You Think Effective Communication Training is Important? I bet you are right!

Communication helps managers to execute their jobs and obligations. It is a well-known fact that without effective communication, no business can prosper. Today within this globalized planet, communication between diverse groups is a big challenge.

Methods of communication vary, and you're almost certainly acquainted with them all. It also helps in socializing. Communication is a two-way procedure, and you, the communicator, play an important role. Workplace communication is critical to an organization's capacity to be productive and operate smoothly. It can also have a positive effect on absenteeism and turnover rates.

Communication acts as a foundation for planning. It is a form of information exchange. Lots of people forget that listening is a vital portion of communication. Effective communication is a crucial component of consumer service for smaller organizations. It also includes converting a boring conversation into interesting using good presentation and communication skills. Many corporate managers ask about behavioural training which has the essential pre-requisites for learning principles that can let a person adopt a behavioural pattern. This pattern helps in achieving goals. 

Communication is an indispensable tool in project administration. It is an essential process in our regular life and the entire world uses it. Indeed, effective communication is one skill that can't be perfected without training. Leading training companies have spent 35 years in researching about the behavioural change that can bring about organizational effectiveness.

When you attend a training, you are going to learn what sort of communication has become the most effective for different issues at work. Sometimes, people have difficulty in speaking up or clearly define their objectives. Communication skills can help in rendering the perfect solution to any workplace issue.

Training is a wise investment to help develop a more efficient, effective and motivated team. This training may also allow you to manage stress or anxiety. The program is made for all sorts of employees who can learn to raise their communication skills within the organization and deal with clients and additionally it is beneficial for trainers who will acquire new wisdom and skills which will be handy for their profession. What's more, the behavioural training will be great for those who should develop their leadership abilities. It's nearly impossible to experience a day without using communication. 

The Art of Crucial Conversations Training in India

Differing opinions, turbulent heated discussions emotional vulnerability and high stakes. Caught in this unfavourable situation? What would you do now? The easiest option would be to run away, the manipulative option would be to avoid the situation and pass the burden on someone else but the most difficult and at the same time the best thing to do would be to face the situation and talk it through. Yes, we are hinting at the power of crucial conversation. It is the dialogue that has the potential of solving the most convoluted problems.

The dialogue is unlike any other and one has to take serious steps rather restrain and control avoid swaying between two extremes i.e. silence and violence. These kind of conversational skills do not come easy and one needs to be trained in it. So what do the crucialconversations training module in India look like?

·         Believe in the power of dialogue: This is the most important step. You ought to believe in it to gain from it. There is no point getting into something half-heartedly. The aim of the dialogue is arrive at a shared and collective success through the exchange of ideas, opinions and experiences.

·         Focus and to the point: The person entering into the conversation or dialogue with the client is to be clear as to what exactly do you want? There is no scope of going astray midway through the conversation. Focus and determination are the two prerequisites on which such important conversations thrive. There is no need and space to divulge into personal matters or things from the past. Also, do not digress much.

·         Identify dangers: A good crucial conversations training skills in India by the best trainers would focus on identifying the conversation breakers. There are signs that hint toward the conversation coming to an end. The point is to arrive at mutual benefit. At no point should you compromise the other person’s safety and avenue for growth.

·         Control over emotions: Anger, sadness, depression, hurt are best avoided. Emotions do not run businesses. The impact that they create is far from reasonable. Logic is the best way to handle intense situations and not flared up emotions.

·         Persuasion: this is a skill that has no competition. You must be persuasive and make sure you win over the other person’s confidence. Persuasive skills are the ones that differentiate between a good communicator and influencer and an average one. At the same time ensure you do not come across as an abrasive and arrogant individual. Humility is a non-negotiable virtue that can and should not be compromised upon.

·         Action-oriented: This is the final and perhaps the most important step of any good and holistic crucial conversations training skill. The point of any heated argument or discussion is met only when those dialogues translate into actions. The inability to achieve this throws a shroud of disdain over the healthy conversations and renders them unproductive, disappointing and ineffective.

Crucial conversations training in India is not mainstream by any stretch of the imagination. Slowly but surely, it is getting there though! Companies, businesses and organizations who want to spread their wings and grow rapidly are recognizing the innate importance of the subject. Knowing that it is here to stay, taking the plunge before your competitors will definitely help you with that much needed edge in the rat race.

Stop Enabling Gossip on Your Team

Every Friday, the CEO of a prominent tech company (I’ll call him Ken), gathers his troops in the courtyard of their campus for critical updates. The level of candor in these meetings is impressive but the most fascinating part — and what makes this company so unique, is the Q&A that follows. It’s a no-holds-barred exchange that would take the breath away of most corporate managers. The CEO implores people to ask tough questions. On a recent Friday at 4:55pm with seconds left in the meeting Ken points to an employee with a hand raised. The employee says:

“Ken, when I got here I was told you wanted a culture of candor and respect. I have an email thread that included dozens of us here from one of our top managers that demonstrates he is a flaming jerk. He was abusive, condescending and threatening. So, I have three questions for you: 1) did you know this? 2) do you care? 3) what are you willing to do about it?”

Exchanges in the Q&A are breathtaking not because the sentiments are unusual but because in most organizations they are firewalled off in gossip where they can never get to those who can do something about them. I’m not suggesting that excoriating someone in front of thousands of co-workers is a preferred way of solving problems. It’s not. But I would argue that clumsy efforts that get problems in the open are almost always preferable to collusive gossip that disavows responsibility.

First, let’s talk about why gossip happens. People wouldn’t do it if it didn’t serve a purpose. In fact, gossip serves three: informational, emotional, and interpersonal.

1. It is a valued source of information for those who mistrust formal channels. “Word on the street is that the new test facility funding didn’t make the cut.” It’s also the most common way of gaining valued information about our most important social systems. “Don’t have Ted do your graphics unless you’re satisfied with clip art.”
2. It sometimes serves as an emotional release for anger or frustration. “Chet made us look like idiots in the project review today. I was so humiliated!”
3. It is used as an indirect way of surfacing or engaging in interpersonal conflicts. “I heard Brett slammed your capital requests—and mine—in the planning meeting. I see no reason to keep processing his claims with the same urgency.”

Gossip is an effective way of achieving these goals in an unhealthy social system. People engage in gossip when they lack trust or efficacy. We become consumers of gossip when we don’t trust formal channels — so we turn to trusted friends rather than doubtful leaders. We become purveyors of it when we feel we can’t raise sensitive issues more directly — so we natter with neighbors rather than confronting offenders.

The problem with gossip is that it reinforces the sickness that generates it. It’s pernicious because it’s based on a self-fulfilling prophecy. If I lack trust or efficacy I engage in gossip — which robs me of the opportunity to test my mistrust or inefficacy. The more I use it the more I reinforce my need for it.

Over time gossip weakens the will. Like all palliatives, it provides relief from problems without actually solving them. Reliance on gossip can sap the strength it takes to participate in complex social life. Risk-free yakking about problems temporarily distracts us from our sense of responsibility to solve them. It also anesthetizes us from the painful uncertainty that inevitably accompanies mature interpersonal problem solving.

Leaders at the tech company discussed above see gossip not as a problem but as a symptom of a lack of trust and efficacy. They address the underlying problem in three ways:

1. Stop enabling. The best way to stop gossip is to stop enabling it. Gossipers are rewarded when others respond passively — by simply listening. To stop it, force it into the open. At the tech company, employees know that gossip comes with a risk — the risk that you will be called out. Recently some employees noticed a number of others had begun to use a third-party app, Secret, which allows people to share message anonymously, to complain about colleagues and policies. When they recognized their colleagues’ complaints, longer-tenured employees began calling out those who were whining rather than confronting responsibly. They even posted their names and contact information in the app to offer support for those who wanted to learn how to truly solve their problems.
2. Build trust in the alternatives. Leaders at the company also reduce the supply of gossip by decreasing demand. They proliferate options for raising problems. The all-hands meeting is just one example. The company also uses an internal social network platform to model candor and openness on a host of topics that would be terrifying at other places. For example, some employees grumbled when execs announced a recent multi-billion dollar acquisition. Monday-morning quarterbacking is common at all companies but at this company it was done with attributed comments in a discussion group – and Ken participated! One employee kicked it off with: “What’s up? We already have a business unit that does the same thing with even better margins?” The concern was addressed openly rather than metastasizing in gossip because there were credible channels for the discussion to take place.
3. Build skill. Gossip is a form of learned incompetence — an acquired skill that produces poor results. Overcoming it requires replacing that skill. The tech company starts re-scripting employees on day one. In a rigorous orientation employees are asked to describe things they hated about other places they worked. At the top of the list is always gossip and politics. Managers leading these discussions use this moment to offer alternative skills and strategies for surfacing emotionally and politically risky concerns—and to challenge employees to create the culture they want by using them.

When the employee finished her statement to Ken, other employees erupted in applause. She was rewarded because she was transparent. Every employee standing there that day got the message: “At this company we do things in the open.”

And CEO Ken followed suit: “First,” he said, “I did not know about the concern you described. Second, I care deeply. And third, I don’t know what to do, yet. I need information. Are you available now to talk?”

Gossip is not a problem; it’s a symptom. The symptom disappears when a critical mass of leaders stop enabling it, create trust in healthy communication channels, and invest in building employees’ skills to use them.

Change is the Only Constant in Business

Organizational change is a necessary prerequisite for implementing and succeeding at a business transition strategy. Change often involves adopting new technological advancements and mindsets and may even extend to making certain human resource changes in order to achieve newer targets with greater vigour. 

However, it is crucial to have a flexible framework for better organisational change management involving the cooperation and acceptance of most of the employees.  Vital Smarts as the name suggests, has a smart and dedicated team that has devised many good plans to help you with better organisational change management. They’ve been in the said domain for a substantial period of time now, having garnered a wide customer base, thanks to their service quality and performance standards.

Given how competitive the business world is, comprehensive organizational change management is the need of the hour. There are certain strategies to handle organisational change management. Let us have a closer look at some of them:

·         Organisational Readiness Assessment:

Ø  Well, this is a rather important step that needs to be taken before implementing organizational change. You need to be completely aware of the number of employees in favour of the anticipated change, because it will directly impact their performance and subsequently, of the organisation.

Ø  Of course, it doesn’t mean that you need to take into account and adhere to all the unnecessary resistance but testing the waters might help you come with better persuasive strategies and be better equipped to handle resistance to the new organizational change. Therefore, inadvertently this is the first step towards successful organizational change management. 

·         Start Early:

Ø  The planning must be done in a structural manner and that too well in advance. This ensures space for a number of things sans any last minute hassles.

Ø  There are many benefits to starting early, as it ensures successful organisational change management. This includes proactive application of the anticipated strategies and prepares the employees for their newer roles.

Ø  This leaves ample space for adapting to the newer policies. It definitely ensures a wider sense of enthusiasm and engagement. This in a way brings the entire team together to plan and improvise on the changes.

Ø  Of course, it would also lead to better solutions being thought of in case of any complexity or deadlock. Hence, early beginning is crucial to effective organisational change management.

·         Ensure involvement:

Ø  One cannot carry on successful organisational change management before involving the entire team or at least a significant majority. There has to be a good communication between the employees and the management.

Ø  Sometimes change in itself is not that big an issue, but the fact that it is being imposed forcibly becomes the point of discontent. This situation is best avoided.

·         Effective delegation:

Ø  The focus should be to ensure effective delegation of employees in the newer roles. Organisational change management can be ensured only by engaging right people at the right places.

Ø  This makes employees realise their worth leading to better commitment and productivity.

·         Be firm:

Ø  This goes without saying, and forms the backbone of effective organisational change management.

Ø  The ones at the top positions should be absolutely sure of their decision and evade even a small percentage of doubt.

Ø  This makes the employees realize the conviction and seriousness of the issue. In case you keep faltering, the situation would become rather comical and would not portray you in the best of light.

  

·         Be positive and exude patience:

Ø  Any structural and organisational changes take time to get going. So, patience is the golden word here!

Ø  Keep realistic expectations and do not think miracles would happen.

Ø  Be persistence in the effort and wait for things to turn around.

The Big C of Business – Communication

Business and communication are two distinct categories that make a significant whole. In today’s fierce and competitive economy, it is almost impossible to do without effective business communication skills. Business communications are not simply restricted to communication and conversational skills (though they form a major crux of the same) but include a plethora of activities like presentation skills, managerial abilities, e-mail writing and interpersonal communication. Vital Smarts has a pretty impressive business communications skill training program that is aimed at optimizing results and increasing overall productivity of the employees.

General Premise:

The basic premise of any successful program of this nature is to welcome ideas and segregate potentially successful ideas from the rest and make provisions for the astute implementation of the same. Receiving and transiting information therefore become rather instrumental in laying the stepping stone to any effective and impactful business communications skills training.

The nitty-gritty of Business Communication

Diplomacy, tact and manipulative skills are very crucial in excelling at any business communications skills training. It is imperative for an organization to set clear cut goals for future course of action. The next step involves structuring this information in a cohesive and logical manner to put it through the audience base. The techniques of communication vary distinctly between the organization and the prospective clients. This is a very important demarcation to keep in mind which dictates hugely successful business communication skills.

The Power of Presentation

PowerPoint presentations form the core of major businesses. A successful business communication skills training program aims at delivering skills to make a power pact and effective presentation with bullet points and correct use of graphics. Not only this, but the skills needed to present this before the clients in a formal yet conversational and lucid manner also formed a great crux of the program. This is due to the fact that presentations communicate effectively in today’s multicultural environment. A successful program aims at leaving the concerned person with a long lasting impact. This is why Vital Smarts India is tailor made to suit your ever-increasing business needs, having garnered invaluable experience in this particular domain over the years.

Assertiveness Vs Aggressiveness

Assertiveness goes a long way in making an impact and the same goes for business communications skill training. The ability to put forth your opinion in an assertive yet convincing manner performs the trick in most of the cases. The capability to say “no” in difficult situations and against mass opinion is what makes a good leader. It involves great deal of interaction and negotiation skills. A good program would also differentiate between being assertive and aggressive. This is a trait that most young professionals seem to overlook in their dealings.

The Innate Value of Time

Time management is by far the most important element of a successful business communications skills training. The ability to comply with deadlines without compromising on the quality of work is what differentiates between a good leader and an average one. A good and holistic program lists down strategies and tips to manage interruptions and work load efficiently.

Other Noteworthy Add-ons:

Media Management also makes a crucial part of the business communications skill training module. It is important for businesses to make their presence felt in the right way. Image building is hugely connected to successful media management. Technical writing courses also find a place in the program that aim to structuralize technical documents and press releases and writing effective and to the point emails that go on to determine client relations.

Partnering up with Vital Smart India’s business bible will enable you to step it up a notch, and empower your business with the wings it deserves. So what are you waiting for?