Communicating for Clarity

Communication is one of the most important factors influencing the success of organizations and individuals. Communication errors and misunderstandings can result in lost opportunities, lost productivity and worst of all, lost customers. This one-day course combines concepts developed through research with a prime model and key tools that give you the skills you need to communicate more clearly. The solution is not more communication, but clearer communication.

Communicating for Clarity focuses on the following competencies:

• Creating a clear and engaging message
• Encouraging clear communication from others

• Develop messages that have appeal
• Identify your own personal needs and customize your message to ensure you get what you need from the communication
• Identify the personal needs of others and customize the communication to ensure you get what they need from the communication
• Structure messages to enable others to engage in the communication and take appropriate action
• Use a variety of Question types to explore the opinions and insights of others
• Use specific communication techniques to demonstrate understanding and interest and to guide the communication
• Listen more effectively

COURSE OUTLINE

1. Introduction

• Determining Personal and Program Objectives
• Considering Your Experience With Clear Communication

• More Than Words
• Model for Clear Communication
• Facts, Episodes, and Feelings and Long-Term Memory
• Facts, Episodes, and Feelings and Clarity
• Using Facts, Episodes, and Feelings

• Personal Needs
• Creating Clarity with KUBA
• KUBA: Considering Others
• KUBA and You
• Personal Needs and KUBA

• Communication Factors
• Questioning Skills
• Encouragers and Discouragers
• Listening and Responding
• Listening Quiz

• Practice Makes Perfect
• Case Study
• My Commitment to Clarity

Prerequisite

Prework for this course should be completed one week in advance and brought to class.