CENTER FOR INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

PROGRAM PROSPECTUS

Center for Interpersonal and Communication Skills

Business Communication SkillsEffective Presentation SkillsWriting for BusinessEffectively Managing MeetingsConflict ManagementThe Power of ListeningThe Psychology of PersuasionGroup Facilitation Skills

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS

CENTER FOR INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Who Should Attend?Senior executives and managers who are advancing in their organizations, and senior managers who need to extend their knowledge of business fundamentals will all gain a solid foundation of practical business knowledge and skills.

Program OverviewYour ability to successfully build effective work relationships is the key to success in today’s complex business environment. The challenge is discovering how to work in a positive way that fosters the achievement of organizational goals. The first step is being aware of the differences among people and being willing to accept these differences as positive forces within an organization. And it all starts with you.

This program will prepare you to become a “conscious communicator” who depends on consistent, respectful and credible relationships to achieve results. You will return to work better able to build constructive and beneficial workplace relationships by learning how to analyze situations and consciously select and use productive communication strategies.

Return on Investment• Master the keys to excellent communication:

observe, listen, analyze, plan and communicate• Learn how to use direct and indirect messages

accurately • Develop flexibility in actions, thoughts and

feelings to better handle any situation • Avoid mistakes and conflicts that may result

from misinterpreting others or ineffective listening

• Build your self-esteem as you discover a new self-awareness

• Understand values, beliefs, attitudes and perceptual processes

• Understand emotions and how they translate into emotional intelligence

• Build better rapport and gain the trust of your colleagues

• Discover the basic competencies critical to solid work relationships

• Influence and motivate others to first-rate performance

• Identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities in your workplace relationships

Program FocusEffective Workplace Relationships • How do you build workplace relationships? • Behaviors that support or undermine these

relationships • Assessing your relationships

Communication and Perceptions • What is world view? • World view, perception and workplace

relationships • Trust busters and how to fix them • Mirroring and rapport

Investigating Emotions and Emotional Intelligence • Social intelligence and multiple intelligences • Assessing your multiple intelligences • Improving work relationships through emotional

intelligence

Building Better Relationships with Ourselves and Others • Self-awareness, self-esteem and self-concept • Case study to understand your styles—and how

to flex them

Relationship Building • Managing assumptions in order to build trusting

relationships • Consciously building trust at work • Developing and showing a positive attitude

Expressing Needs within Relationships • Expressing needs and influencing others • Performing an interpersonal needs inventory • The shape and sound of assertiveness

Relational Communication • Identifying your communication style• Sharpening verbal and nonverbal skills • Applying direct and indirect messages for more

flexible communication • Using feedback and questioning skills

Addressing Relational Change and Conflict • Practicing relational change • Selecting your conflict-resolution style • Planning to resolve conflicts assertively • Resolving conflicts with the relationship in mind

EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION SKILLS

Who Should Attend?

Senior executives and managers who are advancing in

their organizations, and senior managers who need to

extend their knowledge of business fundamentals will

all gain a solid foundation of practical business

knowledge and skills.

Program Overview

This program is designed to give you confidence when

delivering presentations and teaches you how to

connect what you know about your subject with what

your audience needs – in ways that clarify and inspire.

During this program you will learn how to overcome,

and use problems to your advantage in order to give

maximum impact with presentations.

Return on Investment

• Build presentations that create maximum

impact

• Use your nerves to enhance your presentation

• Choose the right visual aids

• Use your voice to greater effect

• Recognize and transform problem areas

• Handle your audience with confidence

• Explore how body language affects delivery

• Assess how to package the message content to

improve impact

Program FocusThe Purpose of Presentations• Different types of presentations

Setting Up Your Presentation • Define your objective • Understand your audience • Understand your presentation’s context

Determining Content and Structure• Decide what to say

Organizing Your Presentation• How to add interest • Make your presentation persuasive • How long should a presentation be?

Using Visuals• Choose the media for your visuals• Effective visuals

Rehearsing• Overcome your fear of presenting • Rehearse for the presentation • Prepare mentally and physically

Presenting Effectively• How to speak effectively • How to use your voice effectively• How to project a positive image

Handling Questions• Preparing for questions • When should I answer questions? • What if I don’t know the answer to a question?

Making Group Presentations • Making presentations with a group • A typical group presentation flow

Evaluating Your Presentation• Evaluate prior to the presentation • Evaluate during the presentation • And yes, evaluate after the presentation

CENTER FOR INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

WRITING FOR BUSINESS

Who Should Attend?Senior executives and managers who are advancing in their organizations, and senior managers who need to extend their knowledge of business fundamentals will all gain a solid foundation of practical business knowledge and skills.

Program OverviewMany of the managers’ and executives’ functions involve written communication, and are part of your daily responsibilities. In addition, people judge you by the way you write. It is a reflection of your professional image. Therefore, the ability to express yourself clearly and accurately in writing has a direct impact on your success in your job.

This program focuses on the essential elements of effective business writing and shows how putting the readers’ needs first can help take the headache out of writing, and in doing so helping you extend your influence as an employee. In this topic, you will learn how to organize your thoughts, write a complete first draft, and make your everyday e-mails, memos, and reports useful, logical, and compelling.

Return on Investment• Understand the essential characteristics of

good business writing• Develop efficient sentences and paragraphs • Examine the basic steps to effective writing• Understand how to use words for maximum

effect• Know some common grammatical errors to

avoid• Focus on the elements required to produce

effective letters, memos, E-mail, job procedures, guidelines, and reports

Program FocusWriting from the Readers’ Point of View• How your company benefits from reader-centered

documents • How your readers benefit from reader-centered

documents • How you benefit personally from reader-centered

documents

Using Start-up Strategies• Do your research • Choose the best start-up strategy for your task • Starting a document by questioning• The traditional outline, the brainstorm outline, free

writing

Organizing Material According to Purpose• Consider the needs and preferences of your

audience as you decide how to organize the content. • Frequently used organization methods • When method Is appropriate• The chronological method, the process method, the

spatial arrangement method, the compare and contrast method, the specific-to-general or general-to-specific method, and the analytical method

Writing the First Draft• First, get it written. . . then get it right • Begin where you feel most comfortable • Developing smaller writing tasks or writing in

"categories" can make the draft more manageable • Certain categories prove useful over and over • Standard parts of a formal proposal

Editing for Content and Style

E-Mail Is Writing, Too!• Start with the subject line • Create effective e-mail messages • Make the purpose of the message clear. • Be concise and precise. • Remember your audience. • Keep your formatting simple.• Know when not to send an e-mail

CENTER FOR INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

EFFECTIVELY MANAGING MEETINGS

Who Should Attend?Senior executives and managers who are advancing in their organizations, and senior managers who need to extend their knowledge of business fundamentals will all gain a solid foundation of practical business knowledge and skills.

Program OverviewMeetings are a key tool in the successful management of business activities. All too often time and effort is wasted by calling and attending meetings which are not well prepared, have no clear purpose and where attendees fail to participate in making decisions.

This program aims to assist in dealing with those aspects which inhibit the effectiveness of meetings and emphasize the best practices which make meetings successful.

This program covers meetings from start to finish – when to meet, how to plan for a meeting, how to keep a meeting on track, as well as how to do proper follow-up.

Return on Investment• Learn how to plan and prepare meetings • Understand techniques in how an effective

meeting should be run • Discover how to get the best practical benefits

from a meeting • Study best practice at managing effective

meetings • Explore the key aspects of effective preparation • Practice running meetings • Develop techniques for handling effective

outcomes from meetings • Develop techniques at dealing with difficulties

and conflicts arising from meetings

Program FocusTypes and Purposes of Meetings • What do you want to accomplish?

Preparing for a Meeting• Create an agenda • Plan the setting and location • Do your homework

How Groups Reach Decisions• A decision by the leader• Voting by majority • Group consensus • How do you know when you have a genuine

consensus?

Conducting a Meeting• What should the basic ground rules include? • Follow the agenda • Make sure people participate • Be aware of yourself as the leader

When Bad Things Happen to Good Meetings • Become an active listener • If the group is not addressing an issue directly

or is focusing on one issue to the exclusion of others,

• Other hats leaders wear

End Matters• When to end • How to end

Following Up After a Meeting• Developing an action and communication plan • What goes into a follow-up memo?

Virtual Meetings• Video-conferencing • Audio-conferences with Internet support • Web-conferencing • Chat rooms and other live Web connections

CENTER FOR INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Who Should Attend?

Senior executives and managers who are advancing in

their organizations, and senior managers who need to

extend their knowledge of business fundamentals will

all gain a solid foundation of practical business

knowledge and skills.

Program Overview

People can face almost any problem except the

problem of people. They work long hours, face

declining business, even the loss of a job, but they can't

deal with the difficult people in their lives. This program

will provide you with some strategies you can adopt, at

work and in your personal life as well. This program will

help you identify your style and if you may be

contributing to some difficult interactions.

Return on Investment

• Learn innovative, solutions-driven approach to

the inevitable conflicts that arise at work• Discover practical, proven alternatives that you

can harness in the most difficult and frustrating

situations• Change the way you react and manage conflict

when it does occur• Experience an incredible, positive change in

yourself • Master your own emotions and the calm in the

center of the storm

Program Focus• How to uncover “hidden” resentments and

learn what’s really creating conflict• The “escalation scale” — how to prevent

disagreements from turning into arguments• Steps you can take right now to “repair”

relationships damaged by past conflicts• The secret to keeping poise and control when

everyone around you loses them• Emotional “first aid”: Innovative practices that

help you get control in the crucial first minutes of a crisis

• Antagonists, blamers, complainers … set yourself free from the traps these difficult people set for you

• “Crisis communicating”: Talk your way through even the most difficult of conflicts, and reach an acceptable compromise

• How to predict a problem situation before it reaches the crisis stage — and avert it entirely

• Self-destructive behaviors: find out how you can be “your own worst enemy”

• Stress and anger: identify and eliminate your own deadly “triggers”

• How to transform the negative energy of anger into a positive, productive force

• How your individual personality drives your emotional responses

• Is it a “put-down” or constructive criticism? How to tell the difference

• Sinister sarcasm: how to deal with someone who veils insults with flattery

• How to relax — quick! 5 minutes is all you need to relieve the tension and anxiety of conflict

• “Placing blame”: how this common, destructive habit can lead you to disaster

• Physical symptoms of anger — know them, and you’ll be able to “warn yourself” of an impending emotional surge

CENTER FOR INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

THE POWER OF LISTENING

Who Should Attend?Senior executives and managers who are advancing in their organizations, and senior managers who need to extend their knowledge of business fundamentals will all gain a solid foundation of practical business knowledge and skills.

Program FocusSelf Appraisal:• Identify a range of verbal and non-verbal factors

which affect others • Examine current work relationships and identify

problem areas • Explore and satisfy individual needs; personal

barriers

Conversation Openers:• The first impression • The importance of the initial stages of

conversation • How a lack of listening at this stage can prove

to be damaging

Passive Listening:• The use of eyes and acknowledgement tools • Learning to be controlled when confronted with

a passive listener • The tendency to over-compensate with un-

needed phrases and words • Holding the listener’s gaze

Acknowledgement Responses:• Appropriate expressions and kinetics • Paralinguistic • Supportive acknowledgement responses

keeping the speaker at ease

Communication Breakdown:• Background interference • How misunderstandings, misconceptions and

poor judgment are the probable outcome of interference

• Judgmental interference • Critical responses

Active Listening:• Reflective listening rephrasing pertinent points

and returning them to the speaker • Using reflective listening in conjunction with

passive listening• The prevention of misunderstanding

Listening Skills:• The essence of communication in listening • Reading and understanding • The fundamental advantage of reflective

listening

Program OverviewThe ability to listen is critically important for your success. But few know how to really listen - to focus, receive, respond to, retain and retrieve vital information. Now get more benefit - and less frustration and disappointment - from business interactions. Learn to bar distraction, increase response and feedback, and remain fully "present." This program takes you beyond listening importance, nature and understanding- function to develop its influence-potential to motivate others to more authentically communicate themselves - thus creating more efficient and productive dialogue.

This participatory workshop explores the knowledge, attitudes, and skills you need to become more effective in verbal communications. You will examine the listening process, assess your listening strengths and needs, develop effective listening techniques and strategies, and more.

Return on Investment• Examine the listening process • Assess your listening strengths and needs • Develop effective listening techniques and

strategies • Identify non-supportive listening attitudes and

behaviors • Harness and apply the power of listening • Discover a powerful communication model for

turning all interactions into productive outcomes

• Listen actively and show interest and concern • Clarify meaning and verify information to

minimize misunderstanding and wasting time • Foster positive attitudes by providing effective

feedback

CENTER FOR INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PERSUASION

Who Should Attend?Senior executives and managers who are advancing in their organizations, and senior managers who need to extend their knowledge of business fundamentals will all gain a solid foundation of practical business knowledge and skills.

Program OverviewFormal authority no longer gets managers as far as it used to. To do their job – accomplishing work through others – managers must develop and use persuasion skills rather than simply issue orders.

During this program, you will learn how to master the art and science behind successful persuasion – and begin changing others’ attitudes, beliefs, or behavior to create win-win solutions.

Return on Investment• Understand what persuasion is • Build your credibility • Gauge your audience's receptivity to your ideas

as well as their decision-making style • Appeal to listeners' sense of logic and connect

emotionally with them • Overcome resistance to your ideas • Activate persuasion "triggers," or mental

shortcuts your audience may take to decide whether to support your ideas

• Prompt your listeners to persuade themselves to back your proposals

Program FocusWhat Is Persuasion? • Why is persuasion important? • The elements of persuasion • The ethics of persuasion

Building Your Credibility • The credibility equation • Trust • Expertise

Understanding Your Audience • Identify decision makers, key stakeholders, and

influencers • Analyze your audience's receptivity • Determine decision-making styles

Winning Your Audience's Mind • Structure your presentation effectively • Provide compelling evidence • Spotlight benefits your listeners value

Winning Your Audience's Heart• Vivid descriptions • Metaphors • Analogies • Stories

Overcoming Resistance • Identify resisters' interests • Understand resisters' emotions • Listen to resisters' concerns • Ensure that your verbal and nonverbal

messages are consistent • Present resisters' viewpoints before your own

Understanding Persuasion Triggers • Contrast / Liking / Reciprocity / Social proof • Commitment and consistency • Authority • Scarcity

Leveraging the Power of Audience Self-Persuasion • Visualization / Questioning / Active listening

CENTER FOR INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

GROUP FACILITATION SKILLS

Program OverviewFacilitation is fast becoming a key skill for anyone who is in a team, leading a project team, heading up a working group or managing a department. Facilitation is the skill, and art of guiding others to solve their own problems and achieve their objectives without simply giving advice or offering solutions. A facilitator provides the structure and process – enabling groups to function effectively and make high-quality decisions.

This program is highly participative and is designed to help delegates achieve a practical understanding of the process and skills of facilitation.

Return on Investment• Appreciate the benefits and applications of

facilitation in the workplace• Be able to differentiate between process and

content facilitation• Identify the core practices and skills required for

effective facilitation• Understand how to stimulate group participation

and positively handle conflict• Understand the benefits and uses for focus

groups • Develop the key skills of a facilitator • Understand and effectively deal with group

dynamics • Effectively facilitate a focus group

Who Should Attend?Anyone who intends to lead a variety of focus groups, project meetings or working groups and wishes to become more effective at guiding people to solve problems and make decisions.

Program FocusIntroduction • What are the objectives for the task? • What are your objectives? • Types of focus group • The role of a facilitator

Preparation• Putting together aims and objectives • Identifying group 'ground rules' • Selecting group members • Venue, materials and techniques

Facilitator skills• Listening, questioning and probing • How to generate ideas and thoughts • Idea and solution generation techniques • Decision making techniques • Creativity techniques • Establishing and retaining control • Staying ahead • Importance of feedback • Increasing personal impact and creditability • Maximizing verbal and visual communication

skills

Group Behavior • Understanding group dynamics • Diagnosing the development of a group • Dealing with group conflict • Dealing with individual behavior • Group size and participation

Facilitating a group• Setting 'ground rules' • Establishing the objectives • Encouraging discussion • Avoiding negativity • Handling group dynamic 'problems' (examples:

attention seekers, silence, off track discussions, dominating characters)

• Closing the group down

CENTER FOR INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS