Communication

UC Core Competencies - Building Relationships

  • Clearly and effectively shares information both orally and in writing. Uses the most appropriate and effective medium for communicating. Adapts and adjusts messages in line with audience experience, diversity and background. Seeks input and actively listens; checks for understanding of messages.

    • Seeking input

    • Active Listening

    • Audience awareness

    • Clear written/verbal communication

    • States opinions honestly and clearly (even when challenging)

    • Open dialogue

    • Sharing senior management strategies

    • Demonstrates integrity

    • Practicing Discretion

Ways People Might Misread Your Body Language

Research shows that when your verbal and nonverbal signals are out of alignment, people are forced to choose between what they hear and what they see. And subconsciously, they'll believe your body language. In this course, workplace body-language expert Carol Kinsey Goman, PhD, reveals how body language is perceived and often misread, and shares the six nonverbal signals you need to know to make a positive first impression. She also discusses the importance of body language for leaders, and shows how you can establish leadership presence. Lastly, she provides simple and effective tips on...

10 Verbal Communication Skills Worth Mastering

Personal branding expert Dan Schawbel predicted that in a competitive work environment where everyone works at the same level with similar talents, interpersonal communication skills will become the key differentiator. Impressions matter greatly in key moments of communication, so it is important to ensure that you are spending time developing and mastering your interpersonal communication skills.

Read here to learn which 10 communications skills are worth...

The Impact of Interruptions

In order to achieve high performance it is important that we are able to work with focus. We have all had the experience of working on a task and starting to gain some momentum. Our brain is fully engaged, we begin to get immersed, and we sense an underlying feeling of excitement as we begin to make progress. And then…

Fred stops by to say “Hi, nice to see you at your desk.” or

Mary says… “Quick question…” or

John says… “I’m just going to sneak past you to leave a quick note for Nancy.”

In this one moment, this point of...

How to Make Your Point and Be Heard When You Speak Up

It’s quite frustrating to be not heard when you speak up, and unfortunately, it’s more common than you might think.

Speaking up in a group setting is one of the biggest challenges many people face. You have some valuable information and opinions to share, but no one listens to you. It can be hard enough to find something worthwhile to contribute, and when your contribution isn’t even noticed, it can be demoralizing.

It doesn’t happen just in groups. Did you ever have a quick conversation with your boss in the hall and walk away thinking you missed out on the opportunity to...

Top Ten Effective Negotiation Skills

Negotiation is often considered to be a confrontational and combative practice. However, skillful negotiation has proven to be a productive conflict resolution strategy in professional settings. Effective negotiation utilizes a combination of interpersonal and communication skills in order to reach a desired result that is reasonable to all parties involved. Problem analysis, preparation, and active listening are skills that can be applied to enhance the negotiation process.

...

Writing Skills: Getting Your Written Message Across Clearly

Written information in the form of e-mails, documents, messages, and letters are communicated in the workplace multiple times in a regular workday. It is necessary that these written forms of communication are understandable so that the information within does not get lost in translation. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to ensure that your written messages for others are written in a clear way that lessens confusion and misunderstandings as much as possible.

Read here for tips on how to...

Working with People Who Aren't Self-Aware

A strong sense of self-awareness, having a clear idea of who we are and how we are seen by others, is a valuable trait to possess and practice in both the workplace and in everyday life. However, according to research by the Harvard Business Review, most people overestimate how self-aware they really are. Working towards improving our self-awareness is beneficial to us and those around us. Despite this, it is not a guarantee that others will follow suit. Unaware coworkers can cause interpersonal conflict and frustrate others in the workplace. Chances are, everyone will come across an...

Work Effectively While Being Remote/Telecommuting

Working from home or outside of the office has its unique advantages and challenges. Learn some ways to be most effective through this learning path!

Leading Productive Meetings

Feel like you're having too many meetings? Wonder if they're as effective as they could be? In this course, productivity expert Dave Crenshaw demonstrates a simple, usable framework that can help you get the most from your meetings—turning them into productive avenues for communicating, connecting, and accomplishing real work. Dave provides insight into how to effectively schedule, conduct, and follow up on meetings with minimum time and maximum results.

Learning Objectives: Plan how to use technology successfully in your meetings. Determine how to select and support a...

Guide to Building Team Transparency

Encouraging and practicing team transparency means facilitating a trusting system of communication between organization members.

Use this guide to start building an open, skill-sharing team environment and better understand the context in which your direct reports work.

...