communication skills activities manual

Audio conferencing:

Use this training activity to provide participants with techniques for making the best use of audio conferencing.

Increasing use is being made of conferencing via the telephone as a communications method. It allows two individuals or a group to hold a meeting or discussion without the need for a physical meeting; thus saving travelling time and expense. However, without proper training, audio conferencing can prove ineffective. This activity allows participants to investigate how best to use this medium.

You introduce the session and ask participants to produce guidelines for holding an effective conference call. Then the group has an opportunity to try out a call and to receive feedback on their effectiveness.

Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to provide participants with techniques for audio conferencing.

Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to provide participants with techniques for making the best use of audio conferencing. It can be used as a stand-alone training session or as part of a workshop on communication, meetings and telephone skills.

Using voice-mail effectively:

Use this training activity to remind participants of the best way to use voice-mail.

In today's business environment, increasing use is being made of voice-mail as a messaging system. This activity reminds participants how to use voice-mail effectively, either when the person is away from their desk or when they have to leave a message on a voice-mail.

You introduce the session and ask participants to list the advantages and disadvantages of using voice-mail. Then a discussion takes place on how best to use voice-mail and the best way to leave messages. The activity includes opportunities for participants to try this out. This activity is best run with participants who have access to a voice-mail system; in which case they will need to have access to telephones during the session. If this is not possible, you should provide a cassette recorder for each pair to use.

Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to remind participants how to use effective voice-mail.
Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to remind participants of best practice when using voice-mail. It can be used as a stand-alone training session or as part of a workshop on communication and telephone skills.

Videoconferencing:

Use this training activity to provide participants with techniques for making the best use of videoconferencing.

As the cost of travel increases, more organisations are turning to videoconferencing as a method of communication between individuals who work at a distance. However, without proper training, videoconferencing can go wrong. This activity allows participants to investigate how best to use this medium.

You introduce the session and participants discuss the advantages and disadvantages of videoconferencing. They agree guidelines for holding an effective conference call. Then the group participate in a video conference and receive feedback on their effectiveness.

Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to provide participants with techniques for videoconferencing.

Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to provide participants with techniques for making the best use of videoconferencing. It can be used as a stand-alone training session or as part of a workshop on communication, meetings and telephone skills.

Feedback skills:

Use this training activity to enable participants to identify the benefits of providing effective and regular feedback on performance and increase their confidence and competence in delivering feedback.

This is an activity which helps participants to develop their ability to give feedback on performance. Letting people know how they are doing is essential in building a committed and motivated workforce. The way in which feedback is given is extremely important. Both motivational and formative feedback can build confidence and competence if delivered appropriately. Equally, poorly given feedback can have a negative impact and may lead to a deterioration in performance.

You introduce the session and explain the purpose of feedback and the type of feedback that can be used. In groups, participants discuss the benefits of performance feedback and give examples of best practice. They then discuss reactions to feedback and how to deal with negative responses. Finally, they undertake an exercise which allows them to practise their feedback skills.

Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to help participants identify the benefits of effective and regular feedback on performance.

Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to enable participants to identify the benefits of providing effective and regular feedback on performance and increase their confidence and competence in delivering feedback. This activity can be used as a stand-alone training session or as part of a workshop on topics such as communication skills, performance management, appraisal, coaching and mentoring skills, recruitment and selection skills, conflict management, managing difficult people, leadership and team-building skills, and training and development skills.

Leading a successful meeting:

Use this training activity to help participants plan and prepare a successful meeting and give them practice in leading a meeting effectively.

The time spent in meetings costs businesses a considerable amount of money. In most organisations people hold meetings to share information, to problem-solve or because there is a ritual to hold a meeting. Unless there is a valid reason to hold a meeting, with the correct people, and where the correct issues are discussed and acted upon, the outcome will be cost or time effective. This activity helps participants to plan, prepare and lead effective meetings.

You discuss with the group the purpose of holding a meeting, how to prepare for a meeting and the role of the meeting leader. Then the skills of the meeting leader are discussed, including methods for encouraging participation at meetings. Finally, a volunteer leads a meeting and receives feedback on their performance.

Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to help participants plan, prepare and lead successful meetings.

Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to help participants plan and prepare a successful meeting effectively. The activity can be used as a stand-alone training session or as part of a workshop on assertiveness and communication skills, negotiation, training and development skills, meetings skills, and leadership and team-building skills.

Presentation skills:

Use this presentation skills training activity to give participants the skills to plan and prepare successful presentations, give them practice in presenting, and to provide them with feedback on this.

Whether a person is a manager, sales executive, team leader or brand manager, presentations are a fact of working life. On a formal or informal basis, the ability to present information in a confident, clear and persuasive fashion is essential. This activity helps participants to plan, prepare and present in an effective and confident manner.

You introduce the session and participants discuss how to plan and prepare a presentation. They are then given time to prepare a 5-minute presentation. Next, you provide the group with advice on presentation style. Finally, participants make a 5-minute presentation and receive feedback on this.

Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to give participants the skills to plan, prepare and present successful presentations.

Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to give participants the skills to plan and prepare successful presentations, to give them practice in presenting, and to provide them with feedback on this. The activity can be used as a stand-alone training session or as part of a workshop on assertiveness and communication skills, coaching, negotiation, selling, training and development skills, meetings skills, leadership and team-building skills.

Team communication skills:

Use this training activity to provide participants with an opportunity to diagnose the effectiveness of the communication in their team and encourage them to identify ways in which this can be improved.

It is common for people to work in teams within a business environment, be it in a project team, a work team or a cross-functional team. Communication skills has to be effective in a team in order for it to function well. In this training activity, participants have an opportunity to diagnose the effectiveness of their team communication skills. They can then identify ways in which they can use communication more effectively.

After you have introduced the session, participants will complete an assessment on their team communication skills. You then explain the different types of team communication followed by participants undertaking a team problem-solving task. Members of the team are watched by other participants who then give them feedback on the type of communication skills they use in the team. The team then discuss and agree a plan for improving team communication skills.

Who is it for: This communication skills training activity is intended for use by trainers to help participants diagnose the communication skills in their team.

Purpose: This communication skills training resource is intended for use by trainers to provide participants with the opportunity to diagnose the effectiveness of the communication skills in their team and encourage them to identify ways in which these communication skills can be improved. The training activity can be used as a stand-alone training session or as part of a workshop on assertiveness and communication skills, leadership and team-building skills.

Influencing skills:

Use this training activity to provide participants with an opportunity to reflect on the power they hold to influence others in the workplace and give them an opportunity to influence other and receive feedback on their influencing skills.

There are always times in people's business lives when they need to exert some influence over others to shape events. This activity helps individuals recognise the power they have in influencing others and provides them with an opportunity to test their influencing skills.

You introduce the session and explain the different types of influencing power that people possess. Then participants take part in a group exercise where they are briefed to influence others to agree with their decisions. They then receive feedback on the impact of their influencing skills.

Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to help participants to reflect on and test their influencing skills.

Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to provide participants with an opportunity to reflect on the power they hold to influence others in the workplace and give them an opportunity to influence others and receive feedback on their influencing skills.

Handling difficult situations:

Use this conflict management training activity to increase participants' competence and confidence when managing difficult situations.

Everyone is going to encounter difficulties at some time in dealing with customers, suppliers, staff who report to them, colleagues or their managers. This activity provides a framework to assist participants in tackling difficult situations in an effective manner.

You introduce the session and ask participants to identify the types of situation that they find difficult. Go on to explain a process for dealing with difficult situations. Participants then take the opportunity of trying this and receiving feedback on their behaviour.

Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to increase participants' competence and confidence when managing difficult situations.

Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to increase participants' competence and confidence when managing difficult situations. The activity can be used as a stand-alone training session or as part of a workshop on assertiveness and communication skills, leadership and team-building skills, coaching and mentoring skills.

Business Letter writing skills:

Use this training resource to increase participants' business letter writing skills giving them the ability to write letters in an effective manner.

The style and manner of writing business letters says a lot about the individual and their organisation. This training activity allows participants to identify best practice in business letter writing and to receive feedback on the effectiveness of their letter writing skills.

You introduce the training session and ask participants to look at the letters they have brought with them and the impressions the letters give. After looking at the structure of a letter and then letter writing to a colleague or a customer, you introduce the concept of 'plain English'. Participants undertake a series of exercises to improve the clarity of their letter writing skills. Finally, participants write a further letter and receive feedback on their business letter writing skills.

Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to increase participants' letter writing skills giving them the ability to write effective letters.

Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to increase participants' letter writing skills providing them with the ability to write letters in an effective manner. The training activity can be used as a stand-alone training session or as part of a workshop on topics such as communication skills, letter writing skills and writing e-mail messages and reports.