Course Outline
Day 1
INTRODUCTION
- Background context
- Defining roles and responsibilities
- The importance of soft skills
- Perception, numerical literacy, and human nature
- Money, metrics, and market dynamics
1. COMMUNICATION – PARADOX, PURPOSE, AND INTENTION
- Understanding the purpose and intention behind communication
- To educate
- To inform
- To persuade
- Key takeaways
2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
- Identifying your target listener
- Worldviews, mental models, and cognitive schemas
- Navigating jargon and mixed-level audiences
- Cultural and national context
- Levels of abstraction and detail
3. COMMUNICATION METHODS AND TOOLS
- Selecting the right tools
- Concise screen-based text and summarization techniques
- Applying the rule of three
- Utilizing examples and analogies
4. STORYTELLING
- The universal appeal and innate human connection to stories
- Leveraging storytelling in professional settings
- Crafting a compelling narrative
- The role of non-verbal cues
- The lasting impact and power of a well-told story
Day 2
5. PRESENTING DATA AND INFORMATION
- Distinguishing between data and information
- Determining the appropriate level of detail
- Establishing credibility through trusted sources
- Effective data and information visualization
6. INTERPRETATION OF DATA
- Avoiding confirmation bias
- Aligning communication with clear intentions
- Managing communication status and dynamics
7. FEEDBACK
- Overview of feedback models
- Situation, behaviour, and impact (SBI) model
- The sandwich feedback approach
- Pendleton feedback model
- Situation, task, action, and result (STAR) feedback model
- SAID feedback model
- Strategies for soliciting high-quality feedback
- The practice of active listening
- Techniques for delivering effective feedback
- Providing constructive and actionable input
- Summary of key feedback principles
Day 3
8. COLLABORATION
- The rationale for collaborative work
- Defining the essence of collaboration
- Cultivating a collaborative culture
- Key conclusions and insights
9. COLLABORATION TOOLS
- Overview of common collaboration platforms and suites
- MS SharePoint
- Google Workspace
- Atlassian
- Kahootz
- HighQ
- Criteria for selecting the most suitable collaboration tool
10. ANALYSING YOUR COLLABORATION SKILLS
- Application of the Johari Window model
- The value of conciseness
- Developing assertiveness
- Basic assertion techniques
- Empathic assertion strategies
- Consequence assertion approaches
- Using the discrepancy technique
- Applying the repetition technique
- Implementing the fogging technique
11. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND COLLABORATION
- Cultivating self-awareness
- Enhancing self-management
- Developing social awareness
- Improving relationship management
12. PERSONAL BRANDING
- Aligning disclosure with professional intent
- Building your personal brand step-by-step
- Step 1: Clarify your objectives
- Step 2: Aligning with broader goals
- Step 3: Defining your audience and purpose
- Step 4: Strategies for engagement
- Identifying key brand characteristics
13. POSITIVE ATTITUDE
- The historical context of Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)
- The power of a ‘can-do’ mindset and faith
- Strategies for developing and sustaining a positive attitude
- Refining and distilling positivity
- Final reflections
14. NETWORKING
15. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Requirements
Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills
While no specific prerequisites are mandatory, prior professional experience in any field is recommended to maximize the value of the course content.
Target Audience
This course is primarily designed for professionals with several years of experience; however, its principles are universal and applicable across most disciplines. It is particularly beneficial for specialists who frequently need to explain complex or niche concepts to non-technical audiences.
Testimonials (3)
Managing difficult conversations
Kgaogelo Ratau - City Lodge Hotels
Course - Effective Communication in the Workplace
Meeting efficiency is something that's fairly "basic", but not thought about a lot and with really large implications on people/company time. Understanding these best practices and keeping them top-of-mind will be of immediate help.
Dan Moffatt - Chris Courtemanche
Course - Personal Efficiency and Managing Meetings
interaction and discussion with each other in different groups, together with some games.
