Not everyone is an effective communicator – communication is a skill that must be developed. Luckily communication workshops can improve these skills, allowing you to understand and be understood. Here are just a few of the benefits of improving your communication skills and workshop ideas to achieve them.
1. Listen actively
People sometimes tend to forget that communication is a two-way street – it isn’t just about what you say. If you want people to listen to you, you need to listen to them because one of the highest compliments you can give someone is giving your full attention to them. Being too focused on what you’re saying might make you miss your listener’s important comments, emotions, and reactions.
Workshop idea: Dream vacation
This is a great activity for two participants. The talker discusses their dream vacation for three minutes in detail. Meanwhile, the listener must pay close attention and show they are listening using only non-verbal cues, such as nods and smiles.
After the 3 minutes, the listener summarizes the key points of their conversation and turns it into a holiday sales pitch. After they’ve ‘pitched’ the ideal vacation spot in the space of a few minutes, the pair can discuss how accurately the listener understood the talker. Were any crucial points missed? Did the listener interpret the talker’s information correctly?
2. Consider your speaking speed
We live in a fast-paced world, especially when it comes to business. Time is money is a famous saying. But when it comes to communication, speaking too quickly can be detrimental to effective communication, thus costing you resources. Consider that your audience, whether it’s one person or many, needs time to process what you’re saying. Pauses allow them to do that.
Workshop idea: Calm counting
Team members simply sit in a circle but face outward. They are asked to count from one to ten as a group, but who starts first is not predetermined. Neither are the following counters – any member can say the next number. When someone repeats or interrupts another group member, they start again from one.
3. Be honest
By being direct and clear, you’ll not only avoid misunderstandings, but you’ll also earn respect through your honesty and clarity and have a greater chance of accomplishing your goal. You will build trust and gain loyalty with both employees, colleagues, and customers, creating a mutually respectful and open relationship.
Workshop idea: Personal storytelling
Each participant prepares a reading ahead of time on a selected topic. Keeping the topic appropriate while blending personal and professional experiences is key. For example talking about your first job or your very first working experience, a meaningful volunteer experience, or a moment that changed your life.
4. Pay attention to your body language
Effective communication is more than just the words you speak. Your body, your hands, your face, even your posture can send a strong message! For example, crossing your arms and hunching shows that you’re guarded and unwilling to communicate productively. Relaxing into a more casual pose projects openness and a willingness to communicate.
Workshop idea: Face to face
Start with groups of 4 to 10 players. Each member writes an emotion or feeling on a piece of paper without letting anyone else see it. The facilitator collects the papers and hands them out. Each participant then tries to act out that feeling to the rest of their group using only their facial expressions. The other participants try to guess that emotion.
Great communication skills can boost teamwork, lead to better project collaboration, and increase overall productivity. Our corporate training solutions include communication workshops that not only teach valuable skills but bring your team closer together. Get in touch with us to learn more about our communication workshop and other training activities.
