ILRSM510
Mapping the Political Terrain of Allies and Resistors
Create a political agenda for change, accounting for both support and resistance to the transition. Anticipate and prepare for dissenting opinions.
Description
Implementing an agenda for action is a political process driven by individuals within the organization who emerge as change agents. Essential to their success is the understanding that all new initiatives attract both allies and resistors.
This course, the second in a four-course series, "Getting Things Done in Organizations: Creating Change and Building Support", teaches leaders how to frame their agenda in a way that helps them identify and assess potential allies and resistors to their initiatives. With this understanding participants will be able to anticipate and prepare for arguments resistors may use in their attempts to derail the initiative.
Who Should Take This Course?
This course is essential for department heads, team leaders, and managers working at all levels of organizations in virtually any industry sector who wish to understand the process of organizational analysis and change.
Course Format
eCornell takes a problem-based approach to learning, and our courses are built around realistic case studies and scenarios. All courses are self-paced, and are facilitated by an eCornell instructor, who leads the online discussions and is available to answer any questions about the course content.
This course contains the following modules:
- Framing Your Change Agenda
- Change agendas and styles
- Four change mind-sets
- Meeting the Challenge of Different Change Agendas
- Strategies for recognizing allies and resistors
- Identifying key stakeholders
- Analyzing the change mind-sets of potential allies and resistors
- Anticipating arguments against your change agenda
Benefits to the Learner
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Map the allies, potential allies, and the resistors to their initiative
- Assess the attitude toward change of various actors in the organization
- Identify various agendas and styles
- Anticipate arguments against the agenda for action
- Explain the need for a coalition of support
Authoring Faculty
Samuel Bacharach, Ph.D., Professor
Sponsoring School
Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations
Total Learning Time
Approximately five to six hours over a period of two weeks.
Certificate Information
This course can be applied toward the following certificates:
Prerequisites
* Please take Developing an Agenda for Change (ILRSM509) prior to enrolling in this course.
ACE CREDIT Recommendation

This course contributes to an eCornell Certificate Program that has been recommended for college credit by the American Council on Education's College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT). Please refer to the Certificate information page for additional details.
HRCI Recertification

This course been approved for six (6) Strategic Management recertification credit hours toward SPHR and GPHR recertification and six (6) recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute. Please contact the Human Resource Certificate Institute (HRCI) for further information about certification or recertification.
Project Management Institute Professional Development Units
This course qualifies for 5.25 Professional Development Units (PDUs)
from the Project Management Institute
(PMI) for Professional Project Managers (PMPs) seeking ongoing education and professional
development for continuing certification. eCornell is a Global Registered Education
Provider of PMI. PDUs are designated as Category 3.
With all eCornell courses, access is easy. Participants only need a computer and an Internet connection. To view specific technology requirements, visit our Technology Requirements page.