Effective Communication Skills

This course develops delegates understanding of how we communicate and presents several easy-to-use soft skills techniques can improve their ability to establish rapport with others, strengthen relationships and avoid common conversational traps.

In particular, the course covers areas such as listening, probing and understanding other people’s perceptions as well as understanding intentions and their impact. The course also looks at the importance of taking responsibility and avoiding the blame cycle. Delegates will learn to manage their emotions so that they don’t derail conversations. They will practice techniques to effectively manage difficult conversations and express themselves clearly and positively.

Objective:

By the end of this interactive training programme, you will be able to:

• establish rapport and build strong relationships
• understand how perceptions and intentions influence behaviour
• avoid blaming others when things go wrong
• manage your own feelings and emotions
• successfully handle difficult conversations
• move forward by focussing on underlying issues or concerns

Course Outline

Module 1 - Understanding Stories

• How do you perceive the world?
• How do you make stories to make sense of what goes around you?
• How do these stories come to define your behaviours?
• How can you use story analysis to improve your communication with others?

Module 2 - Intention Analysis

• What are the two common mistakes made when considering intentions?
• How to avoid these mistakes
• What is the relationship between intentions and their impact and how should you respond to them?
• How should you handle intentions to get the best results?
• What is the best way to share your intentions with others?

Module 3 - Avoiding Blame

• What is the Cycle of Blame and Disengagement?
• What is bad about blaming others when things go wrong?
• What should you do instead when things go wrong?
• How to avoid blaming others

Module 4 - Feelings

• If you feel strongly about something, how should you express yourself?
• What happens if you don’t share your feelings with others?
• Should you bury your feelings and get rid of them? Should you vent them or should you deal with them?
• How can you use a simple formula in conversations to easily share your feelings with others?

Module 4 - Difficult Conversations

• What is the best way to express your dissatisfaction with someone?
• How to analyse implicit messages in what you say or is said to you
• What is the impact of these implicit messages on people and their long term relationships?
• How the 4-Steps Conversation Technique can significantly improve the quality of your conversations

Module 5 - Psychological Games

• Why people get stuck in circular arguments and feel they should not give in to others?
• How can you break this cycle and improve your communication skills?
• What is the “Drama Triangle” and how can it be used to improve your communication with others?