Good communication skills are important – especially in the Virtual Classroom

Posted on April 22, 2020
Good communication skills are important – especially in the Virtual Classroom

As more people move to working online during the current health crisis, effective communication has become even more important than ever.

Schulich ExecEd’s five-day program, Certificate in Critical Communication Skills, can equip you with the skills you need to communicate effectively with senior leadership, managers, clients and frontline staff. And, like many other Schulich ExecEd programs running during this time of working from home, this one has successfully moved online thanks to the proven communications skills of the instructor, Diane Kawarsky, one of Schulich ExecEd’s most popular facilitators.

Embracing the key techniques of good communication, Kawarsky was able to adapt her highly engaging in-class techniques to the Virtual Classroom and still impart the concepts of interpersonal success skills; communicating up, down and across your organization; presenting information vividly; managing difficult conversations and developing better business storytelling techniques.

“The instructor Diana was fantastic,” said one participant. “Even though the module was online delivered due to the present circumstances, she made the session engaging and fun!”

“I appreciate the instructor’s willingness and adaptability to presenting in this [virtual classroom] format,” said another. “I’m sure it is challenging for her as well. I appreciate the engagement of the instructor and the supportive learning environment she quickly developed.”

Perhaps the best proof of Kawarsky’s successful transition to online facilitation was the number of comments about the program content that made no mention of the mode of delivery. “This was an amazing module,” said one enthusiastic participant. “The content was fantastic and very much in line with my day-to-day needs.”

Using a number of online teaching technologies, Kawarsky will recreate the interactive portions of the course, including real-time discussion and group work in virtual break-out rooms. One participant noted that the program was “Really interactive. Great use of whiteboard along with traditional PowerPoint presentation. Very well done.”

As usual, participants were impressed with Kawarsky’s “great command of program content/materials and the way “she allowed for a collaborative approach which increased engagement among all participants.”

This effective business communication program teaches you strategies, such as best practices; your communication style in action: adapting your technique; interpersonal success skills; communicating up, down and across your organization; presenting information vividly; managing difficult conversations; and business storytelling techniques. Benefit from expert guest speakers throughout the program.

You’ll develop vital professional strategies to communicate effectively and learn how to find, nurture and deliver the stories that get people working together, facilitate sharing of knowledge and engage your listeners. Apply your new expertise in real time toward current work challenges.

The Certificate in Critical Communication Skills (starting May 25, 2020) will benefit professionals who are interested in developing a complete and comprehensive business communication skill set. Participants will also receive a copy of Diana Kawarsky’s book Soft Skills Volume 1 – full of examples, strategies and insights that support your learning and offer you real-life perspectives to take back with you on-the-job. For more information and to register, visit the program webpage.