The Essential Leadership Communication &...

The Essential Leadership Communication

& Interpersonal Skills Programme

CommsMasters The Hub, Pacific Quay, Glasgow G51 1DZ

0141 419 0183

[email protected]

commsmasters.com

http://commsmasters.com/

mailto:[email protected]?subject=The%20Master%20Communicator%20Programme


© 2013 CommsMasters Page | 2

The Master Communicator Programme

Programme Structure

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The Master Communicator Programme (MCP) is an advanced-level skills development

programme which builds the communication and interpersonal competence essential

for success at senior leadership levels.

The Master Communicator Programme:

► Builds the deep self-awareness and self-management required to lead with

emotional intelligence, which is proven to increase in importance the more

senior the leader’s role

► Establishes the political sensitivity necessary to achieve in today’s complex

business environment, where leaders must get faster results and work across

organisational, cultural and global boundaries

► Embeds the interpersonal skills that senior leaders must have to gain trust,

loyalty and commitment amongst those they lead – evidence shows that

people do not leave organisations, they leave managers

► Offers the opportunity to undertake post-graduate qualifications in

Leadership Communication, enhancing professional credibility and providing

that all-important evidence of advanced competence

The programme is specifically designed to meet the needs of:

► Senior leaders who are already skilled communicators and who have a

personal interest in honing that ability so that they can operate at the highest

possible levels

► Senior and mid-level managers whose high level of technical and business

acumen is undermined by their communication and interpersonal skills

► High-potential and emerging talent who are being developed to take up

senior leadership roles

The programme’s structure is practical and work-focussed, and provides personal

coaching to ensure the new skills leaders develop are sustained long-term. This focus on

practical application is underpinned with academic rigour: The MCP can lead to

recognised post-graduate management qualifications from Edinburgh Napier University.

Introduction

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Practical Focus

The emphasis throughout The MCP is on enabling experienced leaders to harness the

power of communication to more quickly and easily achieve their business goals and

build their leadership effectiveness.

Leaders undertaking this programme are eligible to register for a post-graduate

management award in Leadership Communication with the Edinburgh Institute at

Edinburgh Napier University, and support for award candidates will be woven into the

programme throughout.

Personal Support from a Master Communicator Coach

Before the programme begins each leader is matched with a Master Communicator

Coach (MCC) who works with them throughout the programme. Support includes four

one-to-one coaching sessions.

At the first meeting with their MCC, which takes place shortly after Workshop One,

individuals identify the results they want to realise from their participation in the

programme and link these to the real business objectives they have to achieve. Their

coach supports them at each stage of the programme to ensure that they stay on track.

During formal coaching sessions the MCC helps individuals plan how best to apply the

learning from the workshops in their business environment. In addition the MCC provides

ad hoc support during the programme so that the individual has the support exactly

when they need it.

Coaching sessions are carried out online, by telephone and face-to-face.

360° Review and Feedback

To understand how others currently experience the leader’s interaction with them, at the

start of the programme delegates select up to nine individuals whose feedback they

would value. These individuals comprise people who hold more senior roles, peers, direct

reports and others with whom the leader regularly interacts either within or outside their

organisation. Individuals selected to give feedback complete an on-line questionnaire

and the results are compiled into a comprehensive feedback report. The MCC discusses

this with the leader at their first coaching session, helping them pinpoint the specific

areas to develop during The Master Communicator Programme.

The manager has the opportunity to repeat this process as desired at any stage after

completion of the programme.

Programme Overview

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Learning through Focussed Workshops

The MCP includes workshops on four key topics, each critical to success in today’s

business environment:

► Workshop 1 — The Politically Astute Communicator

► Workshop 2 — Dialogue That Drives Up Performance

► Workshop 3 — Building Board-Level Influence

► Workshop 4 — Difficult People and Difficult Conversations

Workshops are held at six-weekly intervals and build in complexity as each different type

of interaction is explored. Workshop content is included on pages 7-11 of this document.

The combination of input, practice and feedback that each workshop comprises

enables leaders to build the highly sophisticated understanding of communication that is

required in business today, and the advanced skill levels to apply it. Each workshop

introduces practical tools and techniques, and explains the theoretical concepts that

underpin them and make them so effective.

The emphasis on practical application throughout the programme ensures leaders

change their behaviours in the short term. This focus embeds these changes for the long

term.

Interactive sessions with professional role-players from our partner organisation,

Impromptu (www.impromptultd.com), ensure that leaders practice their skills in an

environment that is extremely close to real-life. The role-players skill in building

demanding interactions ensures that each leader is challenged to just the right level

during these sessions.

The workshop facilitators provide individual feedback during practice sessions, as do

fellow participants, so that learners can immediately fine-tune their interactions and

experience the effect of doing so.

Learning From, and Sharing with, Fellow Participants

Working in small groups ensures that there is scope for individual support and attention

from the workshop facilitator, while still ensuring enough interaction so that leaders

benefit from the wealth of practical experience that others bring.

Membership of the Master Communicator Community

On completion of the programme leaders become part of The Master Communicator

Community, giving them access to a wealth of knowledge. They can keep up-to-date

with research and thinking about the most effective communication in business, ensuring

they can continue to build their knowledge and skills.

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http://www.impromptultd.com/



In addition, they have the opportunity to take part in Advanced Master Communicator

workshops, enabling them to build the communication skills required in complex

organisational situations such as leading international teams, facilitating organisational

change and working collaboratively.

Formal Recognition of the Knowledge and Skills Developed

Formal qualifications that demonstrate competence are increasingly valued by both

individuals and organisations. They form an essential element of the continuous

professional development (CPD) required by most professional bodies, provide

organisations – and their stakeholders – with the assurance that leaders are of the

highest professional standard, and are highly motivating for the individuals undertaking

them.

We are therefore delighted to be partnering with the Edinburgh Institute of Leadership &

Management Practice (EILMP) at Edinburgh Napier University (www.napier.ac.uk).

The Edinburgh Institute is dedicated to improving leadership and management through

practice-based learning. As part of Edinburgh Napier University, it has a proud tradition

of dealing with the practical realities that business leaders face on a day-to-day basis.

Their focus, in common with that of The MCP, is on improving personal and

organisational performance in real and measurable ways.

Leaders who choose to combine The Master Communicator Programme with the

associated Edinburgh Institute assessments will have their progress formally assessed so

that they can be sure they are achieving a recognised standard of learning and skill in

the field of leadership communication. With the support of their MCC and fellow

participants, they complete additional elements to demonstrate their learning. These

include case study work, practical exercises and a 4,500-word project about how they

have applied their communication learning to their practice. Upon successful

completion, individuals will be awarded a post-graduate Certificate in Management

Practice (Leadership Communication).

Those who wish to build their expertise in leadership communication further still can

undertake a Diploma in Management Practice (Leadership Communication). They then

have option to go on to complete the Masters course, which involves a final piece of

research and submission of a dissertation, leading to the award of an MSc in

Management Practice (Leadership Communication).

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Workshop 1

The Politically Astute Communicator

Through completing this workshop, leaders:

Learn about the core elements present in every human interaction

► Build self-awareness regarding the way they interact with others in order to

engage with them more effectively

► Find out about simple changes that they can make immediately to increase

the impact of their communication with bosses, peers and subordinates

► Will be able to consciously and consistently manage their responses at all times

during any interaction

► Will use scientific, psychological and systemic tools that will enable them to

analyse the different political environments in which they are operating so that

they can decide how best to interact in each individual situation

Content covered includes:

How our cave-dwelling ancestors impact human interaction in the 21st-century

organisation

► The emotional responses that occur at a subconscious level, too often rail-

roading communication with others, and how to manage these

► The language that instantly increases impact when interacting with others and

the commonly used language that undermines it

► How to read the political environments in which leaders operate and ways to

use this information to increase power and impact

► Techniques to prepare for those conversations that can be planned and how

to respond in the moment in a more consciously effective way

► Why leaders so often end up with resistance, or at best compliance, and how

to engage with others to gain their commitment

Workshop Approach

This workshop takes leaders through the core elements at play in every human

interaction, introducing theoretical concepts and new research from the fields of

neuroscience, psychology and systems thinking.

During the workshop participants take part in practical activities and discussions to build

understanding of, and skill in applying, the insights gained. In particular they explore how

to use these within the context of their current working environment and the

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conversations they are currently involved with there.

They also reflect on their current practices, building their awareness of the ways in which

their current style can be developed so that they more effectively interact with others for

the benefit of all involved, and ultimately of their organisation as a whole.

Workshops 2, 3 and 4 will build on the core elements covered in this workshop.



Workshop 2

Dialogue That Drives Up Performance


► Explore why dialogue is central to driving up performance

► Learn to use dialogue as a powerful tool to create clarity and engagement

around key business goals

► Develop advanced skills in holding one-on-one conversations in a way that

engages individuals’ commitment and ability to deliver

► Build a solid understanding of the key approaches which create and sustain

high-performing teams

► Learn to skilfully handle challenges within their team to confidently overcome

conflict and address difficult team dynamics


► Flexing the leadership style – when to coach and when to direct

► Creating strategic dialogue to build clarity and increase the pace of delivery

► Powerful techniques for holding effective one-on-one conversations

► What makes a high-performing team – and what sustains it

► Confronting the performance gap within teams

► Confidently addressing difficult team dynamics

Workshop Approach

In this module leaders build their understanding of the key concepts introduced in

Workshop One, with a specific focus on applying this understanding to drive delivery and

increase business performance. They focus on building their skills to hold highly effective

conversations, either one-on-one or with their team. They also look at the key dialogue

tools that will help them to establish a high-performing team and immediately apply

these to situations where they need them most.

During the two days participants work in small groups, undertaking a number of

challenging practice sessions. They receive feedback about their style and approach

from the other participants, the workshop facilitator and the professional role-players. The

mix of real-time experience, along with a high level of personal support, gives a solid

opportunity to build knowledge and develop skills during the workshop.

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Workshop 3

Building Board-Level Influence


► Take away tools and techniques that enable them to plan an influential

conversation and prepare an influential business proposal

► Save time and energy by targeting their communications effectively when

seeking to influence others

► Reduce the frequency with which they are met with refusal or resistance to

their ideas, and maintain a highly influential style when this happens

► Skilfully handle challenge and resistance so that they build others’ confidence

and trust in them, and the relationships that increase their influence long-term


► The difference between manipulation and politically astute influencing

► A simple structure for presenting a strategic business idea in a way that

influences others to buy into it

► How to calculate the level of commitment that can be expected when

seeking to influence others

► How to tailor recommendations to the specific needs of the key stakeholders

► Techniques to overcome resistance to ideas and recommendations

► Why it is more important to reduce costs than to emphasise benefits if we want

others to buy into our ideas

► How to see ‘No’ simply as valuable information that increases influence, rather

than the end of the line

► Words to use and those to avoid in order to immediately build influence

Workshop Approach

Over the two days participants work in small groups to plan and carry out a serious of

strategic interactions where they are seeking to influence others. They work with

professional role-players from Impromptu. They receive feedback about their influencing

style from other participants, the Master Communicator facilitator and the role-players,

throughout both days of the workshop. Working in small groups, with a maximum of six

participants in each, allows for a high level of personal feedback as well as the

opportunity to practise knowledge and skills during at least two interactive sessions.

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Workshop 4

Difficult People & Difficult Conversations


► Build competence in handling the tough conversations that research† shows

90% of leaders either avoid or handle ineffectively

► Plan and practise how to handle the conversations that they personally find

most challenging

► Take away techniques that enable them to begin tough conversations in a

direct and constructive way

► Have the skill and flexibility to handle any response from others confidently and

constructively † Source: Performance Coaching International, Coaching at Work, 2008


► Ways in which people unconsciously make conversations difficult before the

dialogue has even begun

► A four-step planning process when preparing for a tough conversation

► How to handle discomfort in order to maintain a constructive approach and

manage emotional responses before, during and after tough conversations

► The reasons why people tend to deal with tough conversations badly, and

techniques to avoid these

► The ways in which individuals mess up the beginning of difficult conversations,

resulting in unintended, negative outcomes that make the situation worse

► How to handle other people’s anger, fear and tears

Workshop Approach

This fourth and final workshop draws together all the material covered during the first

three sessions, enabling participants to apply this in even the toughest discussions,

whether with groups or with individuals. Day one is largely about practise, exploring the

range of scenarios that leaders typically find most challenging and building skill levels to

handle these confidently. Leaders work in small groups to examine these difficult

scenarios, planning how to approach them effectively and then practising the

conversation through work with our professional role-play partners. The final day of this

workshop – and of the workshop series – provides the opportunity for individuals to

explore how to apply all their learning to the toughest conversations that they face in

the workplace, and are either currently avoiding or would like to handle more

effectively.

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Post-Graduate Qualifications

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Post-graduate Certificate in Management Practice (Leadership Communication)

To achieve the post-graduate Certificate, leaders:

► Complete The Master Communicator Programme as outlined above

► Prepare a portfolio of their learning, explaining its relevance to their practice

► Prepare a report which evidences how they have applied their leadership

communication learning to their practice and which critically analyses how this

has developed them as leaders

► Make a presentation about their learning and its application

The post-graduate Certificate is completed over a seven-month period.

Post-graduate Diploma in Management Practice (Leadership Communication)

Those who wish to build their expertise in leadership communication further still can

undertake a Diploma in Management Practice (Leadership Communication). They then

have option to go on to complete the Masters course, leading to the award of an MSc

in Management Practice (Leadership Communication).

To achieve the post-graduate Diploma, leaders:

► Complete the post-graduate Certificate programme as outlined above

► Participate in three additional workshops that explore how to harness the

power of communication to achieve more in complex organisational settings

(the specific topics covered are detailed on pages 13-19)

► Complete a written evaluation of an incident or project that links to their

organisation’s wider strategic and environmental context, drawing on the

tools, techniques and theories studied in the workshops

► Explore in-depth a topic relevant to their practice and produce a report of

recommendations as to how the organisation could improve, including a

reflective commentary on their learning and its application

► Develop an action plan for the implementation of two of the

recommendations identified in their second report

The post-graduate Diploma is completed over an 18-month period (including the

Certificate element).


The Master Communicator Programme Po

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MSc in Management Practice (Leadership Communication)

Successful completion of the post-graduate Diploma in Management Practice gives

managers the option to undertake a final piece of research and prepare a dissertation

to complete a Masters in Management Practice awarded by Edinburgh Napier

University.



Contact Us

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To find out more about The Master Communicator Programme or any of our

other services, please contact:

Tor Justad Programme Manager

0141 419 0183 // 07992 937 519 // [email protected]

CommsMasters

The Hub, Pacific Quay, Glasgow G51 1DZ

www.commsmasters.com

CommsMasters is a division of Campbell McWilliams Consulting Ltd.

mailto:[email protected]?subject=The%20Master%20Communicator%20Programme


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