Effective Communication Skills
Overview
Clear communication saves time, avoids conflict and builds trust. This course develops practical communication skills for the workplace: listening actively, speaking clearly, adapting to different people, giving and receiving feedback and communicating well in meetings and in writing.
Who should attend
Employees at all levels, supervisors and team leaders who want to communicate more clearly and confidently.
Training methodology
Interactive presentations, practical exercises, case studies, group discussions, role-plays where relevant, and a personal action plan that participants apply in their own work.
Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the communication process and common barriers
- Listen actively and ask effective questions
- Adapt style to different people and situations
- Give and receive feedback constructively
- Communicate clearly in meetings, email and difficult conversations
Course outline
Day 1Communication Basics
- The communication process
- Verbal, vocal and visual messages
- Barriers to communication
- Perception and assumptions
- Communication in organisations
- Self-assessment of your style
Day 2Listening and Questioning
- Levels of listening
- Active listening techniques
- Open and closed questions
- Summarising and checking understanding
- Empathy at work
- Practice in pairs
Day 3Adapting to People
- Communication styles
- Reading body language
- Building rapport
- Communicating across cultures and generations
- Communicating with your manager
- Exercise: style flexing
Day 4Feedback and Difficult Conversations
- Giving positive and developmental feedback
- Receiving feedback without defensiveness
- Assertive communication
- Handling disagreement
- Structuring a difficult conversation
- Role-play practice
Day 5Communicating at Work
- Effective meetings
- Clear emails and messages
- Telephone and virtual communication
- Short presentations
- Communicating change
- Personal communication plan