Critical Communication

Critical Communication

Critical communication skills accelerate career success and are essential to the cohesive and prosperous operation of any organization. With this effective business communication course, you will learn to embrace a professional approach to improving your communication style, both written and verbal, and learn to take advantage of the different ways that your communication choices impact colleagues, client and vendor relationships – and your overall professional success. In just five days of business communication training, you’ll acquire the skills necessary to become a persuasive communicator and a collaborative problem solver when it matters most. This effective business communication course teaches you strategies, such as best practices; your communication style in action: adapting your technique; interpersonal success skills; communicating up, down and across your organization; presenting information vividly; managing difficult conversations; and business storytelling techniques. Benefit from expert guest speakers throughout the program. You’ll develop vital professional strategies to communicate effectively with senior leadership, managers, clients and frontline staff. Learn how to find, nurture and deliver the stories that get people working together, facilitate sharing of knowledge and engage your listeners. Apply your new expertise in real time toward current work challenges.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the students will be expected to:

• Gain awareness and proven techniques for effective communication in the workplace.
• Review and apply critical skills such as listening, paraphrasing, reflection and designing a clear message.
• Gain insights into your communication style and the styles of others.
• Build credibility as a skilled communicator.
• Clearly see the message as it is and seek mutual meaning versus feeling hijacked by your emotional triggers.

Learning Outcomes

Participants successfully completing the course will be able to:

• knowledge on public relations industry – specializations, types of jobs, agency/corporate life, professionalization;
• understanding of PR Theories (Models, Roles, Dialogic, Relationships, Trust Rhetorical/Persuasion, Agenda-Setting/Building, Crisis);
• understanding of Research Methods (Content Analysis, Survey, Experiment, Focus Group, Interview, Observation, Unobtrusive research, Participant observation)
• knowledge on how quantitative and qualitative research contributes to strategic communication planning as well as strategic communication evaluation,
• the ability to write research design (choosing the method, asking the right

questions, sampling, preparing and analysing results), objectives, mission statements.

• the ability to define the goals, objectives, tactics, budgets, timelines.
• knowledge on ethics, laws, and professional organizations;
• the ability to judge the success or failure of communication programmes.

Course Outline

DAY 1

• What is Efficient Communication? – Definition & Skills
• Managerial Communication
• Organizational Communication
• Business Etiquette In the Workplace and Beyond
• Practical Application: Effective Workplace Communication Scenarios
• Critical stakeholders’ management for effective communication

DAY 2

• Types of Communication: Interpersonal, Non-Verbal, Written & Oral
• Open Communication in the Workplace: Definition, Skills & Benefits
• Audience- Centred Communication: Description & Effectiveness
• What Is Professionalism in Communication? – Definition & Skills
• The Positive Impacts of Workplace Professionalism
• Practical Application: Assessing Professionalism in the Workplace
• Using Non-discriminatory Language in Business Communication
• Body Language in the Workplace

DAY 3

• How to Empower Employees & Improve Employee Performance
• Practical Application: Employee Empowerment Scenarios
• Performance Appraisal and 360 Feedback
• Giving and Responding to Constructive Feedback
• The Importance of Message Follow-Up
• Controlling as a Function of Management

DAY 4

• Preparing, Conducting, and Contributing to Productive Meetings
• Practical Application: Conducting Productive Meetings at Work
• Listening Effectively in Groups: Critical, Selective, Active & Empathetic Listening
• Organizing & Developing an Effective Presentation
• Types of Visual Aids for Business Presentations
• Presentation Software & Graphic Suites: Purpose & Examples Audience Centred Engagement Strategies

DAY 5

• Effective critical Communication in Difficult Situations
• Adapting Communication for Various Situations
• Perception, Bias & Interpreting Behaviour
• Practical Application: Delivering Negative Messages in the Workplace
• Strategies for Delivering Negative Messages
• Conflict Resolution: Managing Conflict in Organizations
• Mediation & Arbitration: Third-Party Interventions in Organizations
• Key Take Aways