Overcoming Resistance: The Influence Equation

Faculty: Stevenson Carlebach

Whether you are negotiating, giving feedback, leading change, or mediating a conflict, resistance is a familiar and frustrating obstacle. You present a thoughtful proposal… and they say no. Or –perhaps worse –they agree to your face but do not follow through. Why does this happen—and what can you do about it?

Common resistance scenarios:

• You make a reasonable request—but hit a wall of silence, deflection, or delay.
• You propose a smarter process that clearly supports your organization’s goals—but colleagues drag their feet.
• You meet with a promising direct report, and they agree to improve—but weeks later, nothing changes.
• Your counterpart insists “my hands are tied,” and no matter how you reframe your ask, they claim they cannot move.

Resistance like this seems impossible and inscrutable—unless we can decode it.

Most persuasion advice focuses on how to refine your pitch—what to say, how to say it. But that approach rarely helps you diagnose why the other person is resisting in the first place. Without that insight, even the most compelling arguments miss the mark-because they are not addressing what is driving the resistance.

Worse, our instincts often lead us in the wrong direction—we push harder, argue longer, or judge too quickly. The Influence Equation offers a way out: a framework that helps you spot these common traps and shift toward a more effective, curious approach.

Diagnose the Resistance. Shift the Outcome.

In human interactions, resistance is inevitable. Pushing harder often backfires. Giving in can lead to worse outcomes—and trains others that resistance works.

The key to effective influence is diagnosing what is causing the resistance and addressing it directly. In this session, you will learn to apply the Influence Equation—a high-impact framework for uncovering the hidden reasons behind resistance and adapting your approach accordingly.

You’ll learn how to recognize and reduce three core sources of resistance:

1. Logic: Are you using your logic—or theirs? Understanding your counterpart’s reasoning system is essential to making your argument land.
2. Interests: Even a great idea gets a “no” if it doesn’t meet their needs. Learn how to uncover what truly matters to your counterpart and make your proposal “yesable.”
3. Trust: If they do not trust you—or see you as an adversary—resistance is guaranteed. You will learn how to assess and build trust in real time.

What You Will Gain

In this fast-paced, one-day session you will:

• Learn a simple yet powerful diagnostic tool to uncover why people resist.
• Practice strategies to shift resistance without pushing or giving in.
• Analyze real influence challenges and rehearse smarter responses.
• Prepare a long-term influence campaign that builds momentum over time.

Whether you are working with a hesitant colleague, a skeptical client, a resistant team, or, sometimes hardest of all, a stubborn family member, this course offers both a mindset and a method for moving through resistance—not by pushing harder, but by replacing persuasion habits that fail with a strategy grounded in curiosity, pattern recognition, and real-time adjustment.

Here’s what past participants have to say about the program:

“PON courses and public events are invaluable to me. I’ve been following PON for some 15 years and always find new things I can implement in my negotiations. As we often encounter resistance in negotiations, having the understanding why they happen and what we can do to improve our negotiation outcomes is very valuable. Thank you for this great course.”
-Kamila Novak, Principal, Compliance Auditor, KAN Consulting MOn. I.K.E.

“The Influence Equation is an engaging, interactive learning experience that focuses on a crucial element of the negotiation dynamic. Presented in a relaxed, inviting space that encourages self-reflection and vulnerability. Enjoyed the experience and highly recommend.”
-Patricia Newby, Founder and President, Strategic Business Partnerships