Building Coalitions at Work Course

Module 1: Building Coalitions Through Relationships

• Contrast the impacts of positive vs. negative work relationships on performance, morale, and retention.
• Develop trust, respect, self-awareness, and open communication as core relationship traits.
• Apply practical behaviors—invest time 1:1, engage meaningfully, collaborate, address conflict, follow through, and seek feedback.
• Create an action plan to strengthen a key workplace relationship.

Module 2: Building Coalitions Through Communication

• Use techniques that promote effective dialogue (open-ended questions, active listening, empathy, conflict resolution, composure).
• Practice the 3 A’s of Active Listening—Attention, Attitude, Adjustment—with tactics like paraphrasing and nonverbal awareness.
• Assess and adapt your communication style (Professional/Personable, Open/Reserved, Functional/Intuitive, Indirect/Direct).
• Reflect through exercises to identify what to do more, less, or differently as a communicator.

Module 3: Building Coalitions Through Trust

• Build credibility using the Trust Triangle (Logic, Empathy, Authenticity) and identify personal “wobbles.”
• Self-assess trust behaviors and receive feedback using guided questions on logic, empathy, and authenticity.
• Strengthen trust by acknowledging emotions and overcoming internal/external obstacles to empathy.
• Use consensus-building and ideation techniques (e.g., structured brainstorming) to create buy-in.

Module 4: Building Coalitions Through Collaboration

• Recognize how interpersonal skills and team dynamics affect productivity, decision quality, and morale.
• Follow the consensus decision-making workflow from discussion to action points (see diagram on p. 31).
• Apply consensus skills to realistic scenarios (e.g., allocating reduced office space with fairness and efficiency).
• Adopt daily practices that strengthen relationships—effective communication, emotional intelligence, and appreciation—then self-evaluate.