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Communication Skills
How we communicate and develop working relationships with colleagues is a critical aspect of our ability to operate effectively in organisations. Whether dealing with people in a team, across functions or externally with customers and suppliers, the ability to express yourself in differing forms of communication is a key requirement.
The Manager as a Communicator
- The role of the manager as a communicator.
- Upwards, downwards and sideways communication.
- Presentation and meeting skills.
- Communicating change.
- Handling one to ones and interviews.
- Running appraisals and disciplinary meetings
Presentation Skills
- How to prepare and structure a presentation.
- Presenting yourself and your ideas with confidence.
- Harnessing and controlling nervous energy.
- Tips on using visual aids and new technology.
- Voice and body workout - projection, body language etc.
- Handling questions, interruptions and hecklers.
- Influencing through presentations.
- Understanding your audience and their objectives
Verbal and Non-verbal Communication
- The importance of communication in dealing with colleagues, customers etc.
- Questioning skills - open, closed, leading, funnelling etc.
- Active listening, reflecting and summarising.
- Body language, tone and silence.
- Neuro-linguistic programming - not what you say, but how you say it.
- Establishing rapport.
- Tips for handling one to ones, meetings and phone conversations.
- Meeting and talking to customers
Written Communication
- Uses, tips and pitfalls for different forms of written communication.
- Differentiating letters, e-mails and memos.
- Adjusting your style for e-mails.
- Writing reports and minutes - formats and templates.
- Choice of words, punctuation, format, grammar.
- Customer communications
Voice and Body Workshop with Lou Stein
"Developing personal presence (through use of voice and body language) to improve ability to influence and be noticed."
As well as being an associate of Pearlcatchers Ltd, Lou Stein is a well-known theatre director, who has worked with such actors as Sir John Mills, Helena Bonham-Carter, Stephen Fry, and Helen Mirren.
Throughout his career, Lou has applied his theatre experience to teaching communication and team skills to those working in the business community. Lou�s intimate and personal style is ideal for tackling sensitive issues such as personal presence and self esteem. He will design either a half or full day session to meet your needs and suggests the following as an initial format:
Section 1 - Voice
After a brief introduction about the relationship between voice and body, and how they impart messages, Lou would work on:
- Voice awareness.
- Relaxation and breathing.
- Tone - projection and variety.
Section 2 - Body
Work on linking voice with a positive physical message at meetings etc. For example:
- Developing a presence in different meeting situations.
- Body language awareness when engaged in conversation.
Section 3 - Practical Exercises
Lou would then set up short, fun situations where each participant would have an opportunity to feedback on each other's vocal and physical presence.
Section 4 - Toolkit
Finally, Lou would leave each of the participants a customized "toolkit" which they can use to build confidence in their vocal and physical presence at office meetings etc.
Singing for Success
Everyone has a voice, but not all of us are capable of realising its full potential. Singing for Success empowers individuals and groups and offers a unique and effective approach to team and personal development in a way that is stimulating, challenging, and fun.
Singing for Success is experiential and works with the one tool that we all need to use effectively; our voice. Unlike some other forms of experiential training, it is directly applicable to the workplace. Singing and performance provides a metaphor highlighting any issues a team has, but at the same time provides practical insights and solutions allowing a team to work more effectively and productively for the business. As clients regularly point out, 'Singing for Success' provides a 'level playing pitch' on which staff can work creatively together on an equal basis.
The aim is to allow people discover the communication skills and confidence they never knew they had. We help motivate staff to work effectively as a team, to express themselves both individually and collectively, breaking down any barriers they may have with each other.
How it Works:
- Most people find the idea of singing immediately challenging. The resistance participants face often reflect inhibitions they have about communication. 'Singing for Success' quickly breaks down these inhibitions that may impinge on their personal performance. Participants become more confident about themselves.
- The personal performance skills required to sing are the same as those required to perform effectively in the workplace. 'Singing for Success' highlights how people perform and allows participants to develop strategies to improve their personal performance in the workplace.
- 'Singing for Success' uses specific vocal and movement exercises to improve voice projection and vocal inflection. These exercises highlight any communication and presentation difficulties participants may have, providing effective skills for addressing them.
- Effective communication depends upon our listening skills. As participants start to sing together they begin to develop and enhance their ability to listen to others and to listen beyond the words being used.
- Singing as a group is a powerful and liberating shared experience that allows participants to get to know and understand each other, improving their overall performance as a team.
- Singing is cathartic.It facilitates relaxation and is a marvelous exercise for the whole body. It reduces harmful stress
Personal Effectiveness
Personal effectiveness is a result of not just one thing, but of a combination of factors which all impact upon each other. This ranges from your own self awareness and self management, through to interpersonal skills, time and stress management and handling conflict positively. At Pearlcatchers, we recognise that different organisations and individuals will have different strengths and development areas. Therefore we can design workshops either for each / any of the aspects of personal effectiveness (including communication and influencing mentioned in earlier sections) or tailor a programme which covers the gambit of skills required to become truly personally effective.
Emotional Intelligence / Interpersonal Skills
Self Awareness / Understanding Ourselves
- Emotional self-awareness; recognising our emotions, beliefs and values and their effects
- How our self image affects our performance
- Accurate self assessment; knowing one’s strengths and limits
- Self confidence; a strong sense of one’s own worth and capabilities
- Enhance your sources of personal power and self confidence
Self Management / Managing Ourselves
- Self-control; keeping disruptive emotions and impulses under control
- Expressing emotions effectively and handling irrational reactions
- Trustworthiness; displaying honesty and integrity
- Conscientiousness; demonstrating responsibility in managing oneself
- Adaptability; flexibility in adapting to changing situations or obstacles
- Achievement Orientation – motivation to succeed
- Personal Power - taking responsibility for and managing your thoughts and beliefs
Social Awareness/ Understanding Others
- Empathy; understanding others
- First impressions and body language
- Establishing rapport
- The behaviour iceberg – what is happening above and below the surface
- Working with different personality styles
- What makes an effective relationships
- Understanding the other persons perspective as a basis for forming relationships
Social Skills / Managing Relationships
- Developing others; seeing others’ needs and bolstering their abilities
- Influence: wielding interpersonal influence tactics
- Communication; sending clear and convincing messages
- Change catalyst; initiating or managing change
- Conflict management: resolving disagreements
- Building bonds: nurturing instrumental relationships
- Teamwork and collaboration: creating a shared vision and synergy in teamwork, working with others toward shared goals
Assertiveness and Self Esteem
- Identifying Passive, Assertive and Aggressive Behaviours
- Uses and disadvantages of each style
- Rights and Responsibilities in Assertion
- Assertive Tips and Techniques
- The five building blocks of self esteem
- The impact of positive and negative self esteem
- Improving the self esteem of yourself and others
- Positive affirmations / thinking and managing your inner critic
Time Management/ Delegation
- Defining Your Goals and Responsibilities
- Organising your time – getting the balance right
- Prioritising – important v urgent
- Plan your Time Using daily schedules
- Managing your energy cycle
- Catch the time thieves
- Start with a positive attitude
- Reserve quiet time for yourself
- Ways of Saving Time
- Working with Others / Delegation
- Coping with Pressure
Positive Stress Management
- Understand the effects and sources of stress from all areas of life
- Recognise the symptoms of stress in yourself and others
- Appreciate the different ways people respond to stress
- Identify what causes you stress personally
- Identify which stressors you can change and which you can’t
- Plan and take action to change the things you can
- Manage the stress from things you can’t change
- Spot and control potential stress overload
- Learn to break the vicious cycle of stressful thinking
- Maintain a positive attitude and reduce your stress levels
- Recognising early warning signs
Managing Conflict
- Triggers for conflict and anger
- Understanding the causes of difficult situations and breaking the conflict cycle
- Thomas Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument
- Conflict and / or difficult behaviour – recognising the difference
- Developing a range of techniques for reframing/resolving difficult situations
- Managing our own responses – not taking it personally
- Managing the extremes – when and how to address what is unacceptable
