Communication Skills
It's more than just a course.
This is a learning journey.
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On-demand digital learning playlist
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Live session delivered virtually or in-person
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Supporting on-demand digital learning playlists | 30-minute follow up coaching session (optional extra for teams)
Course Code: OV-BCS
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2 x half-day live session delivered virtually or in-person | 6-8 hrs on-demand learning | 30-minute coaching session (optional extra for teams)
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This is available for individuals, groups and teams
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Part of our Core Library
Understanding and employing effective communication techniques at work can help you achieve your objectives, build strong relationships and improve outcomes for everyone. This practical course focuses on all of the critical elements of communication, and you will leave the course with a plan to develop your confidence and competence in a range of communication techniques.
You will also take away tips, techniques and templates to support you in implementing your communication skills back in the workplace.
This course is for anyone wishing to learn and apply higher-level communication techniques to increase effectiveness and improve relationships.
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Identify the factors that help and hinder workplace communication
- Use effective questioning techniques to acquire information and build relationships
- Pick up on hidden messages through nonverbal cues
- Actively listen for feelings and behaviours as well as meaning
- Recognise the different types of behaviour in yourself and others
- Apply an assertive response to some common workplace situations
- Identify good and bad practice for useful and constructive feedback
- Plan effectively for feedback conversations using the BOFF model
- Explain barriers and filters in communication and how to overcome them
- Identify different communication styles in action and flex your style to influence others
- Reflect on how you want to be perceived by others and work on presenting a positive image
- Identify the sources of power in an organisation and use these to increase your influence
- Make a persuasive proposal using a five-stage structure
- Apply a range of positive behaviours to make your meetings and presentations more effective
- Identifying and overcoming potential barriers to communication
- Exploring how you are perceived by others and how to influence this perception
- Looking at the world from different perceptual positions
- Identify the key traits of your personal communication style and how best to communicate with opposing styles
- Giving constructive feedback to improve performance and behaviour
- Defining and living your personal brand
- Recognising assertive and non-assertive behaviours, and choosing an appropriate response
- Applying a range of assertiveness techniques to difficult situations
- How to deliver bad news and say ‘no‘ in a positive and sensitive way
- The purpose and usage of different types of question
- Higher-level questioning techniques to investigate and solve problems
- Listening to understand - active listening and reducing listening blocks
- Repeating, paraphrasing and reflecting and the importance of listener orientation
- The impact of nonverbal communication and the importance of congruence
- Push and pull influencing styles
- How to draw on sources of power to influence when you have no authority
- Use a five-stage structure for stating your case persuasively
- Tips on remaining calm and composed in difficult situations
- Being heard and getting your point across in meetings
- Projecting a more confident image through improved communication skills
You may also like:
Persuading and Influencing
Assertiveness at Work
Course Code: OV-CWI
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half-day live session delivered virtually or in-person | 6-8 hrs on-demand learning | 30-minute coaching session (optional extra for teams)
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This is available for individuals, groups and teams
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Part of our Core Library
This practical and highly interactive workshop is designed to enable you to consider the purpose and outcomes required from workplace communications and develop the skills, confidence and energy to create the impact you choose when you choose to create it. You will have the opportunity to practise powerful new tools and techniques in a safe environment and you will take away practical steps for more credible and effective communication with any audience. The aim is to equip you with everything you need to build your communication capacity at all levels - whether it be interpersonal, organisational or external, and enable you to become a leader communicator who connects and resonates with any stakeholder.
Suitable for anyone who would like to develop the skills to communicate with greater impact in the workplace.
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Define how to make the greatest impact when communicating
- Listen empathetically rather than competitively
- Use a balance of advocacy and enquiry techniques to make conversations more productive
- Deliver authenticity through congruent communication
- Reviewing the five key principles of impactful communication: Authentic, Clear, Relevant, Adequate, Compelling
- Identifying when to use advocacy and inquiry for maximum impact
- Listening and responding with empathy
- Aligning visual, verbal and vocal elements of communication
- Becoming aware of micro-inequities and micro-affirmations and their impact on congruence
- The three elements of a powerful story
- How to incorporate compelling and relevant storytelling into presentations and other communications
- Using the AEIOU model of positive conversations to defuse conflict
You may also like:
Writing Skills
Presentation Skills
Developing Your Leadership Presence
Bitesize Sessions
Available for delivery to groups and teams, our bite-size learning sessions are short bursts of knowledge covering the what, why, and how of a topic, and delivered at pace. Expert-led sessions can be delivered virtually, face-to-face, or you can choose a combination, and they can be run either standalone or up to three sessions in a day.
Communicating Effectively
Course Code: VILT-CE
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90-minute live session delivered virtually or in-person (Perfect for use as part of a blended learning programme)
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This is available for groups and teams
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Part of our Core Library
This highly interactive 90-minute session introduces you to the core skills that underpin effective communication: skilled questioning, focused listening and congruent non-verbal signalling. You will learn and practice using all these skills to achieve greater success and openness in your workplace relationships, which will improve your overall confidence in communicating effectively.
This short session is suitable for anyone who wants to apply questioning and listening techniques to communicate with greater effect in the workplace.
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Identify the factors that help and hinder workplace communication
- Use effective questioning techniques to acquire information and build relationships
- Pick up on hidden messages through nonverbal cues
- Actively listen for feelings and behaviours as well as meaning
Online Learning
Our award-winning learning content library is expertly created, easy to consume, and visually engaging and it can be experienced through a range of modalities - Fluidbooks, videos, animations, podcasts, infographics, quizzes and more. Use our digital learning content to support on-demand or blended learning provision within your organisation. Hundreds of topics are available in multiple global languages.
Communication Skills
Core content
- Communication Skills Infographic
- Communication Skills Animation
- Communication Skills Fluidbook
- Communication Skills Quiz
- Clarity in Communication - Thrive in Five
- Communication on Deadlines - Thrive in Five
- Communicating with Impact Podcast
- Middlemen Miscommunication - Thrive in Five
- Apply Your Learning Action Plan
See our engaging content in action
Explore more about our contentBuild a customised programme
Use our building blocks approach to create a customised programme to suit your specific needs and context, at the pace you need.
Talk to us about what you want to achieve.
Step 1
Choose the core blocks you want (from our content library)
Step 2
Consider what blocks you want to customise (to make it your own)
Step 3
Review any additional technology and support services we can help you with (to bring the truly bring the learning experience to life)
Step 4
We’ll create the optimum journey for your learners
Want to co-create?
Let's talkThe building blocks menu of options
To help achieve the pace and agility you need, we encourage you to make use of what we already have (our core library) and make it your own. There’s no need to ‘recreate the wheel’ - build from what we have ‘ready to go’ and then customise what you need to.
Choose from across our range of 100+ core topic areas.
Online self-study:
- Fluidbooks
- Infographics (standard and HTML)
- Thrive in Five
- Videos/animations
- Quizzes & assessments
- Podcasts
- Digital flip cards
- HTML microsites
- Digital adventures
- Applying what you have learned - action learning prompts/exercises
- All assets under a topic/collection
Live expert-led:
- Pre-built team experience (learning journey)
- Live workshops - virtual or in-person training (1 x half-day live session in a day; 2 x half-day live session in a day)
- Bitesize (1 x 90-min bite-size session in a day; 2 x 90-min bite-size session in a day; 3 x 90-min bite-size session in a day)
- Run-it-yourself
- Coaching – per hour (Follow-up; Learning programme; Transitioning together; Team effectiveness; Career coaching; Leadership & executive; Skills performance coaching)
- Group facilitation sessions (1 x 3hr in a day; 2 x 3hr in a day
- Leadership lab session (1 x 3hr in a day; 2 x 3hr in a day)
- Virtual delivery platform licence
Personalisation for live events:
- Add your logo
- Tailored
- Branded
- Fully customised
Bespoke content creation:
- Fluidbooks
- Infographics (standard and HTML)
- Thrive in Five
- Videos/animations
- Quizzes & assessments
- Podcasts with bespoke or your content
- Digital flip cards
- HTML microsites
- Digital adventures
- Digital badges/certificates
- Live expert-led bite-size or workshop session
Bespoke printed communication/learning assets:
- Handouts
- Z-cards
- Zappar AR for Z-card
- Action learning prompts/exercises
- Bespoke Hub annual subscription fee (per user)
- Hub implementation
- Subscription (open) hub
- Booker portal
- Delivery – Virtual or in-person facilitator; virtual producer
- Faculty management
- Delegate management
- Instructional design
- Specialist instructional design
- Learning journey curation
- Logistics support
- Project management
- Customer success management
- Branding & creative communication
- Graphic design
- Translations services
- Proofing/QA
- Data insights & engagement
- Consultancy
- Supplier management
- Managed Learning Services
Our approach
Successful learning programmes don’t just happen by accident: Our 4E learning journey model ensures maximum transformational power (and it’s informed by decades of adult learning best practices and proven real-life hybrid learning effectiveness).
Or speak to one of our friendly learning advisers by:
Phone
0345 0712801