Influencing Across The Matrix

Industry: Leadership Development

Location : Virtual

Duration : 4 hours (two 2-hour modules with pre-work and homework in-between the modules)

About this course

Attendees will walk away being better equipped to navigate a matrix environment, where they may have little positional power. They will be able to form stronger networks across the organization and more effectively build sponsorship for their ideas, gain stakeholders’ buy-in and support, solicit the cooperation of others and drive their priorities. They will do so through building trust and credibility, thoroughly assessing the style and needs of those being influenced and skillfully applying core communication techniques.

How can leaders promote and foster cooperation?

Transparent and timely communication are key features of a matrix that works effectively. Although these behaviors encourage collaboration, they don’t prevent disputes about what to do, when to do it, and how. In order to sustain cooperation and collaboration across organizational boundaries, leaders in a matrixed structure must win other people’s support for their ideas and resolve differences across organizational boundaries. Thus, it is vital for today’s leaders to develop their influence skills.

To influence effectively within a matrix, the groundwork must be laid well in advance. To change the perspective, behaviors, or attitudes of your matrix partner, you must act immediately. In all of their interactions, the best leaders exhibit the following behaviors.

  1. Find a common goal or objective - When your goals aren’t aligned, no proposal, no matter how well thought out, can have an effect on the other person’s behavior or attitude. Even if their arguments appear compelling and the data proving them true are strong, leaders who focus on outcomes that others don’t care about can’t succeed. Instead of making repeated arguments that do not achieve the desired results, they ensure that their goals are aligned before starting their positions more forcefully.
  2. Establish your credibility - A person’s perception of their competence is a major contributor to the success of their ideas or proposals.
  3. Understand other people's needs and values - To effectively influence someone, you must consider the issue from their perspective rather than yours. As opposed to focusing on your own values and benefits, it is more effective to emphasize the specific benefits of your proposal for the other person or how it is consistent with the values and beliefs the other person holds dear.
  4. Develop positive relationships at work - The use of influence tactics such as inspiration and consultation requires a positive relationship and trust. A style of flexibility and a decreased reliance on rational arguments are dependent on building trust and relationships over time.

For more information about this course, please check this blog from P2L.

What Will You Accomplish?


  • As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to:
    • Drive a more collaborative approach toward influencing
    • Emphasize the importance of interpersonal relationships as the foundation for influencing
    • Raise awareness and increase understanding and appreciation of individual differences
    • Improve their interpersonal communication skills
    • Identify tools and processes for strategically tackling influencing situations
    • Increase their ability to gain cooperation and buy-in from others

By the end of the class, participants will be more capable of navigating a matrix environment, where their positional power is limited. As a result, they will successfully establish stronger networks across the organization, build support for their ideas, solicit cooperation from others, and gain stakeholder buy-in. To achieve this, they will develop trust and credibility, thoroughly assess those being influenced, and use core communication techniques with skill and confidence.