Communication
- Interpersonal Communication: Being Approachable (1.0 hr) [TRAINING] : Walking into a meeting surrounded by unknown faces, going to conferences, attending work events, starting a new job, and even going to social gatherings can be daunting, especially if you don't know anybody who will be there. Perhaps you worry about being ignored or not connecting with anyone and dread that awkward feeling of standing alone, off to the side. Do you wonder why people seem to be drawn to certain individuals in the room? Those individuals probably faced the same feelings of uncertainty entering the room as you did, but the difference may be that they appear to be more approachable than you do. Approachability involves conveying your willingness to reach out and invite others in by initiating contact, making yourself available, and building rapport.
- Interpersonal Communication: Communicating Assertively (1.0 hr) [TRAINING] : Effective communication in the workplace can be a balancing act. If you're too passive, you may have trouble getting others to do what you want. If you're too aggressive, you may turn people off. Getting what you want in the workplace requires a balance of assertiveness without aggressiveness.
- Interpersonal Communication: Communicating with Confidence (1.0 hr) [TRAINING] : Are you reluctant to voice your opinions to your colleagues for fear they'll be judged negatively? Do you find yourself avoiding awkward communication situations? Confident interpersonal communication skills are essential for healthy and successful relationships, whether personal or professional. Once you've learned how to apply them, these skills enhance your influence and help you achieve your goals. Communicators have an enormous advantage if their relationships are based on rapport-building trust and credibility. But trust and credibility are not the only essentials. You also need to use specific communication behaviors to project confidence in all your verbal and nonverbal interactions.
- Interpersonal Communication: Listening Essentials (1.0 hr) [TRAINING] : Sir Winston Churchill said 'Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.' Effective listening takes more than just courage; it also takes constant learning and practice. To prepare for effective listening, you need to identify and overcome the barriers that stand in the way of effective listening. You also need to be an attentive, empathetic, and active listener. When you engage in the technique of active listening, you focus your attention completely on the speaker, listen carefully for meaning, then use feedback to verify that you've correctly understood the communication.
- Interpersonal Communication: Targeting Your Message (1.0 hr) [TRAINING] : Author and communication expert Anthony Robbins once said, 'To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.' In other words, understanding who you're talking to is as important as understanding what you're trying to communicate. Additionally, it is important to understand the role the medium, context, and other variables have on the communication process so you can optimize factors that are under your control. To confirm that your message got through, the final step in the communication process is asking for and reviewing feedback from your audience.
- Business Writing: Know Your Readers and Your Purpose (1 hr) [TRAINING] : To write effective and appropriate business messages, you need to know your readers. Are you addressing multiple readers or a single reader? How much knowledge do your readers have of your subject, and what issues concern them most? These are just some of the questions to consider before you start writing your message. Closely tied with knowing your readers is knowing your purpose for writing. Do you need to inform customers about a new policy, or do you need to persuade employees to adopt a new business practice? Knowing your purpose will focus your message, making it clear to readers why it is important to them. In addition, identifying who your audience is and what your purpose is will guide you in selecting an appropriate tone for your business message. Tone is a significant element in writing – one that affects how the reader will respond to your message. Tone refers to the writer's attitude toward the reader and subject matter as expressed in the way the message is written. Have you ever received a memo that annoyed you by its tone? For example, it might have been patronizing or too familiar. The key to controlling the tone of your writing is to put yourself in the place of your reader. And you need to carefully choose the words that will create the right tone for your message. When you know who your readers are and what your purpose is, you can tailor your tone to suit them. This will help you create more effective business messages. This course addresses ways to identify your readers and to create messages that convey the appropriate tone for different reader roles. It also outlines how to write effectively for the three most common reasons for writing a business document – to inform, respond, or persuade.
- Business Writing: How to Write Clearly and Concisely (1 hr) [TRAINING] : People who have no problem communicating clearly when they speak sometimes struggle to make themselves understood when they write. That's because the ability to write clearly and concisely is a skill that requires effort to master. Acquiring this skill gives you the tools to create effective business documents for readers who lack the time or the patience to search for essential information buried in long, rambling e-mails or reports. Writing clearly also entails organizing content logically and appropriately for the subject and reader. Clear and concise sentences get you part of the way. But you need to organize these into coherent paragraphs that convey the relevant information in the most effective way. This course describes ways to make your writing more clear. Specifically, it covers the importance of using short, familiar words, appropriate connotations, concrete and specific language, and transitional words and phrases. The course also discusses ways to be more concise and explains some best practices for organizing content logically and appropriately.
- Listening Essentials: Improving Your Listening Skills (1 hr) [TRAINING] : There are many factors and variables that influence the way we listen. Listening to understand and being able to truly identify what is being said to you is often easier said than done. Internal and external roadblocks can interfere with how we listen and interpret the information communicated to us. In this course, you'll discover how roadblocks such as distractions, emotions, and the way in which we communicate can influence the way we listen and receive messages. The course also covers strategies that you can use to avoid these roadblocks and improve your listening skills. Materials designed to support blended learning activities aligned with this course are available from the Resources Page.
- Strategies for Communicating with Tact and Diplomacy (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Communicating with diplomacy and tact requires strategy, awareness, and skills. Its aim is to establish trust and rapport in relationships while delivering messages effectively. However, it's often pushed aside by good intentions cloaked by gut reaction and misinterpretation. This course provides techniques you can use to navigate through conversations in a way that shows sensitivity and respect for others. As well as exploring what you should say, the course shows you how you can use proper timing and delivery when conveying your message. This will enable you to deliver messages tactfully and diplomatically, without sacrificing your reputation or professional relationships.
- Using E-mail and Instant Messaging Effectively (1 hr) [TRAINING] : In today's fast-paced world, information is sent and received more rapidly than ever before. But how do you ensure that the messages you are sending are effective, acceptable, and will be taken seriously? The use of proper e-mail etiquette is the cornerstone for ensuring your message gets across quickly, appropriately, and concisely. This course covers the basic requirements for using e-mail to communicate effectively. Specifically, you will be introduced to tried-and-true guidelines for e-mailing effectively, fundamental elements every e-mail should contain, and the importance of keeping e-mails concise. The course also covers the etiquette associated with using instant messaging programs as an extension of e-mail.
- Culture and Its Effect on Communication (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Effective communication is always a challenge, and when diverse cultures are introduced, good communication can become even more challenging. In today’s global economy, understanding how context, style, beliefs, and value systems influence the way we communicate and decode others' messages is more important than ever. This course attempts to explain various dimensions of a culture and how they affect the communication between individuals from different cultures by identifying the requirements of successful cross-cultural communication. The course takes you through the communication styles for high or low-context situations and provides some key guidelines to improve your cross-cultural communication based on Hofstede's cultural dimensions model.
- Preparing to Communicate Effectively at the "C" Level (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Does your job require you to communicate mission-critical data with senior executives? Perhaps you have opportunities to influence executive decision-making, but don't know how best to deliver your message. In order to make the most of your communication with the "C" level, you need to be prepared. This course helps you shape and clarify your message, outlines the principles you should follow when approaching communications with senior executives, and provides important tips on how to build credibility with the "C" level. It also offers detailed guidance on how to approach and plan meetings with senior executives in order to ensure you are positioned for success.
- The Value of Peer Relationships (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Positive interpersonal professional relationships play a key role in determining individual and organizational success. Because of this, they are an important influence on strategic decision making. The bond between peers is the most basic relationship element in any organization, and it can stunt efforts for success or stimulate efforts that flourish. The unique character of each relationship in an organization may influence the entire group. This course examines the benefits of positive peer relationships. It also explores how individuals can cultivate peer relationships that can make an organization more collaborative and competitive.
- Essential Skills for Professional Telephone Calls (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Virtually every single company in the global economy uses the telephone for at least a part of their business. For many organizations, the telephone is the primary form of communication with customers, clients, and colleagues. And with virtual work environments established as a modern business practice, business telephone etiquette is more important than ever to your success as an employee and the success of your organization. This course introduces the essential skills for professional telephone usage. It covers best practices for making and receiving telephone calls, recording and leaving voice mail messages, and the etiquette guidelines for using cell phones.
- Communicating Across Cultures (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Communicating effectively across cultures can be very difficult. Not only must you pay attention to the cultural distinctions of your audience and adjust your style to them, but you also need to adjust your style to different forms of communication. This course offers guidelines and best practices for speaking and writing across cultures. The course also highlights the importance of keeping your audience's cultural expectations in mind when creating presentations and how to make your presentations effective in a variety of cross-cultural settings. Finally, the course provides a chance to practice communicating effectively through scenarios involving high- and low-context cultures.
- Improving Communication in Cross-cultural Relationships (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Cross-cultural communication has assumed even greater significance in the current global business context where people from diverse cultures share common business goals and working spaces on a day-to-day basis. It is essential for a skilled communicator to recognize and deal with cross-cultural differences and other barriers in the way of communication across cultures. To this end, building positive relationships can go far in making cross-cultural communication more effective. This course takes you through some best practices and strategies to help you take your cross-cultural communication to a new level. It presents a structured approach for dealing with cultural differences and making necessary adjustments to your communication style. It also offers some tips and strategies to build rapport across cultures. Finally, it helps you recognize behaviors that can hinder cross-cultural communication and suggests suitable actions to overcome them.
- Techniques for Communicating Effectively with Senior Executives (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Understanding how to communicate effectively with senior executives is a valuable skill for any professional. How else will you pitch your great idea to your CEO or report on key successes or failures? What if you've got only a few minutes to get your message across? This course provides direction on how to carry out executive-level communications in both formal and informal settings. It also explores different communications media and how they might be used to convey your message to senior executives. Finally, the course recognizes the different reasons why you might communicate with the "C" Level. It offers specific guidance on furnishing reports, making proposals, and requesting additional resources.
- The Impact of Situation and Style When Communicating with Diplomacy and Tact (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Communicating with diplomacy and tact is more than a skill. It requires an awareness of your environment and style, and an ability to adapt to different situations. In this course, you'll see how conversations with different people in different situations can impact how you deliver your message, in terms of respect and sensitivity. By exploring the impact of environment, relationships, and communication style, this course shows you how to recognize the delicacy of different situations. It also demonstrates how you can adjust or adapt your communication style to ensure you communicate with diplomacy and tact.
- Delivering a Difficult Message with Diplomacy and Tact (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Delivering a difficult message can be one of the most challenging things you do in a professional environment. It can bring anxiety, as you are faced with addressing an uncomfortable issue, and stress at the thought of the conversation's potential to result in a situation of high emotions. This course explores the skills needed to help you effectively plan and deliver your difficult message. It helps you learn how to develop and frame your message by examining issues such as careful preparation, wording, and delivery. If you deliver your difficult message with diplomacy and tact, you can better manage any negative impact your message might have on you or your audience.
- Business Writing: Editing and Proofreading (1 hr) [TRAINING] : When it comes to business writing, most individuals don't really appreciate the importance of editing and proofreading a document before sending it. But have you ever distributed a document or message only to find later that you forgot to include a key point or correct an embarrassing spelling error? Reviewing is a crucial stage in the writing process. It entails editing for clarity, tone, accuracy, and completeness, and also proofreading for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Carelessness reflects badly on you, your work, and your organization. Taking the time to edit and proofread your writing will help you produce more focused, polished, and effective business documents. This course highlights the importance of editing and proofreading your business documents. It describes some key areas to consider when editing – like tone, structure, clarity, and accuracy. You will also explore ways to proofread effectively. In particular, you will find out about some of the most common grammatical, punctuation, and spelling mistakes that people make.
- Business Grammar: Parts of Speech (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Do you know what the eight parts of speech are? Such a question probably brings back memories of dull grammar lessons in elementary school, where you first heard the term parts of speech. What's the point of learning these now? Being reminded of the functions of different parts of speech can help you write with more confidence. The parts of speech are the building blocks of sentences, so finding out about them can help you skillfully combine words into meaningful sentences. This course defines the functions of the eight parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, interjections, and conjunctions. In particular, it focuses on how to use them effectively, and correctly. And it provides special focus on nouns, adverbs, adjectives, and verbs, including verb tenses. When you have finished the course, you'll have the necessary building blocks to develop your writing skills.
- Business Grammar: The Mechanics of Writing (1 hr) [TRAINING] : As you sit down to write your business messages, do you ever find yourself wondering whether a word should be capitalized or abbreviated? Or whether you should spell out a number rather than use a figure? Knowing the correct way to abbreviate, capitalize, and express numbers in your business messages goes a long way in helping you to present yourself as a reputable professional. This course presents the basic rules for using capital letters, abbreviations, and numbers. It covers abbreviations of titles, names, locations, and countries, as well as how to capitalize direct quotes, titles, names of organizations, and product names, among other elements. In addition, you will be introduced to the forms and uses of numbers with dates and time, money, fractions, and symbols.
- Business Grammar: Working with Words (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Do you remember what prefixes and suffixes are? Do you know how to form plurals and possessives correctly in your business writing? Are you confident when it comes to spelling? This course explains how to use words correctly, including some key rules on how to spell correctly. It covers rules for properly constructing prefixes and suffixes. In addition, the course describes how to form plurals and possessives correctly. And it presents spelling rules and tips to help you become a better speller. Knowing the rules, as well as the exceptions, when it comes to details like these will make you a more confident writer and leave a good impression on your readers.
- Business Grammar: Punctuation (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Do you know when to use commas in a sentence? Do you know when it's better to use a semicolon rather than a colon? And what's the difference between parentheses and brackets, or between the hyphen and the dash? Knowing the answers to these questions will ensure that you're using punctuation correctly in your business messages. And by doing so, you'll convey a professional image and inspire confidence in your work and in your company. In this course, you'll review the standard rules and guidelines for using punctuation appropriately. You'll start by reviewing how to correctly apply end punctuation, including the correct use and rules for periods, question marks, and exclamation points. You'll also find out how to correctly use commas, one of the most common punctuation marks. The course also describes rules for using different connecting and separating marks, such as colons, semicolons, dashes, and hyphens. In addition, it shows how to properly use apostrophes, parentheses, brackets, and quotation marks.
- Business Grammar: Sentence Construction (1 hr) [TRAINING] : People write sentences everyday in business. However, sometimes those sentences are not as well constructed as they could be. A misplaced modifier might get a chuckle out of the reader, but it doesn't help your reputation or that of your company. Nor does a run-on sentence, which can blur the meaning of your message and cause the reader to be confused and even annoyed. In this course, you'll review basic sentence construction, including how to develop sentences that are logical, clear, and powerful – the basis of any sound business document. The course examines the parts of a sentence – the subject and predicate, for example – and distinguishes between phrases and clauses. It shows the importance of subject-verb agreement, as well as agreement between pronouns and their antecedents. You'll also find out how to identify and fix some of the most common types of sentence errors.
- Business Grammar: Common Usage Errors (1 hr) [TRAINING] : When do you use who's or whose? And when should you choose less rather than fewer? Understanding the subtle variations in meanings of such words – ones that are often misused or confused – is important if you want to write clearly and professionally. This course describes how to use commonly confused words correctly, including word pairs that sound alike and those that have related meanings. It also covers verbs that are often misused – for example, affect and effect or apprise and appraise. In addition, the course reviews some idiomatic combinations of verbs and prepositions that can be confusing.
- Addressing and Redistributing E-mail (1 hr) [TRAINING] : Out of all the e-mails you've received in the past work week, how many have left you scratching your head, wondering why you received it in the first place? How many of those e-mails have you asking what exactly that e-mail has to do with you? With e-mail's prevalence as one of the main forms of communication in business today, it's essential that when sending an e-mail you get the distribution list right. Sending an e-mail to the wrong person, or excluding the right person, is just as ineffective as dialing the wrong number on the phone, leaving a message anyway, and expecting a return call from the right person. This course covers the techniques for addressing and redistributing e-mails appropriately. Specifically, you will be introduced to the best practices for deciding who to send e-mails to, and how to flag e-mails appropriately. The course also covers proper etiquette for forwarding e-mails and using reply and reply all. Finally, the sensitivities of copying an e-mail over someone's head are addressed.
- Managing Your E-mail (1 hr) [TRAINING] : E-mail has had many positive effects on our lives, but it has also increased dramatically the volume of communication and the amount of information that the average office worker needs to process every day. To stay on top of things, you must sort, file, respond to, or delete every e-mail that comes to you in the run of a business day. But how do you balance this time-consuming task with the rest of your responsibilities so that it doesn't overwhelm you? This course introduces techniques for managing e-mail effectively. Tips for using folders and filters to organize e-mails for increased efficiency are addressed, and guidelines on what e-mails are OK to immediately delete are also covered. The course also provides direction on how to recover important information should you lose an e-mail.
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