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Executive Education

Communicating without Authority

Conveying your message with credibility and confidence

This engaging program provides strategies and skills that anyone with limited authority can use to communicate to people at all levels with competence and credibility. You will learn and practice proven methods for conveying both routine and sensitive messages clearly and confidently when working remotely, communicating virtually or interacting in person.  

Anyone with limited authority who seeks to enhance their communication effectiveness. Business, technical and support professionals, team leads, coordinators, supervisors and junior to mid-level managers in particular will benefit from attending.

  • Develop a more constructive mindset and behaviours when you are working from a position of limited authority
  • Become more efficient and effective when planning and delivering your message upwards, laterally or downwards
  • Acquire a new toolkit of skills for informing and persuading others assertively and diplomatically
  • Explore internal and external communication obstacles and apply methods to overcome them 
  • Engage others with maximum impact and acquire their buy-in
  • Enhance your power, credibility and confidence when addressing others, despite your lack of authority

Communicating Upwards with Confidence

  • Identifying your self-defeating obstacles when communicating upwards 
  • Engaging people with more authority to give you their respect and commitment
  • Crafting messages with impact when communicating upwards 

Communicating Laterally with Assertiveness and Tact 

  • Crafting and delivering messages about requirements, policies and procedures with optimal clarity
  • Communicating more assertively and diplomatically while remaining authentic
  • Practice: planning, creating, editing and delivering messages that balance assertiveness with tact  

 Communicating Clearly to Inform 

  • What is and is not relevant when informing others—guidelines for informing with impact 
  • The WSN Technique for communicating to inform when one has limited or no authority over others
  • Crafting and delivering messages with clarity and impact

Communicating Persuasively to Influence 

  • Giving your message persuasion appeal when you do not have authority 

  • Using the ROBA technique to craft and deliver a persuasive message in a real-life conversation 

  • Creating an action plan for communicating more persuasively for buy-in, commitment and action from others

Special features

You will engage in hands-on exercises to hone the skills you are learning, and receive constructive feedback from your facilitator and peers. You will also get self-assessments, checklists and templates for communicating without authority.

Dr. Gail Levitt

Dr. Gail Levitt

Gail is President of Levitt Communications Inc. An expert and author on influential leadership, she coaches individuals and teams to enhance their communications, leadership, strategic problem solving, and productivity for peak performance. She is known for her energetic and motivating teaching style, and has written two acclaimed books on collaboration and team planning.

Upcoming sessions

Stay tuned for future offerings of this program! Please contact us to notify you when it will be offered again. You may also subscribe to our email list for Executive Education program updates and exclusive event invitations.

Participating organizations

Success stories

"The engaging instructor provides guidance in tools and techniques you likely haven't used before to encourage more successful communication with people you do not have authority over. " 

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