Communication and Interpersonal Skills: The Power Tools for Personal and Professional Development  

INTRODUCTION

In today’s fast, technology-emphasized work environment, the effective use of interpersonal and communication skills are vital to your success and the success of the organization. Professionals like you must get your work done through others. Effective use of these skills is necessary to accomplish your goals. You have to communicate clearly, express your opinions assertively, listen actively, motivate, ask appropriate questions, manage conflicts, build trust and loyalty, and be a team player. This course will enable you to do all of these interpersonal skills well.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Communication and interpersonal skills will benefit anyone who needs to communicate with others in order to achieve objectives and goals in the workplace. Whether you are a manager, leader, individual contributor, or project or team leader, this programme is vital to your professional and personal development. Staffs who are responsible for the effective communication of others and for organizational communication should also attend.

SEMINAR OBJECTIVES

• Recognize the complex process of communication in order to achieve both personal and company goals
• Identify how to apply these new skills to improve individual and team performance
• Interpret your own and different communication styles in order to build more productive working relationships
• Determine the communication barriers in your work environment and strategies for reducing their influence
• Identify how to motivate and influence others
• Recognize the difference between assertive and non-assertive behaviors
• Apprise the power of emotion in communication and practice techniques to control your emotions in interpersonal interactions
• Use non-verbal communication techniques to developing shared meaning

SEMINAR OUTLINE

Day 1 – Communication in Today’s Workplace

• Defining successful communication and its components
• The importance of interpersonal communication and its benefits in relationship building
• The different forms communication take
• Communication and barriers (sources of noise)
• The Platinum Rule: Behaviors vs. Intentions
• The Three V’s of Communication: verbal, vocal, visual
• The medium of communication – selecting the appropriate mode
• Communication success factors with co-workers, employees and bosses

Day 2 – Understanding Your Own Communication Patterns

• The different communication styles and when to use each one
• Appreciating the styles of others and how to build better working relationships once you know their style
• Strategies for changing your communication profile
• Perception and communicating with others
• Changing your response to stereotypical perceptions
• The relationship between self-esteem and interpersonal communication
• Delivering clear, concise messages and avoiding relative words, euphemisms, emotive language and stereotypical language

Day 3 – Becoming an Active Listener

• Recognizing supportive and defensive situations
• Moving toward your goal in a conversation
• The seven skills for effective communication – The Strategic Communication Model
• Acknowledging emotions and ideas of others
• Encouraging others to speak more and express themselves
• Using questions to obtain shared meaning and build relationships

Day 4 – Informing, Directing, and Influencing Others

• Distinguish between the informing and directing skills
• Using the “FAB” method for influencing the behaviors of those who do not directly report to you
• Maintaining your emotional control to develop effective communications with others
• Using assertive strategies when communicating with others and avoiding aggressive ones
• How to respond to criticism you get from others

Day 5 – Constructively Criticizing the Behaviors of Others, Communicating in Groups and Course Summary

• Working with challenging and difficult team members – constructively criticizing them
• Using the “Two Minute Challenge”
• Using your communication skills in group settings
• Action planning – developing courses of action for using the course skills back on the job
• Course review, summary, and delegate and instructor feedback

ABOUT THE PRESENTER - GARY S. TOPCHIK

Gary Topchik is currently a senior associate with EuroMaTech.

Gary has an MBA from Cornell in Organizational Behavior and is the author of two best-selling business book, Equity Checking and Managing Workplace Negativity. He is currently working on The Reluctant Manager. The International OD Forum named him this year’s consultant of the year.

Mr. Topchik is also creative consultant for several television shows and featured movies. He advises the writers on the authenticity of work place scenes and dialogue.

While with EuroMaTech for the last five years Gary has delivered a great number of courses both on and off-site. He has also led several on-site consulting projects. Gary has worked extensively throughout the Gulf countries. Programmes include: Building High Performing Teams; Managing Change, Conflict and Difficult People; Motivating, Delegating, and Problem Solving; Achieving Personal and Corporate Excellence; Managing Emotions; Supervisory and Advance Supervisory Skills.