Leadership Communication Strategies: From Advocacy to Impact

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Course Dates

STARTS ON

August 29, 2024

Course Duration

DURATION

6 weeks, online
4-6 hours/week

Course Fee
Course Fee

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TRANSFORMING LEADERS INTO CHANGE CHAMPIONS

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, where multiple factors reshape the dynamics of the modern workplace, there is a stark decline in employee receptiveness to change. Ideas and new strategies require collective support to transition from mere concepts to tangible realities. In such a scenario, the ability to advocate for ideas and overcome resistance becomes crucial.

Texas Executive Education’s Leadership Communication Strategies: From Advocacy to Impact is a leadership development program that teaches established methods and frameworks for impactful communication and influence, effectively advocating for ideas that foster organizational change.

The six-week online program will help you:

  • Understand the principles of effective communication to create maximum impact.
  • Influence decision-making through the strategic development of ideas.
  • Advocate for ideas to enhance your executive presence.
  • Influence stakeholders to act on your initiatives.
  • Navigate conflicts and draw support for successful policy implementation.
  • Improve your ability to manage and overcome resistance, positioning you as a strong leader.

75%

of organizations are adopting a top-down approach to change. Their goal is for workers to buy into the new path— and for managers to lead the charge as champions and role models for their teams.

Source: Gartner Survey, 2022

Only 43%

of employees are willing to back enterprise transformations in 2022, as compared to 74% in 2016.

Source: Gartner Survey, 2022.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The program Leadership Communication Strategies: From Advocacy to Impact will enable you to:

  • Communicate ideas and messages to stakeholders with clarity and impact.
  • Develop issues and arguments to your full potential to gain support and handle objections.
  • Hone your ideation and problem-solving skills to become an effective leader.
  • Apply different persuasive techniques to advocate for your ideas for effective change management.
  • Analyze and navigate different types of resistance from team members.
  • Establish trust and manage reputation through honesty, competency, and leadership presence.

PARTICIPANT PROFILE

The Leadership Communication Strategies: From Advocacy to Impact program is ideal for current and aspiring leaders across different industries, including:

  • C-suite leaders aiming to navigate transitions with trust, manage perceptions, and exhibit good leadership
  • Senior executives keen to influence executive leaders and persuade mid-level managers to gain support for their ideas
  • Mid-level managers aiming to communicate effectively with teams, senior executives, and stakeholders to drive innovation and manage obstacles
  • Activists who need to craft impactful messages and navigate conflicts to ensure successful policy implementation

COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM

This six-week program is designed to equip you with tools and strategies to effectively advocate for ideas, navigate resistance and drive change. Each module provides tools for effective communication, persuasion, and reputation management. Prepare yourself to overcome challenges, establish yourself as an impactful leader, and drive transformational change in your organization.

Module 1:

Ideation and Change

Demonstrate a foundational understanding of the relationship between ideas, influence, and innovation. Learn key concepts and strategies to enhance creativity, manage conflict and generate creative solutions to organizational challenges.

Module 2:

Communicating for Impact and Influence

Understand interpersonal needs and utilize communication techniques to reinforce key messages. Explore leadership skills to structure your communication for maximum impact, influencing stakeholders meaningfully.

Module 3:

Reputation Management

Identify actions that contribute to building trust and reliability within organizational settings. Apply principles of honesty, establish trust and authenticity, and craft persuasive narratives that captivate and inspire your audience.

Module 4:

Framing Issues

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the core principles that transform ordinary messages into captivating narratives. Utilize anchoring techniques strategically using the "Why Now" and "WIIFT — What's In It For Them?" principles to frame information and skillfully handle objections.

Module 5:

Persuading

Employ strategic campaign planning methods, and persuasive techniques to build a nuanced and targeted communication strategy. Utilize evidence of compelling data and arguments to support your ideas to garner support for your initiatives.

Module 6:

Overcoming Resistance

Discuss the impact of interpersonal conflicts, analyze personal resistance to change, and apply strategies and practical techniques to address various types of resistance encountered in change initiatives. Identify opportunities to overcome behavioral barriers and advocate change.

Module 1:

Ideation and Change

Demonstrate a foundational understanding of the relationship between ideas, influence, and innovation. Learn key concepts and strategies to enhance creativity, manage conflict and generate creative solutions to organizational challenges.

Module 4:

Framing Issues

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the core principles that transform ordinary messages into captivating narratives. Utilize anchoring techniques strategically using the "Why Now" and "WIIFT — What's In It For Them?" principles to frame information and skillfully handle objections.

Module 2:

Communicating for Impact and Influence

Understand interpersonal needs and utilize communication techniques to reinforce key messages. Explore leadership skills to structure your communication for maximum impact, influencing stakeholders meaningfully.

Module 5:

Persuading

Employ strategic campaign planning methods, and persuasive techniques to build a nuanced and targeted communication strategy. Utilize evidence of compelling data and arguments to support your ideas to garner support for your initiatives.

Module 3:

Reputation Management

Identify actions that contribute to building trust and reliability within organizational settings. Apply principles of honesty, establish trust and authenticity, and craft persuasive narratives that captivate and inspire your audience.

Module 6:

Overcoming Resistance

Discuss the impact of interpersonal conflicts, analyze personal resistance to change, and apply strategies and practical techniques to address various types of resistance encountered in change initiatives. Identify opportunities to overcome behavioral barriers and advocate change.

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CAPSTONE PROJECT

In the program, you will work on a capstone project based on the hypothetical example of the GreenCities Initiative. You will take on the role of a change agent and apply the concepts and techniques taught in the program to develop a comprehensive advocacy campaign for the initiative. The entire exercise will allow you to gain confidence to lead and execute change campaigns in your organization.
Profile picture of Gaylen Paulson, PhD

“In today's rapidly evolving workplace, employees and other stakeholders increasingly resist changes. The Leadership Communication Strategies: From Advocacy to Impact program equips participants with the skills and practical tools to effectively champion their ideas, handle resistance, implement organizational change and manage their executive presence.”

— Gaylen Paulson, PhD, Associate Dean, Director of Texas Executive Education

KEY PROGRAM FEATURES

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Expert Faculty

Gain in-depth insights from world-renowned faculty who are also expert practitioners with long-standing industry experience.

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Real-World Examples

Draw on the broad expertise of faculty and real-world cases, all of which make the learnings holistic.

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Hands-On Activities

Develop your communication, persuasion, and problem-solving abilities through activities, discussions, and assignments.

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Peer Learning

Interact and share insights with like-minded business leaders across industries worldwide.

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Capstone Project

Work on a capstone project to apply the knowledge gained through the program and create a persuasive advocacy campaign.

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Certificate of Completion

Earn a certificate of completion from The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business.

MEET THE FACULTY

Our faculty members are subject matter experts with extensive industry and academic experience.

Faculty Member Gaylen Paulson, PhD

Gaylen Paulson, PhD

Associate Dean, Director of Texas Executive Education

Areas of expertise: negotiation, conflict management, interpersonal communication

Gaylen Paulson's expertise lies in strategic interactions such as negotiation, conflict management, persuasion, change, and interpersonal communication. He has a PhD in organizational communication from Northwestern University.

Faculty Member John Daly, PhD

John Daly, PhD

Liddell Carter Professor in the College of Communication; Texas Commerce Bancshares Professor in the McCombs School of Business; University Distinguished Teaching Professor

Areas of expertise: advocacy and influence, crisis management, organizational behavior

John Daly teaches graduate and undergraduate programs on topics such as interpersonal communication, organizational behavior, and advocacy and persuasion. Dr. Daly has a PhD from Purdue University.

CERTIFICATE

CERTIFICATE

Upon successful completion of the program, participants will be awarded a certificate from The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business.

After successful completion of this program, your digital certificate will be emailed to you in the name you used when registering for the program. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of The University of Texas at Austin.

Note: This program does not grant academic credit or a degree from the McCombs School of Business.

FAQs

  • How do I know if this program is right for me?
    After reviewing the information on the program landing page, we recommend you submit the short form above to gain access to the program brochure, which includes more in-depth information. If you still have questions on whether this program is a good fit for you, please email learner.success@emeritus.org, and a dedicated program advisor will follow-up with you very shortly.



    Are there any prerequisites for this program?
    Some programs do have prerequisites, particularly the more technical ones. This information will be noted on the program landing page, as well as in the program brochure. If you are uncertain about program prerequisites and your capabilities, please email us at the ID mentioned above.
    Note that, unless otherwise stated on the program web page, all programs are taught in English and proficiency in English is required.

    What is the typical class profile?
    More than 50 percent of our participants are from outside the United States. Class profiles vary from one cohort to the next, but, generally, our online certificates draw a highly diverse audience in terms of professional experience, industry, and geography — leading to a very rich peer learning and networking experience.



    What other dates will this program be offered in the future?
    Check back to this program web page or email us to inquire if future program dates or the timeline for future offerings have been confirmed yet.



  • How much time is required each week?
    Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page.



    How will my time be spent?
    We have designed this program to fit into your current working life as efficiently as possible. Time will be spent among a variety of activities including:

    • Engaging with recorded video lectures from faculty
    • Attending webinars and office hours, as per the specific program schedule
    • Reading or engaging with examples of core topics
    • Completing knowledge checks/quizzes and required activities
    • Engaging in moderated discussion groups with your peers
    • Completing your final project, if required

    The program is designed to be highly interactive while also allowing time for self-reflection and to demonstrate an understanding of the core topics through various active learning exercises. Please email us if you need further clarification on program activities.



    What is it like to learn online with the learning collaborator, Emeritus?
    More than 300,000 learners across 200 countries have chosen to advance their skills with Emeritus and its educational learning partners. In fact, 90 percent of the respondents of a recent survey across all our programs said that their learning outcomes were met or exceeded.

    All the contents of the course would be made available to students at the commencement of the course. However, to ensure the program delivers the desired learning outcomes the students may appoint Emeritus to manage the delivery of the program in a cohort-based manner the cost of which is already included in the overall course fee of the course.

    A dedicated program support team is available 24/5 (Monday to Friday) to answer questions about the learning platform, technical issues, or anything else that may affect your learning experience.



    How do I interact with other program participants?
    Peer learning adds substantially to the overall learning experience and is an important part of the program. You can connect and communicate with other participants through our learning platform.



  • What are the requirements to earn the certificate?
    Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week, so you can gauge what will be required before you enroll. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page. All programs are designed to fit into your working life.

    This program is scored as a pass or no-pass; participants must complete the required activities to pass and obtain the certificate of completion. Some programs include a final project submission or other assignments to obtain passing status. This information will be noted in the program brochure. Please email us if you need further clarification on any specific program requirements.

    What type of certificate will I receive?
    Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a smart digital certificate. The smart digital certificate can be shared with friends, family, schools, or potential employers. You can use it on your cover letter, resume, and/or display it on your LinkedIn profile.
    The digital certificate will be sent approximately two weeks after the program, once grading is complete.

    Can I get the hard copy of the certificate?
    No, only verified digital certificates will be issued upon successful completion. This allows you to share your credentials on social platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

    Do I receive alumni status after completing this program?
    No, there is no alumni status granted for this program. In some cases, there are credits that count toward a higher level of certification. This information will be clearly noted in the program brochure.

    How long will I have access to the learning materials?
    You will have access to the online learning platform and all the videos and program materials for 12 months following the program start date. Access to the learning platform is restricted to registered participants per the terms of agreement.



  • What equipment or technical requirements are there for this program?
    Participants will need the latest version of their preferred browser to access the learning platform. In addition, Microsoft Office and a PDF viewer are required to access documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, and transcripts.

    Do I need to be online to access the program content?
    Yes, the learning platform is accessed via the internet, and video content is not available for download. However, you can download files of video transcripts, assignment templates, readings, etc. For maximum flexibility, you can access program content from a desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device.

    Video lectures must be streamed via the internet, and any livestream webinars and office hours will require an internet connection. However, these sessions are always recorded, so you may view them later.



  • Can I still register if the registration deadline has passed?
    Yes, you can register up until seven days past the published start date of the program without missing any of the core program material or learnings.

    What is the program fee, and what forms of payment do you accept?
    The program fee is noted at the top of this program web page and usually referenced in the program brochure as well.

      • Flexible payment options are available (see details below as well as at the top of this program web page next to FEE).
      • Program discount is available for participants who qualify. Please email learner.success@emeritus.org.

    What if I don’t have a credit card? Is there another method of payment accepted?
    Yes, you can do the bank remittance in the program currency via wire transfer or debit card. Please contact your program advisor, or email us for details.

    I was not able to use the discount code provided. Can you help?
    Yes! Please email us with the details of the program you are interested in, and we will assist you.

    How can I obtain an invoice for payment?
    Please email us your invoicing requirements and the specific program you’re interested in enrolling in.

    Is there an option to make flexible payments for this program?
    Yes, the flexible payment option allows a participant to pay the program fee in installments. This option is made available on the payment page and should be selected before submitting the payment.

    How can I obtain a W9 form?
    Please connect with us via email for assistance.

    Who will be collecting the payment for the program?
    Emeritus collects all program payments, provides learner enrollment and program support, and manages learning platform services.


  • What is the program refund and deferral policy?
    For the program refund and deferral policy, please click the link here.



Didn’t find what you were looking for? Write to us at learner.success@emeritus.org or Schedule a call with one of our Academic Advisors or call us at +1 361 344 4980 (US) / +44 13 8443 7887 (UK)

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