Effective communication comprises developing all the skills involved during the communication process. While the courses are tailored to the needs of the participants, they help develop and improve essential communication skills such as listening, conflict resolution, customer service and negotiation.

Communication is a diverse process that can affect relationships at work and in life positively or negatively. It is not just about delivering a message but having the ability to communicate effectively. It is a skill nurtured over time, as the individual needs to be aware of how it works. Communications training helps develop and improve this skill, as it is core to building healthy relationships in all professions. Here are other benefits of attending a communications skills training course:

Improved Communication in Organizational Sub-Groups

Each organization comprises various sub-groups which have their unique sub-culture and language. Effective communication helps members in the organization to improve communication between the sub-groups in order to achieve the desired goals of the organization. It allows the individuals within the sub-groups to understand how they relate to one another. As such, individuals are bound to improve their behavior towards each other and make appropriate interventions.

Self-Awareness

Communication skills training course helps individuals become more aware of their communications style and determine areas they need to improve on. Most people equate interpersonal skills with having effective communication skills. However, interpersonal skills comprise a small portion of developing effective communication. While communication is individual, a communications skills course allows subjects to make a self-assessment by setting personal objectives and discussing the objectives with the trainers, in order to determine other’s perceptions and to receive feedback from others while completing training tasks. As a result, you become aware of areas you may need to improve, as well as of the areas in which the other participants found you an effective communicator.

What a Communications Skills Training Course Entails

 

 

Effective communication comprises developing all the skills involved during the communication process. While the courses are tailored to the needs of the participants, they help develop and improve essential communication skills like listening, conflict resolution, customer service, negotiation, facilitation, speaking, assertiveness and interaction skills. The skills are developed by understanding the most basic components of communication:

Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal communication is just as important as verbal communication. It is because spoken words account for a small part of your communication while your behavior is interpreted differently to other people. As such, it is imperative to give though to what you do while talking or listening as it affects the message the communication delivers. The training also encourages participants to pay attention to justifications, padding and excuses they use. A simple change in your verbal skills can make a significant impact on how people view you.

The Communication Cycle

It is the most basic understanding of how communication occurs. The spoken word is heard, understood, agreed or disagreed to, acted upon and implemented. Effective communication happens when the subject is aware about where he and other people lie in the cycle.

Body Language

It is a unique form of communication as it is innate in each individual and people make different interpretations. It comprises various cues each conveying different messages-eye movements, the position of your arms, proximity to another person’s body, gestures, facial expressions among others. Body language is considered the easiest way for you to tell what is going on in a conversation and an important tool to help participants monitor the people around them.

Barriers to Effective Communication

Understanding your role in each of the components discussed goes a long way in becoming an effective communicator. However, some factors still deter effective communication among participants:

Making Assumptions

Assumptions distort the interpretation of the message and cause most people to act differently. For example, a manager who decides to scold an employee based on the assumption that he is always late when he arrives a few minutes late. In this case, the manager causes his employees to make assumptions about him. For effective communication, the manager should explain that he assumed the employee is always late when he scolded him.

Resolving Conflict

Effective communication is also tested in an individual’s ability to resolve conflicts. Some people tend to ignore the problem hence making it worse; good communication requires you to resolve the conflict as soon as you identify the problem.

Attitude

An individual’s attitude also affects effective communication. It is imperative to be direct, and clear when conveying a message.