Mastering Team Influence (online)

Course aims

• By the end of the course, you will have strengthened the leadership skills to work effectively beyond your technical role. You will also be able to: 

• Understand the complexity of workplace leadership systems that guide decision-making and the setting of priorities. 
• Adapt your communication and leadership style to build trust, credibility and influence with different stakeholders. 
• Align team activities to follow the organisational strategy. 
• Discover the real business need before proposing technical solutions. 
• Network and map your allies to strengthen collaboration and improve organisational outcomes. 
• Negotiate priorities, manage expectations, and confidently say ‘no’ when commitments are unrealistic. 
• Communicate complex technical information clearly and simply to technical and non-technical audiences. 
• Lead with greater influence across the organisation, even when you have little or no formal authority. 

Level and demands

Whether you are leading a team, managing projects or acting as a senior technical specialist, this course will help you extend your influence well beyond your technical expertise. It is also useful if you are stepping into greater leadership responsibility and want to build the interpersonal and communication skills that are often learned through experience on the job.

Programme details

Monday, 19 April 2027, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm (UK time)
Session 1 – Leading Up

Lesson 1 – Understanding Bosses 
Gain insight into how managers think, the competing pressures they face, and why they make decisions that may not always be visible or obvious. 

Lesson 2 – Synchronising Style 
Learn how to adapt your communication and working style to different stakeholders to build trust, strengthen relationships, and increase influence. 

Tuesday, 20 April 2027, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm (UK time)
Session 2 – Leading with Purpose 

Lesson 3 – Follow to Lead 
Discover how understanding organisational strategy enables you to lead more effectively and align your team’s efforts with business priorities. 

Lesson 4 – Probe for Purpose 
Develop questioning techniques that uncover the real business need behind requests so you can deliver solutions that add greater value. 

Wednesday, 21 April 2027, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm (UK time)
Session 3 – Leading Through Influence 

Lesson 5 – Network to Influence 
Build meaningful relationships across the organisation that expand your influence, improve collaboration and help you achieve better outcomes. 

Lesson 6 – Negotiate to Say No 
Learn practical techniques for negotiating priorities, managing expectations and saying ‘no’ when necessary so your ‘yes’ carries commitment and credibility. 

Thursday, 22 April 2027, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm (UK time)
Session 4 – Leading with Clarity 

Lesson 7 – Communicate Simply 
Master practical techniques for translating complex technical information into clear, concise messages that decision-makers and stakeholders understand. 

Programme Wrap-up 
Bring the seven leadership principles together into a practical framework for managing up, influencing across the organisation, and leading beyond your formal role. 

IT requirements

This course is delivered online using Microsoft Teams. You will be required to follow and implement the instructions we send you to fully access Microsoft Teams on the University of Oxford’s secure IT network.

To participate, you must be familiar with using a computer for purposes such as sending email and searching the Internet. You will also need regular access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification.

It is advised to use headphones with working speakers and microphone.

Trevor Manning

Technical Trainer and Author

Trevor Manning is a qualified telecoms engineer, who is still involved in world-leading innovation projects. He has over 30 years’ leadership experience, from technical roles, to COO roles, to advisory-board roles in the US, UK, South Africa, Italy and Australia. This international experience, in a variety of companies, has given him insights into how the workplace really operates. 

To lead others and achieve the right business results, as well as having influence at a technical level is a difficult balance. Trevor developed insights and frameworks that helped to create practical management habits, and developed his inspirational leadership skills through a deep understanding of the leadership mindset. He runs a consultancy business specialising in helping engineers transition from expert practitioner to business leader. This includes regular leadership training programs at the University of Wisconsin – Madison College of Engineering. 

Trevor lives in Brisbane, Australia.

Berenice Manning

Berenice Manning is a seasoned Learning and Development professional with a wealth of experience in the education sector. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree, coupled with a high school Teaching Diploma. Before transitioning into adult education, Berenice dedicated over 20 years to teaching Science in high school. Her expertise extends to her previous role as the Leader of eLearning in a large high school, where she played a pivotal role in shaping digital learning initiatives. 

Berenice believes in using technology to enhance the learning experience and is passionate about imparting this knowledge to others. Her commitment to educational innovation led her to become a prominent advocate for the effective use of various technology platforms during training sessions, a commitment evident in the development of the highly interactive courses: Technical Team Leadership and Mastering Team Communication.

To be eligible for a certificate of attendance, you will need to attend the whole course. Participants who meet this criterion will be emailed a link and instructions for accessing their University of Oxford digital certificate after the course ends.

The certificate will show your name, the course title, and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Payment

Fees include electronic copies of course materials.

All courses are VAT exempt.

Register immediately online 

Click the ‘Book now’ button on this webpage. Payment by credit or debit card is required.

Request an invoice

If you require an invoice for your company or organisation, please email us to request an online enrolment form. Payment is then accepted online, by credit/debit card, or by bank transfer. 

Recommended reading

HELP! I need to Manage Up and Across (Trevor Manning Consultancy Pty Ltd, Nov 2025)

Module code: O26C015N1Y

If you would like to discuss your application or any part of the application process before applying, please email us on business@conted.ox.ac.uk

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