Basis of Influence 3: Active Listening and Learning Conversations

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As lawyers we try to influence people in every aspect of our professional life, whether we are negotiating a case, developing clients, or just trying to get a staff member to improve work performance. This five-part series investigates the foundations of influence and the factors that result in increased success and cooperation .

These short courses build on sections from our highly regarded courses "The Trusted Lawyer" and "The Persuasive Lawyer." (The Basis of Influence Series covers additional new material, but there is some overlap and review.) Each short course stands alone, so you can can one or take them all!

Techniques of "automatic influence" are built into the fabric of what makes us human, and give the ability to persuade without the appearance of influence. Lawyers use and are influenced by them, sometimes without even realizing it. This course explores the factors that affect every attorney’s ability to lead and persuade, including the role of “perceived” trust, and what scholars have identified as the 9 Techniques of Automatic Influence.

• Discuss the relational foundation for leadership and persuasion.
• Learn how to build trust for effective influence.
• Discover 9 powerful techniques that lead to unconscious influence.

At the heart of every lawyer’s success is the ability to elicit support from others. More than 2,000 years ago Aristotle discussed this as being dependent on the ability to evoke the right attitude or emotion in the other person. This section explores how to inspire others to want to support your objectives.

• Inspire the right emotions consistent with persuasion.
• Invoke the desire in others to support your objectives.

Master the art of listening, and you will encourage clients and other lawyers toward full disclosure of accurate information. This program helps you discover how a learning conversation can reveal important new facts, and increase your successes as a lawyer.

• Improve client service by learning to identify true needs and objectives.
• Learn the four phases for clear and persuasive communication.

If you've ever found yourself on the (losing) end of explaining what you really meant, you know how damaging negative misinterpretations can be. Attorneys will learn simple ways to improve communication, build rapport, and match intentions to delivery.

• Discover why people misinterpret communication and motives, and how this can easily compromise lawyer effectiveness.
• Learn simple ways to avoid harmful miscommunication.

In this program, lawyers look at how breakdowns in communication, effectiveness, and health can be caused by intense work demands and stress. Lawyers learn the neurophysiology of stress, together with simple techniques to reduce anxiety and regain clarity.

• Learn how to keep anxiety from derailing communication and negotiation.
• Explore simple ways to increase clarity and enjoy practicing law.