Communications Excellence Certificate

Building Trust in the Workplace:
XLC’s Building Trust in the Workplace program will give participants the skills they need to effectively gain the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity. They will be introduced to topics such as emotional intelligence, interpersonal savvy, openness, flexibility, and adaptability. Participants will understand what trust looks like, what behaviors assist leaders and managers in building trust, and what leadership methods and actions might hamper confidence and trust with colleagues.

Business Communications:
The first part of this interactive workshop focuses on improving verbal communication skills including providing meaningful feedback, resolving conflict, and meeting everyday workplace challenges. The second portion of the class emphasizes effective written communication in the digital age, including crafting clear and concise messages, being other-centered, and increasing the professionalism of your writing.

Business Storytelling:
More than ever, there is one thing that truly separates many brands and companies today—that one thing is STORY. When it comes to creating powerful brand connections, engaging innovations, and inspirational business strategies, a good story can make whatever brands share more impactful. For this full-day workshop, presentations include surprising insights, engaging personal stories, fun movie references, hands-on exercises, and “Hollywood-esque” tools. Participants will leave with a series of inspiring story fundamentals, examples, and methods that can be applied by ANY role within an organization and in ANY industry. Using the building blocks of storytelling, participants will be able to develop strategies to bring innovative ideas and methodologies back to the organization.

Feedback and Conflict Management:
This program begins by exploring the major causes of conflict in the workplace. Then, strategies are discussed for building psychological safety and managing emotional reactions during difficult and critical conversations. Next, participants will gain the confidence to deliver and receive feedback in a respectful, yet honest, way. Through experiential learning and real-world examples, participants at any level will be able to alleviate conflict before it becomes a serious issue.

Elevating Your Professional Image:
Developing and demonstrating an intentional personal brand identity will create a more positive reputation, foster better and lasting impressions, and may bolster the influence you have upon others. Participants in this highly interactive course will begin by studying human psychology, their own biases, and how others perceive them. Building upon this foundation, participants will then identify the skills, characteristics, and abilities that make them unique. The program will combine all of these facets of one’s persona, showing how a personal brand is made and utilized. Participants will create an action plan to acknowledge the areas they want to develop so that their personal brand can evolve into the version of how they want to be perceived in the world long-term.

Influencing in a Business Environment:
A cross-functional organization is one where multiple reporting lines exist. This may involve direct line or indirect reporting to one or more individuals. At their best, cross-functional structures can be creative and high-performing. At their worst, they can be a confusing labyrinth of changing players who lack accountability. The skills and behaviors needed to make management a success require a new emphasis on exceptional people skills and methods for influence.

Persuading, Negotiating, and Collaborating:
Successful negotiating comes from ensuring all parties get what they need to keep the relationship – and the work – going. The key focus of effective negotiations is partnering with others to develop mutually beneficial outcomes. When we help others get what they want, meeting our needs becomes easier. In this hands-on experience, participants will practice collaborative skills based on listening, learning, and leveraging all resources. Program discussions will focus on advancing both parties above “power,” achieving short and long-term wins, and overcoming stalemates through creative means. Skills to better persuade and remain composed in tense situations will also be shared.

Presenting with Impact:
It can be guaranteed at some point in someone's career, they will be asked to present their ideas in front of people. This could be speaking during a team meeting with colleagues, delivering an elevator pitch at a networking event, or reporting data for higher management. No matter how intimidating speaking in front of others may be, confidently sharing your ideas is key to success. This one-day program will help participants prepare and deliver formal, informal, virtual, and in-person presentations. They will learn best practices to present with impact and how to control any anxious or nervous feelings they experience.

Professionals at any level who want to increase their communications skills.