Course Description

The ability to communicate is an essential part of everyday life. Successful communication however is a skill that can be developed and fine-tuned so that your message is understood. This course will provide you with the tools and techniques to help you to develop these communication skills so that you create and leave a positive lasting impression.

Target Student

Primarily aimed at people working in technical teams but is suitable for anyone who wants to develop effective communication skills.

Pre-requisites

• None

Core Learning Objectives

• Describe assertiveness – what it is and what it isn't
• Recognise passive, assertive and aggressive behaviours
• Explain the importance of non-verbal communication
• Identify how your inner thinking affects the way you communicate
• Identify the attributes of effective listeners and apply them to your own practice
• Demonstrate effective questioning
• Give and receive constructive feedback
• Ask for and get what you want assertively
• Prepare for and practise dealing with challenging communication situations

Course Outline

1. The Communication Process

• Exploring the different ways that we communicate
• Examining the process of communication

2. Understanding Assertiveness

• Defining assertiveness – what it is and what it isn't
• Recognising passive, aggressive and assertive behaviours
• Developing a common understanding of each behaviour type

3. Verbal and Non-Verbal Behaviours

• Exploring the non-verbal and verbal aspects of passive, aggressive and assertive behaviours
• Recognising how we react when we encounter these behaviours
• Developing strategies for behaving assertively

4. Core Verbal Communication Skills

• Effective questioning techniques
• Active listening skills
• Building rapport

5. Giving and Receiving Feedback

• Examples of poor feedback and what makes it ineffective
• Developing good practice for giving feedback constructively
• Receiving feedback openly and productively

6. Asking for What You Want

• A model for asking others for what you want – without grovelling or making demands
• Applying the tool in work and personal situations
• Practising the skills in a safe environment

7. Handling Challenging Conversations

• Understanding how and why communication goes wrong
• Delivering difficult messages while keeping people motivated
• A structure for planning, preparing and holding difficult conversations

8. Action Planning

• Developing a personal action plan to implement back in the workplace