Communication skills

Please note all of our course are tailored to suit - below is a sample outline for a 'typical'  1 or 2 day course

Communicating with Impact - 1-2 days

Introduction

Today’s workplace is made up of many creative and committed individuals. However, in every aspect of modern work, those who communicate effectively and persuasively are at the top. Effective communicators have self-confidence, and achieve results. This course will help you improve your communication and in-turn enhances your personal and work relationships.

Training Objectives

To identify and hone those critical skills needed for effective communication and influence making.

Competencies Developed

Participants will:

• Understand communication and what impact they have on an organization’s ability to function

• Be able to use communication and influence to improve an organization’s productivity, profitability, morale, etc

• Increase self-awareness and develop the skills to deal confidently and professionally with colleagues and customers

• Identify and develop appropriate assertiveness skills

• Learn how to speak eloquently and convincingly

• Learn how to present opinions, observations, demands, and requests with clarity and confidence

• Be able to prepare and deliver strong and persuasive presentations

• Learn how to most efficiently communicate within an organization

• Learn how to accurately listen and observe

• Be able to use modern communication technology (i.e., PowerPoint, e-mail, the phone, etc) wisely and well

• Be sensitive to and consciously aware of  appropriate social etiquette when communicating in a trans-national or multi-cultural setting

• Be able to avoid the pit-falls, financial and personal, of poor communication

Methods: self–assessment, case study, role-play, small group work, facilitated exercises, practice presentations and feedback to facilitate learning and assist participants to raise their confidence and improve their communication skill level.

Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for all supervisors, team leaders, operations managers, new managers, experienced managers, and executives.

This course is also recommended for any professional who present studies, results, proposals, and budgets for approval and action. For engineers, scientists, or technical staff less familiar with interpersonal communication and human psychology this programme will assist them in developing confidence in interpersonal communication.   

Course Outline

Day 1 – Understanding communication

• Style:
  • How your individual, personal “way of communicating” affects what you say and how others answer
  • Learning what your personal “style” is and how to make it work
• Language – verbal & non-verbal:
  • How words affect the communication process
  • How to recognize the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication
  • Understanding ‘body language’
• Listening:
  • Understanding silence as an effective tool of communication
  • How to listen actively and respond accordingly
  • Understanding the differences between hearing and listening
  • The effective use of reframing
•  Developing Assertive Skills
  • Establishing participants’ present level of assertiveness
  • Appropriate workplace assertiveness
  • Cultural differences in assertiveness
  • Becoming more assertive
• Cross cultural communication
  • Understanding other cultures
  • Appropriate social etiquette when communicating in a trans-national or multi-cultural setting

(optional) Day 2 – Communicating and presenting persuasively

• Elements of personal ‘style’ that directly influence public communication
  • Stylistic elements of communication
• The challenges of public speaking
  • Overcoming the fears of speaking in public
  • Overcoming bad speaking habits
  • How to deal with interruptions and questions
  • Presenting while sitting down and in meetings
• Appearance
  • Getting your appearance right for you audience
  • How to dress to impress
  • Cultural issues with dress

·         Presentations by participants

o    Peer review, coaching and feedback

·         Using PowerPoint and other visual aids to enhance communication:

• PowerPoint clinic – participants are encouraged to bring with them actual presentations to work on in this session
• How to avoid ‘death by PowerPoint’
• How to write a strong PowerPoint presentation, including the do’s and don’ts of proper construction
• How to blend PowerPoint and other types of aids smoothly and unobtrusively into your speech or presentation
• Constructing effective speeches, e-mails, and other written documents to motivate and influence – Logos:
  • Written and e-mail communication
  • Telephone and text communication
• Development of personal action plans