Communication Skills Training Workshops for Employees & Workplace Leaders

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Workshops for Effective Communication Skills Training

Pollack Peacebuilding Systems provides effective communication skills training and workshops for employees, workplace leaders, and companies. The training is a dynamic, interactive event, specifically geared toward improving communication and mitigating conflicts more efficiently.

Effective Communication Skills Training involves:

  • Improving listening skills, including empathetic listening and perspective-taking
  • Constructing 3-part assertion messages for more effective expression
  • Learning to manage difficult relationships or problem-oriented personalities
  • Learning to stop reacting emotionally, and instead respond rationally
  • Getting clear on what you need and how to effectively communicate to get your needs met
  • Gaining insight into how other parties might be feeling and what they might need

Free Consultation for Team Training

Improved Communication = Improved Relationships

Relationships are the absolute number one element that makes life worth living. However, they can also be the greatest challenge for most people. Whether it’s a significant other, a family member, a friend, or an associate, healthy relationships take effort to maintain…and some more than others. If there is a single factor that really tends to improve one’s relationships across the board, it is better communication. What does that mean? It means listening with more empathy and understanding, communicating calmly and effectively, and learning to work with people rather than against them.

Benefits to Better Communication Skills Include:

  • More efficiency in achieving relational goals
  • Turn potential conflicts into opportunities for deeper understanding
  • Resolve problems before they begin, grow, and/or fester
  • Deeper, more fulfilling relationships
  • Better relationships lead to happier lives

Learning to communicate more effectively is not simply about resolving conflicts; it’s about enhancing relationships and thus improving one’s overall quality and fulfillment of life. With greater communication comes deeper connection between friends and loved ones, and within the world in general.

To find out about our Effective Communication Skills Training, contact PPS today. We’d love to help improve your relationships.

Notes on Effective Communication Skills Training

Building Relationships That Last

Relationships rely on trust. From vendor to client, friend to family member, and everything in between—you’re not going to have a healthy or lasting relationship with someone if you don’t trust them. Sometimes, trust can be broken unnecessarily when you don’t have the proper communication skills training under your belt. When emotions run high, it’s very easy to lose sight of what’s important in an interaction, and communication get frazzled. This is why finding the proper ways to improve communication skills is a must—it helps everyone, in every situation.

Ways to Improve Communication Skills

There are numerous areas of communication skills training that you may need to cover. If you notice different aspects of your life—such as work, play, and the in-between—could use a tune-up on your interactions, you’re in need of a workshop. Proper communication is one of the most overlooked aspects of any profession, and every relationship can benefit from improvements.

Take the Time to Listen

Though it sounds simple, the first communication skills training you ought to engage is how to deeply, intently listen. Now, we all know how to sit back and let someone talk, but our minds can often trail away. This is not truly listening. Focus listening requires dedication to the interaction, and often leads to repeating what you heard for clarity and for acknowledgement. Deep listening is the bridge to all healthy interactions, and communication skills training tackles this topic as a priority.

Be Considerate

This sounds like common sense. You should treat others the way you want to be treated. Everybody knows that. There are little ways, however, that we can be inconsiderate to others without even knowing it, especially in the era of technology. Communication has become streamlined, digitalized, and cold. There’s little room for emotion or empathy, and that’s a big problem. Whether it’s just workplace communication, or in personal aspects of your life, you need to put your best foot forward with effort.

When you’re sending a text message or an email, take the same amount of effort that you would with a verbal conversation. Being considerate is universal. Even if we speak different languages, anyone can understand when you are being considerate or rude. Receiving text messages and emails that are half-done can be frustrating. It often shows the recipient that the sender didn’t put enough effort in, which feels inconsiderate. Most of the time, we’re just trying to save a few seconds, but it can come across as a lack of caring or respect.

Your Body Language Matters

This is a subject that people often roll their eyes at, but it has a great deal to do with your communication overall. Slouched shoulders show your partner that you’re not interested in what they’re saying. Poor posture in a chair shows your boss that you couldn’t care less about what’s going on. Every relationship and in-person communication can be affected by body language—it’s up to you whether that impact is positive or negative.

Communication skills training touches on body language alongside other types of communication. What we would like to offer as a free bit of information is this: pay attention to your body language on a regular, ordinary basis. Monitor the little things that you’re doing that you could improve on, and as this becomes apparent, you’ll slowly start tuning up the aspects you don’t like about your own body language. Avoid being closed-off. Do not cross your arms, and avoid negative facial expressions.

Don’t Overcomplicate Things

How many times have you gone to explain something, only to trip over details and other little tidbits of information? It makes stories seem drawn-out, and inconsiderate of another’s time. Your communication in world is pivotal; when you’re explaining yourself or delving into the reason behind an action, being brief is better. Don’t use seven words when four will do. This doesn’t mean that you’re leaving out necessary details; but when you overcomplicate your explanations, the message gets lost.

Overcomplicating a matter is also a surefire way to, as they say, “shoot yourself in the foot.” Many times we overexplain and overcomplicate a situation, and it makes our entire message full of static. You don’t get your point across, and you confuse the listener. When examining your personal relationships and your workplace communication, this is a vital practice.

Be Vocal

If you’re afraid that something may get lost in translation, such as over a text message or an email, call the person. This is especially vital when it’s a loved one or spouse. The last thing you want is to spend half of your day upset because of something that was completely misconstrued. This is another aspect of our digital age that drastically declines our ability to be social with one another. Communication is key, so when it’s not chatter, or it has a crucial element to it, take the time to pick up the phone and actually speak voice-to-voice with the person.

Maintain an Outward, Positive Attitude

Some of us are pessimistic, and that’s okay, but it’s not a conversation starter. When you’re trying to enhance your communication skills with others, you want to appear open, inviting, and positive. Someone becomes unapproachable immediately when they have a scowl on their face, their body language has them closed-off, and they’re in a blocked-off area, like a corner or a confined space.

Usually, we are “closing off” unconsciously. It can take a great deal of effort to switch into a positive mode, especially if your mind is abuzz with worry and concerns. A lot of people wear their hearts on their sleeves, but it can come off as unapproachable; and in some cases, that can be the difference between making excellent connections or continuing to be left in the dark.

The communication skills workshops we offer at Pollack Peacebuilding are designed to enhance every aspect of your communication process. Whether it’s personal, corporate, or community-based, there’s a different angle and aspect to every form of communication. Contact us today to find out how you can improve your relationships with our communication skills training workshop, and watch the positive effects ripple throughout your life.

Employees in circle with hands in the middle in effective communication skills training
Two employees at table talking effective communication skills
Man shaking employee hand in good communication

Types Of Workplace Communication

There are several types of communication that go on in the workplace. Most of the time, communication is either written or verbal. However, non-verbal cues such as vocal tones, facial gestures, and body language have been proven to be far more important in communication than the content of the message. That’s why communication skills training is so incredibly important: say the right thing in the wrong way, and it may turn disastrous.

Written communication in the workplace may consist of memos, emails, post-it notes or even text messages. It is important to establish a workplace culture where written communication is both appropriate and effective. This may involve a list of whom to “cc” in an email or message, or even the use of a specialized messaging program that is specific to your team. Verbal communication at the workplace can be either more or less common than written communication.

You can master a variety of workplace communication modalities with Pollack Peacebuilding’s communication skills training program. We are happy to help you find the best way to create a culture of communication for your company.

Communication Skills via Email

Written communication is often the most pervasive in the workplace be it through emails or IM messages. However, it is important to note that the written word can have a specific tone and can often be misinterpreted. Even something as simple as replying ‘okay’ can be considered either an agreement or a way of displaying annoyance. Part of effective communication skills training is ensuring that the written word is not misused between your employees or between an employee and customer.

Reacting To Miscommunications

An important part of communication skills training is figuring out what to do if something goes wrong. Miscommunication can cause unrest, hurt feelings and confusion regardless of whether it is about an important project or a planned team lunch. Being able to handle a misunderstanding is another reason to invest in communication skills coaching for the workplace.

Clear The Air: If you are at fault, admit that you’ve made a mistake. Being the first to apologize for a personal error as a leader allows you to set an example. If someone else is at fault, however, avoid pointing fingers and simply contact the two parties in order to help facilitate a dialogue.

Rephrase the Meaning: Whatever you or the other party meant to say was probably important, and communication skills coaching can help get the point across more effectively. At this stage, reaching an agreement is critical for future peace.

effective communication skills training meeting

Implement Communication Skills Training Workshops

If you are ready to maximize efficiency and minimize miscommunications in your team’s workflow, it’s time to take action. Contact Pollack Peacebuilding’s communication skills training specialists today to make sure your company is ready for the next steps.

Free Consultation for Team Training