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Communication Strategies

This two-day workshop is designed to help you improve your communication skills with other people in your workplace or at home. This workshop gives participants the opportunity to improve the critical communication skills of listening, asking questions and being aware of nonverbal messages. This workshop can also help participants who are struggling to find that middle ground between being too aggressive and too passive, and how to counter the manipulative tactics of difficult people. Participants also learn more about the six elements of our communication with others that help us reveal appropriate information about ourselves, and get a handle on how to better manage ourselves for a professional image.

What participants will learn:

At the conclusion of this workshop, you should feel more comfortable in the following areas:

Identify common communication problems that may be holding you back
Develop skills in asking questions that give you information you need
Learn what your non-verbal messages are telling others
Develop skills in listening actively and empathetically to others
Learn how to firmly stand your ground and make your feelings heard
Enhance your ability to handle difficult situations without being manipulated
Be more aware of six critical elements of our communication with others

Workshop Outline:

Day 1
	Introductions Learning Objectives and Agenda
	Pre-assignment Review
	What�s In This for Me?
	Ten Commandments of Human Relations
	Defining Good Communication
	What Are the Characteristics of a Good Communicator?
	The Communication Process
	Windows and Barriers
	Questioning Techniques
	Closed Questions
	When they are used
	The assumptions that result
	Open Questions
	The different types
	When they are used
	Probing Skills
	Listening Techniques
	Barriers to Effective Listening
	Active Listening Techniques
	Listening Guidelines
	Six Elements of Our Communication with Others
	Frame of Reference
	Self-disclosure
	Image
	Self-Impression Management
	Attending
	Observing
	Frame of Reference
	Review

Day 2

	Reconnect
	A short exercise to get feedback from day one and to focus on communication skills that impact interpersonal relationships
	Five Approaches to Interpersonal Relationships
	Mystery-Mastery
	Structural
	Sympathy-Supportive
	Empathy-Collaboration
	Mutual-Confront
	Assertiveness
	Dealing with Difficult People
	The Difference between Assertive, Passive and Aggressive
	The Four-step Response
	Learning How to Say �No�
	Persuading Others
	First Persuading Yourself
	Techniques for Persuading Others
	Managing Stress
	Personal Action Plan
	Evaluation
	Suggested Reading List

Introductions Learning Objectives and Agenda

Pre-assignment Review

What�s In This for Me?

Suggested Reading List