Communication Skills and Challenging Conversations

Fully Revised for 2027! Refreshed content, course structure, and new instructor for our popular communication skills course. In today’s fast-paced work environment, technical skills get you in the door, but clear, deliberate communication determines your career trajectory. Navigating interpersonal interactions and power dynamics in the modern workplace can be challenging. Equip yourself with the essential skills and understanding required to build positive relationships at work. During this live, interactive course, you will explore the critical gap between what you intend to say and how it is actually received. You will experience the power of real dialog and practice the techniques needed to get there and stay grounded as emotions arise. Earn your Communication Skills badge by successfully completing this course and walk away with a personalized action plan designed to drive your continuous growth going forward.

How You Will Learn

This class is highly interactive with large and small group discussions and other activities to facilitate content integration. To get the most out of this class, please be prepared to participate.

• Understand the core components of effective communication and recognize the gap between intent and impact in your own interactions.
• Identify your personal communication style and interpret nonverbal cues — in yourself and others — to communicate with greater self-awareness.
• Select the most appropriate channel for a given message, based on context, urgency and audience.
• Apply active listening and open-ended questioning to build deeper, more productive conversations.
• Stay clear, grounded, and effective when communicating under stress or in high-stakes conversations.
• Create a personal action plan to continue strengthening your communication skills beyond the program.