Workplace Communication

Workplace communication is more critical now than ever before.  In today’s business environment, with minimal face-to-face interaction and a focus on remote work relationships, good communication is more essential than ever.  The ability to send clear, concise messages and listen effectively can mean the difference between successful business relationships and lost productivity.

Skywalk Group’s workplace communication training provides the tools needed to function more productively through improved interpersonal communication skills.  After building a shared awareness of the value of effective workplace communications, participants learn how to deliver messages that gain credibility and influence others.

For your convenience, we also offer several e-learning courses designed to improve workplace communication skills.

Essential Skills of Communicating (1-2 hours)

Essential Skills of Communicating is one of two foundation courses in the Skywalk Group leadership series, which help to develop skills that are basic to all the other courses in the series. Learners acquire these skills through a variety of exercises and skill building techniques. The audience for this course consists of team leaders, supervisors, and first-line managers.  Essential Skills of Communicating provides the tools necessary to develop clear, concise messages.  Focusing on communication as a two-way process, the program can help even experienced managers improve their messages by making them clear, well organized and aimed at the needs and interests of the listener. By developing the essential skills of communicating, managers improve relations with their team members and increase productivity.

Essential Skills of Communicating Course Objectives

• See that communication is a two-way process.
• Construct clear, concise messages in the interest of the receiver.
• Manage nonverbal behaviors to reinforce the intent of your message.
• Listen actively to improve communication.
• Create a climate of open communication.

Communicating Up (1-2 hours)

Communicating Up is one of the courses included in Skywalk Group’s leadership series. It focuses on interpersonal skills, emphasizing communication and improvement of management skills by using behavior modeling. For maximum benefit, it is recommended that learners first experience the two foundation modules, Essential Skills of Leadership and Essential Skills of Communicating prior to taking this course. The audiences for this course are team leaders, supervisors, and first-line managers.  Most managers and team leaders realize the importance of upward communication, but few accept the responsibility for the quality and effectiveness of communicating with their own managers. Managers and team leaders will learn how to frame communication so that a desired result is achieved.

Communicating Up Course Objectives

• Understanding the importance of framing all communication with your manager in terms of his/her self-interest.
• Entering meetings with your manager armed with a well-thought-out and clearly stated objective.
• Clearly linking your objective with facts that support plans and goals.
• Working with your manager to uncover any questions or reservations he/she may have concerning your message.
• Moving conversations toward agreement using questions that focus on benefits to be gained when your objective is reached.
• Clearly and concisely restating the decisions that result from communicating with our manager and insure that those decisions are mutually understood.

E-Mailing Your Way to the Top Series (8 hours)
E-mail has become so prevalent in the workplace that we seldom think about it, and yet it is the medium co-workers see you through most often. How can your e-mails speak for you clearly, effectively and potently? This series walks participants through building e-mail subject lines and messages that are effective and respect office etiquette. Users will also learn about e-mail safety and how to avoid threats like viruses and phishing, as well as how to think about e-mail confidentiality and legal security. This four-course series includes the following modules:

• Managing Your Inbox (2 hours)
• Writing Effective E-Mails (3 hours)
• The Legal Face of E-Mail (2 hours)
• Becoming an Organizational Leader (1 hour)

Communicating With Power Series (9 hours)
Most jobs include working with people who are co-workers from across the company (or even from other companies). Many times, doing a job properly depends upon other people doing the things or having the information you need. This series discusses how to spark action from and motivate others, especially those who are not in a direct line of command with you. This six-course series includes the following
modules:

• Elements of Powerful Communication (1 hour)
• Persuasive Appeals (1 hour)
• Modes of Persuasion (1 hour)
• Active Listening (2 hours)
• Resolving Conflict (2 hours)
• Negotiation (2 hours)