Course Overview

The quality of our brand, the strength of our collaborative and customer relationships, the creativity of our corporate strategy, and the retention of our work force all depend on the skills the company brings to communication and relationship management. Do you sometimes wonder if your workforce is afraid to express concerns? Do you think people are being “too nice” and avoiding important business conversations? Are you concerned that there are performance gaps that aren’t being addressed because managers are unable to state the hard facts? Are you worried that there is increasing absenteeism and tardiness because employees are dissatisfied but not raising issues? At a leadership level, do you see hesitation go out on a limb and think outside the box? Does your organization need to develop a greater capacity for managing conversations that are business-critical?

In this course you will acquire a map for communication challenges that people face and a chance to examine your own communication patterns. You will learn new tools for managing diverse ideas and perspectives and working collaboratively on teams. You will leave the course with a system for preparing for a conversation and entering with a clear agenda, goal, and productive frame of mind. This course develops your emotional intelligence and improves your interpersonal skills at managing difficult conversations, both internal and external to the company. By the end of this course you will be able to better handle negotiations, performance feedback sessions, brainstorming meetings, and a wide range of other business transactions that impact your reputation and the company’s bottom line. You will return to work with the skill and confidence to express your ideas and concerns more directly and widen your network of influence.

Course Outline:

Learning Communication Essentials • Recognize common communication dynamics and patterns • Learn to communicate in a clear and concise manner • Increase your ability to influence others and drive strategy • Acquire skills to drive results that have a clear, positive, and direct impact on business performance Developing Emotional Intelligence • Learn to adjust your interpersonal style based on business need • Help promote a culture of collaboration and teamwork • Maintain positive relationships under heated or difficult circumstances • Develop a winning style of communication that engages others

Empathy Skill Development • Build capacity for managing strong feelings and supervising others • Learn skills for building a broad base of support among key decision-makers • Practice challenging the status quo and surfacing issues • Acquire the tools to relate to people in an open, friendly, and accepting manner Dealing with Change Management • Practice challenging others to expand their thinking and develop new approaches • Learn strategies for helping others stay productive during times of change • Enhance your ability to demonstrate composure under trying circumstances