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Effective Communications:  How to Say It Right the First Time!

Program Description:

Successful communications requires a unique combination of skills, abilities and behaviors on the part of each person.  The ability to understand that everything communicates, knowing what to say and how to say it, is the foundation for successful communications.  This workshop will target the key result areas of effective communications, and teach participants how to learn and maximize their potential. The goal is to avoid “communication casualties” and support successful communication actions and initiatives for the participants.

Key Objectives:

• Identify the primary skills and abilities needed for successful communications

• Understand how behavior and the needs of others determine communication success

• Capitalize on communicating with the four basic styles of workplace behavior

• Learn how to improve active listening skills

• Demonstrate effective open-ended questioning to confirm the needs of others

• Understand the impact of body language and tone of voice on communication

• Learn how to provide constructive feedback with positive results

• Learn a customer-focused process to deal effectively with a communication conflict

• Build a personal action plan for effective communications within your organization

Communication methods of delivery discussed will include:

• Discussions and meetings (onsite and VTC)
• Written communications, including email
• Telephone
• Briefings
• Blackberry or other handheld devices

This highly interactive workshop will include learning the good principles and practices relating to effective communications; participant discussions; individual work; team work; activities; video examples and the creation of a Communication Action Plan by each participant.  Each participant will receive a copy of the best-seller by Jack Griffiths, “How to Say It at Work.”

General Outline

Welcome

• Introduction – Karen Mantyla, President, Quiet Power, Inc.
• Communications Background
• Author of 8 books
• Nationwide speaker
• Award from the White House Communications Agency

• Overview of the session

• Participant Introductions and Expectations – flip chart

• Workshop Objectives

• Effective Communications – flip chart activity
• What contributes to ineffective communications?
• What can an individual do to effectively communicate?
• What are the barriers to effective communications?
• Debrief flip charts

• DISC Profile
• Dealing with different personalities – why is this important?
• Communicating with different styles – what makes it work?  Or not?
• Video:  Communicating the wrong way and the right way
• Communicating with different styles – watch the difference!
• Worksheet Activity

• Communication Skills Self-Assessment
• Identify your strengths and areas for improvement

• Everything Communicates!   Paper Tear – introduction

• ACTIVITY:  Everything communicates – flip chart activity

• The role of body language in communication – the good, bad and ugly

      Listening:

• The importance of listening
• Active listening – what is it and why is it important?
• Listening Self-Assessment - Activity
• Listening accurately for details – Activity
• How to ensure that what you hear is what someone meant!
• The role of effective feedback to confirm interpretation of communications
• The role and skill of asking open-ended questions
• The importance of feedback for clarification of communication

• Communication Methods of Delivery*

• The importance of a good first impression – you only get one chance to make a good first impression!
• The four key elements to making a good first impression
• Written communications
• Activity – Written Communication to the Workforce
• Email and electronic handheld devices
• Onsite discussions and meetings (including VTC)
• Telephone communications
• Briefings
• Blackberry or other handheld electronic devices

*If 2 day class, role plays, practice sessions for both written and oral communications

• Effective Communications Checklist

• Communications Action Plan – Participant Activity

• Review Participant Objectives – Q & A

• Close and Evaluation Handout

©2007Karen Mantyla

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