22 Sep Workshop on Advanced Communication Competencies (Video clips and pics)
For the first time, I facilitated a workshop in a tent!
When the contact person emailed me to let me know that the workshop would be conducted in a tent, I was a little concerned. Knowing the decision maker, however, I trusted their judgment and went along without any questions or resistance.
After the event, I liked that the tent brought us close to the woods. It felt surreal to facilitate a workshop amid nature, looking at the beautiful trees outside throughout the day. If you’re like me and a fan of nature, see the gorgeous pictures and breathtaking short clips I captured at the bottom of this blog.
One fun part was when a bird entered the tent in the afternoon and stopped the show for a minute or so until she left through one of the ‘doors.’
Why did the bird fly so long in a tent full of people? Not sure! Did the bird enjoy our conversation? I hope so 🙂
The poor bird was nervous and desperately wanted to leave the moment it got in, but it couldn’t ‘see’ the openings to fly out. Some of the participants provided some guidance.
This experience in a tent took me back to memory lane. A few years ago, I slept in a tent at a resort on the outskirts of Addis while I was on vacation.
If you’re curious, the theme we covered was interpersonal communication. Below are some of the topics:
- Active listening. How to listen at a deeper level to fully comprehend what is expressed verbally and what hasn’t been uttered verbally.
- Engaging in both advocacy and inquiry at the same time. How to promote and advance our point of view while also asking thoughtful questions to understand the other person fully.
- Providing effective feedback that delivers results. How to excel in giving constructive feedback that brings change without burning bridges and damaging relationships.
We all are on the communication spectrum. The only difference is that some may be on the lower end, while others may be on the higher end. Regardless, none of us will reach the summit of communication while alive. We all must fine-tune our communication abilities proactively, intentionally, and regularly.
Here is the good news: If a guy like me, who barely spoke in front of people while fearful and sweating, has come a long way, anyone can work on their communication and end up speaking like a pro.
Since I understood communication’s crucial role in my entrepreneurship and leadership more than any other skill set, I committed a lot of time, energy, and resources.
Even if I have improved my communication tremendously, over the years, I’ve never felt I’ve arrived. Even if I mastered some forms of communication, I’m still working on some advanced communication competencies.
I didn’t stop there. These days, I coach and train entrepreneurs and leaders to develop and refine the following advanced communication skills:
- Delivering dynamic virtual presentations.
- Interfacing the media and delivering press releases while looking poised.
- Pitching to raise capital.
- Selling ideas, products, and services by mastering platform selling without appearing aggressive and salesy.
- And so on.
Which advanced communication skill sets are you and your team working on right now? How can we help? Let us know if you need one-on-one or group coaching or webinars/workshops on one or more of the above communication topics or other communication themes we didn’t cover in the TENT 🙂
Here are a couple of books and quotes mentioned in the workshop:
- “Effective communication is the number one tool to succeed in any endeavor. Effective communication determines whether people vote for you, write you a check, invest in what you do, buy your services and products.” Les Brown.
- “The first duty of love is listening.” Paul Tillich.
- “Listening is hearing what hasn’t been said.” Peter Drucker.
- “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.” Book by Marshall Goldsmith.
- “The One Minute Manager.” Book by Ken Blanchard and Johnson Spencer.
If you have any development needs, whether for your emerging, middle, or senior leaders, reach out, and we would love to custom design programs that:
- Inspire,
- Challenge,
- Stretch,
- Encourage,
- Equip, and
- Empower your people.
To learn more about our programs, check out our websites:
- www.TheAtoZInstitute.com (FL), and
- www.SuccessPathways.net (DMV).
To schedule a FREE one-on-one chat, reach out via [email protected]
Below are more pics and short video clips I captured while there:
