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Communicating Effectively

Page updated 24 August 2022

Communicating effectively is the ability to engage in written and oral communication that is clear, unambiguous, transparent and consistent with UCD's Values. Equally important is the ability to convey and share information and ideas with others, while listening carefully, clarifying understanding and considering different viewpoints.

Who is the course for? 

This course is for staff who already have a good level of experience making presentations. The aim of the workshop is to build on existing presentation skills. 

How long is the course? The course is two half days. 

What topics will be covered?

  1. Building confidence

  2. Story Telling

  3. Managing your audience

  4. Effective use of visual aids

  5. Presenting on MS Teams and Zoom

Do I need to prepare anything before I arrive? Please prepare and be ready to present a three-minute presentation called ‘My Presentation Style’. The following bullet points will help. (Please do not use PowerPoint). 

  • Describe your natural presentation style

  • How does this style serve you (or not)?

  • What to you hope to get from this workshop?

  • Why presentations are important in your role?

  • The pitfalls you can fall into when presenting?

Prework for Workshop 2 will be given at workshop 1. 

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for? 
This course is for all staff members interested in developing their influencing skills, both to build relationships and to achieve relevant outcomes. The aim of the programme is to improve the effectiveness of participants as influencers and to provide some techniques and approaches to enable this. 

How long is this course? 
This course includes 2x 3-hour workshop - including 15-minute break – followed by a 1 hour Action Learning Set.

What topics will be covered? 
This programme aims to develop influencing skills, strategically and tactically, for the ultimate good of the participant, the area work in and the University. The topics to be covered are outlined below:

Preparation: 

  • What’s the goal – are we clear on what we want to achieve?
  • Understanding the heuristics of how we think and why we think in a particular way
  • The What and the Why
  • The Who and the How
  • A strategic approach

Self-Awareness – the 5 dimensions of emotional intelligence

Influence tactics

  • How people respond – positively and negatively to influence tactics
  • Overcoming barriers
  • Reading the situation

Key interpersonal skills

  • Strategic listening
  • Question technique
  • Words, tone and body language 
  • Using storytelling in communications

Influencing style

  • Styles of influencing
  • Choosing the right style for the situation
  • Your style
  • Understanding others 
  • Respecting each other’s value
  • Strengths and areas for development

Skills practice

Personal action plans

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session? 
To gain the maximum benefit from the course each learner will be asked to undertake some light pre and post course work. This includes a short self-awareness questionnaire, a short video and 2 articles to read.

Participants on this programme will have access to an online whiteboard and document repository for up to 3 months after completing the programme and all resources will continue to be available to them over this time. In addition, they can download materials locally and these will be available to them forever in this case. 

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?
This course is for all staff who would like to improve their business writing skills. The aim of this course is to help participants to develop their writing so that it is clear, concise, complete and correct.

How long is this course? 
This is a half-day course

What topics will be covered?

  • Pinpoint the purpose of the correspondence 
  • Learn an effective three stage approach to writing emails
  • Identify, examine, and apply the key principles of business writing
  • Identify and apply effective phrasing to all written communication
  • Avoid typical punctuation and grammar error
  • organise, structure and evaluate materials

Do I need to prepare anything before I arrive?
It is advisable to have some samples of your own business writing with you that you can refer to. 


Booking:
For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?
This course is for all staff members interested in developing their public speaking skills and confidence. The aim of the session is to provide learners with the key skills to develop their self-awareness and increase their confidence in speaking at internal meetings or to external audiences.The course will provide learners with a strategy for taking the focus off their nerves by being knowledgeable, well practiced and prepared.

How long is this course?
This is a 3.5-hour workshop - including 15-minute breaks

What topics will be covered?
This is a highly practical course and scenario based exercises and group discussions will be used throughout to allow learners to gain a better understanding of how personal effectiveness principles apply in practice. Topics will focus on understanding the audience learners are speaking to and how they can prepare the right talking points for the audience and keep them engaged throughout.

Topics Covered:
● Setting aims and objectives
● Developing powerful body language
● Positive language and appropriate gestures
● Connecting and interacting with your audience
● Top techniques for influence and credibility

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?
Before the course, learners will be provided with a number of pre-recorded videos to watch before they attend the
course.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?
This course is for all staff members interested in honing their networking and communication skills in the workplace. The aim of the course is to give staff an opportunity to awaken their skills to effectively communicate within the workplace. Staff working remotely from home have navigated how best to communicate with colleagues to fulfill duties. This session gives staff the confidence and employee engagement skills to successfully engage in person also.

How long is this course?
This is a 3.5-hour workshop - including 15-minute breaks

What topics will be covered? 
This is a highly practical course and scenario-based exercises and group discussions will be used throughout to allow learners to gain a better understanding of the content covered.

Topics Covered:
● Building rapport
● Identify your workplace relationship needs - individuals or departments you work closely with
● Creating productive relationships
● The importance of language used - speaking plainly
● Essential communication skills
● Being an effective team member
● Adopting a positive mindset
● Working collaboratively with others

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?
To gain the maximum benefit from the course each learner will be asked to complete a pre-course survey that asks specific questions about your current social skills. This will help learners to set the context for the course and allow them to focus on areas they need to improve

Post Course Work
Before the course begins each learner will also receive a 3-2-1 Personal Action Plan template.

Booking:

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. The 2021/22 training course catalogue will be launched and available to book from the start of the next Academic Year

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for? 
This course is for all staff members interested in developing their communication skills. The aim of the programme is to improve the effectiveness of participants as communicators and to provide some techniques and approaches to enable assertive communication. 

How long is this course?
This is a 3.5-hour workshop - including 15-minute break – followed by a 30 minutes Action learning Set.

What topics will be covered? 

  • Self-Awareness – the 5 dimensions
  • Communications Skills (Barriers to Effective Communication; Key interpersonal skills; Communication across different mediums including online video conference)
  • Communication styles – understanding yours and that of others (NB this will be linked to
  • DISC where participants already have completed a profile)
  • Strategies for communication in difficult situations (Assertive communication; Getting your message across)
  • Personal action plan

Participants will learn the skills of how to get their message across and understand and engage
others better, whatever the situation. On completion of this programme, participants will be able to:

  • Adapt and modify their communication style and skills when dealing with others, to get their message across
  • Understand their own style when influencing others
  • Recognise assertive, aggressive and passive behaviour in self and others
  • Have the knowledge to enhance own assertiveness
  • Know how to communicate across different mediums especially in the new world online environment

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session? 
Participants on this programme will have access to an online whiteboard and document repository for up to 3 months after completing the programme and all resources will continue to be available to them over this time. In addition, they can download materials locally and these will be available to them forever in this case.

To gain the maximum benefit from the course each learner will be asked to undertake some light pre and post course work. This includes a short self-awareness questionnaire, 2 articles to read and a short video.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?
This course is for all staff members interested in developing their communication skills, presentation skills and engagement skills.

The aim of the course is to help participants to develop the skills to communicate more deeply, emotionally, and powerfully with their audience. Understanding the dynamics of storytelling will help learners deliver their messages in a more compelling way. This will increase their influence and help them drive themselves and the university forward, allowing non scientific or non technical colleagues and customers to understand their message clearly.

How long is this course?
This is a 3.5-hour workshop - including 15-minute breaks

What topics will be covered?
This is a highly practical course and scenario based exercises and group discussions will be used throughout to allow learners to gain a better understanding of how principles apply in practice. The course will also help learners prepare for virtual and face to face presentations, choose appropriate and engaging content to suit their audience and compose stories to support their message.

Topics Covered:
● Gathering Facts
● Delivering with Impact
● The Need for Storytelling
● Adapting your Presentation

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?
To gain the maximum benefit from the course each learner will be asked to watch the following short video.

LinkedIn Learning: Storytelling: Your secret power This short E-Learning video will help learners to set the context for the course and allow them to focus on their own traits and characteristics.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for? 
This course is aimed at all members of staff. The aim of this course is to improve the effectiveness of participants in all forms of written communication. 

How long is this course?
This is a 3 hour online workshop - including one stretch break of 5 minutes and a 10 minute coffee break. 

What topics will be covered? 
During the three hour session you will be introduced to a number of ideas and practical skills to help you present clear, good quality and engaging documentation.

At the end of the programme participants will know how to:

  • Produce a clear Writing Plan
  • Overcome the 3 common flaws in report writing: 
  • Grammar Gaffs, Crazy Words & Daft Logic
  • Develop Structure & Format in their writing
  • Produce clear, persuasive arguments
  • Make their ideas attractive to your readers 

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session? 

To gain the maximum benefit from the course, each participant will be asked to bring along a sample of their own work to the programme. This is important, as working on your own everyday workplace documents improves the personal skills of all attendees.  This work will not be shared with others.  

Tutor course notes will be distributed after the course to enhance further learning.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for? 
This advanced course is for staff members interested in sharpening their communication skills further. 

The aim of the course is to help identify barriers to communication, focus on strategies for overcoming these barriers, and develop participants’ skills in building influence and impact.

How long is this course? 
This is a 3.5-hour workshop - including 15-minute break

What topics will be covered? 
Participants will sharpen their communication skills by identifying barriers to communication and strategies for overcoming the same and develop skills to build influence and impact. The topics covered include:

  • The communication process and how it can go wrong
  • How our brains process what we hear – the filters we use
  • Key rules of effective communication
  • Understanding your own communication style and that of others
  • Using that understanding in everyday communications at work
  • Focused listening and skilled questioning
  • Getting yourself heard in different situations
  • Online communication – the minefield of our new virtual world and getting the best from it
  • The assertive communicator
  • Reviewing your communication and action planning to enhance

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session? 
Participants on this programme will have access to an online whiteboard and document repository for up to 3 months after completing the programme and all resources will continue to be available to them over this time. In addition, they can download materials locally and these will be available to them forever. 

Pre work will include: 

  • Watch a custom designed short video introducing the programme, what elements of UCD strategy and values the programme supports, what to expect, what is expected of participants and what to do in advance of the training. This will act both as a teaser and to start to sensitive the learning
  • A self-analysis questionnaire 
  • Two articles – HBR on Getting to Yes and a second article on virtual communications
  • View video on taking control of non-verbal communications
  • Think about your purpose for attending. What would be a positive take-away for you?

The tasks will take no more than 40 minutes to complete

Padlet for Pre- and post-work: https://padlet.com/learning34/5rtyn47c8kucek1d

Booking:
For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

UCD People & Organisation Development

Roebuck Offices, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 4919 | E: peopledevelopment@ucd.ie