasion is paramount for those striving to build long-term trust with colleagues and for driving success within their organisation. The course participants all work in highly influential and critical roles and this short course was designed with this in mind, to equip them with tailored actions to improve their approach to influence and persuasion.
David Gamblin, Senior Lecturer - Birkbeck Business School shared his experience working on the short course in December:
“We were delighted to welcome 20 participants from Malaysia on our short course on Ethical Influence and Persuasion. Influence is recognised as an important and desirable business skill, and it was great to see the participants – all working across government departments – engage keenly with the frameworks and principles and apply them to their own scenarios in an ethical manner.”
Theory into practice
Across the three days, participants were introduced to the historical context along with a detailed exploration of the seven principles of influence and persuasion. Following the theory, participants were encouraged to understand their personal challenges with influence and persuasion, as the course shifted gears and moved onto practical applications of these learnings to their personal challenges. Participants also had the chance to hear from guest speakers from Influence at Work to amplify their learnings from a real-world, working perspective.
Birkbeck Business School is committed to facilitating business collaboration and putting our world-class research to work. Executive Education courses at Birkbeck play a central role in this, allowing participants to take their learnings and make impact within their own organisations.
Collaborative learning
Birkbeck collaborated closely with Learning Curve Group, a global training organisation, to design and develop a bespoke short course that met their specific needs. Our expert academics worked alongside industry professionals to tailor the curriculum, incorporating real-world case studies and interactive learning methods. The result was a high-impact course that delivered valuable skills and knowledge, reinforcing Birkbeck’s commitment to flexible, industry-focused education.
Victoria Horrox, Director of International Sales & Partnerships - Learning Curve Group shared positive feedback on the co-development process with Birkbeck which resulted in an impactful bespoke programme:
“Working with Birkbeck on our Beyond Borders – Cultivating Elite Negotiators for Global Challenges initiative has been a superb experience. From scoping out our original requirements to the delivery of the Ethical Influence & Persuasion programme for our Malaysian delegates in London – all requirements were met – creating an excellent, bespoke programme to meet the learning and curriculum needs of our partners and participants, who were high level government officers from all key government ministries in Malaysia. We would certainly not think twice about working with Birkbeck again.”
By the end of the course, participants were equipped with the knowledge and action points they needed to make meaningful improvements to their influence and persuasion techniques in the workplace, supported by the theory and their learning reflections from the sessions.
Address your business challenges
To explore customised training opportunities for your organisation, please get in touch with Birkbeck’s Innovation Unit. We have the capability to curate and deliver bespoke programmes across a broad variety of subject areas, leveraging our expert knowledge and teaching to create actionable learnings for your business.