Workshop

Communications

Communication Skills for Today’s Leaders

June 25–26, 2026• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm • Check for more dates available

In-House, Online

Cost: $750

Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

This interactive workshop has been designed for individuals who would like to master their communication skills and be great leaders: the skills used every day to communicate and interact, lead and support. This workshop will focus on improving communication skills in strategic listening, assertiveness, negotiation, problem-solving, transparency, and decision-making. These are the key interpersonal communication skills of all great leaders, no matter the context.

Individuals with strong communication skills are much more likely to succeed and thrive in periods of change. Employers, whether in the public, private or voluntary sectors, are always on the lookout to hire and advance the careers of individuals with well-honed communication skills. To succeed in today’s challenging environment, interpersonal communication skills are paramount. Leaders from every seat need the skills necessary to deal with difficult issues in a straightforward manner, listen well to the contend with the ideas and concerns of others, problem-solve to support employees and colleagues, and demonstrate a calm respectful assertiveness when engaging others.

What will you learn?

This workshop will concentrate on the communications skills today’s professionals require for success. Specifically, this professional development workshop will focus on the communication skill sets that employers’ value most:

Strategic listening skills;
Assertive communications;
Negotiation;
Problem-solving; and
Decision-making.

During this workshop, participants will acquire the following learning outcomes:

Listen actively to others and, thereby, provide candid feedback to employers, colleagues and reports;
Express ideas and views in a positive, respectful but assertive manner;
Know how to problem solve and, thereby, facilitate conversations to better manage organizational and inter-personal difficulties;
Communicate assertively and effectively, able to manage difficult conversations with ease;
Understand the fundamentals of negotiations and know how to avoid common pitfalls; and
Take decisions that matter, know how to stand by the decisions taken over the long-term and know when a decision requires revision.

Who should attend?

This workshop is intended for today’s highly motivated professionals who want to advance their communication skills and careers.

Included with this workshop

Notebook consisting of presentation slides
Exercises, case study and handouts

Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview • The workshop participants will introduce themselves and outline their expectations and learning objectives • The instructor will outline the workshop learning opportunities and planned processes
Active Listening: The Most Powerful of all Non-Verbal Communication Skills • Participants will learn how active listening is essential to communication otherwise critical information will be missed or misunderstood • Participant discussions will focus on how to listen actively to another person and how the act of ‘listening’ and ‘hearing’ differ
HEALTH BREAK
Assertive Communications: Make Interventions that are Assertive and Respectful • Participants will learn how to express their thoughts, ideas and suggestions in a honest and appropriate manner • In particular, participants will learn how to be assertive while remaining respectful of the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of others • Participants will discuss and clearly differentiate assertive communications from aggressive communications • Participant conversations will conclude on techniques designed to influence others through embedded suggestions
Case Study Exercise
LUNCH
Negotiation: Being Skillful While Avoiding the Manipulation of Others • Participants will discuss the art of negotiation and why more employers regard strong negotiation skills as an important component of an employee’s communications tool kit • Discussions will focus on understanding manipulation techniques — put-downs, bulldozing and spurious logic — often used in negotiations and how to resist and counter them
Problem Solving: The Stages and Techniques of Problem Solving • Participants will learn why employers and organizational colleagues value problem solvers • The participants will discuss the specific stages of problem solving and learn how problem solving techniques can be employed to resolve conflicts and disagreements
HEALTH BREAK
Decision-Making: Taking Decisions That Matter • Participants will learn how to improve and further refine their decision-making skills • Participant conversations will focus on the importance of decision-making and the meaningful role for decision-makers in today’s fast moving and evolving organizations
Case Study Exercise
Wrap-up and Workshop Evaluation • Participants will have an opportunity to ask final questions and discuss remaining issues and/or concerns • The participants will be asked to complete a short evaluation of the workshop

Leah Jurkovic, President CEC

Leah has over 25 years of experience working at the intersection of communications, organizational change, and cultural transformation. As a former executive at Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Leah led both the communications and human… Read full bio

The tools that were presented will be very helpful in my work and personal environments. Great facility. I will come back for other training.

Program Manager, Office of the Secretary to the Governor General

Workshop

Communications

Science Writing: Writing Effectively About Science and Social Science

In-House

Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

You need to communicate science or social science information to the public, whether your audience is policy-makers who need to be aware of current data or knowledge, citizens concerned about the effects of new technologies or policies, or young people with an innate sense of wonder. How do you communicate evidence-based programs, policies or research in a way that your target audience can understand, appreciate and act on?

You may be writing:

a plain-language summary
a media release about new results
an explanation of an evidence-based program or policy for the public
a backgrounder for policy-makers on methodology
your research objectives
a briefing note or a memorandum
a deck or a presentation

Whatever the medium and the message, you need to write effectively about science, evidence and data.

Effective writing situates readers in context to help them understand where the information fits in a broader context. How do these results affect people? How will the policy change the way things are done? It relates often abstract or complex concepts to the real world. And it uses a writing toolbox to convey ideas through metaphor, analogy, visual images, and even humour.

Participants will learn to assess the audience targeted in a communication. They will understand the format of a public summary, media release, and article, and how these differ from scientific or technical communications such as journal articles and abstracts. They will be able to explain scientific or social science concepts in everyday language, and bring ideas to life using the tools of prose. They will situate technical problems in a social context. By the end of the day, participants should be able to craft a clear and explanatory document for the public.

What will you learn?

Who you are explaining your research to — what are their needs?
How (in what format) do you need to explain the results, policy, or program — plain-language summary? Media release? Briefing Note? Web page? Article for a research bulletin? What are the requirements for these formats?
The “elevator pitch” — explaining briefly yet accurately
Defining terms and concepts
Explaining context
Explaining potential applications or implications
Explaining why and how using metaphors, analogies, visual imagery

What will you take away?

Writing toolbox of methods to communicate about science and social science
Completed document about a scientific or social science issue or project
Confidence to explain research to various publics

Leah Jurkovic, President CEC

Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview
Why Communicate Science or Social Science to the Public? • Reasons for writing about science or social science • Audiences: who they are, differences among them, targeting an audience • Implications for writing: vocabulary, sentence structure and length, grade level • Communicating clearly and concisely: the elevator pitch Exercise: choose a current science or social science topic that you wish to write about and make the elevator pitch
BREAK
Formats of Written Communication • Various formats and how they are structured • Differences between traditional scientific communications (journal articles, abstracts) and public communications (summaries, media releases, articles) Exercise: choose a format and outline how the selected topic would fit this format Research in Context Explaining how the topic fits: why is the research being done or policy or program being put in place? How will it help? Does it have applications? Does it help us understand something? How will it be used? Exercise: explain the context for the selected topic
LUNCH
Writing Toolbox • Definitions: explaining terms and concepts • Metaphors: in addition to explaining what it is, explain what it is like • Analogy: comparing to a similar process or concept the public can understand • Visual imagery: describing how things happen visually; using diagrams and graphs • Language level: plain-language guides, testing vocabulary, grade level checkers • Active voice • Sentence and paragraph structure and length Exercise: use each of these tools to write about the selected topic
BREAK
Putting it All Together • Write a first draft of the selected public communication about the science or social science topic • Presentation and feedback
Wrap-up and Workshop Evaluation

You continue to offer exactly what government workers need to learn – at the right time!

Workshop Participant, Health Canada

Workshop

Communications

Advanced Strategic Communications Planning: Transitioning to Strategic Planner and Strategist

In-House

Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

The CEC’s workshop, Advanced Strategic Communications Planning: Transitioning to Strategic Planner and Strategist, has been designed for communications practitioners who either spend the majority of their time engaged in strategic communications planning, or who have previously completed the Centre’s workshop on Strategic Communications Planning: Critical Steps and Techniques. The CEC assumes that each learner taking the Advanced Workshop in Strategic Communications Planning will already understand the steps and processes necessary to build a comprehensive strategic communications plan.

Why should you attend?

It is a given that professionals with strong strategic planning skills in communications are much more likely to succeed. Employers, whether in the public, private or voluntary sector, are always on the lookout to hire and advance individuals with strong strategic planning and strategic advisory skills. Professionals who have the range of strategic planning skills necessary to design, lead and facilitate organization-wide strategic communications planning processes and who can successfully deliver high-energy outcomes-based strategic communications are always in high demand.

What will you learn?

The CEC’s workshop in Advanced Strategic Communications Planning will provide learners with the opportunity and knowledge necessary to elevate their strategic planning skills to a higher and more sophisticated level. This innovative workshop will significantly heighten learner’s knowledge about the strategic communications planning process, provide learners with more advanced strategic planning tools and methodologies and enable learners to confidently tackle complex corporate strategic communications planning assignments. Lastly, learners will understand the processes needed to guide internal and external colleagues, clients and stakeholders through detailed strategic communications planning processes.

Participants will acquire advanced strategic planning methodologies and learn how to confidently undertake the following:

Based on client and stakeholder requirements determine and advise on the scope of the needed communications strategy;
Design, lead and facilitate an organization-wide strategic communications planning process and learn to successfully execute the completed strategic plan;
Review, refine and incorporate the organizational vision, mission, values and strategic outcomes into the strategic planning process and outcomes;
Implement innovative situational and environmental scanning processes in order to assess and determine the range of critical communications issues that will be managed and/or resolved through the strategic plan;
Decide on the strategic communications priorities and outcomes that will both anchor and drive the strategic plan;
Enable colleagues to transition seamlessly from strategy to implementation;
Secure high-level buy-in and commitment for the communications strategy and implementation plan; and
Manage the strategic communications review process and secure lessons learned.

What will you take away?

Notebook consisting of presentation slides
Exercises and handouts

Professional competencies

Thinking Things Through: Innovating through analysis and ideas
Excellence: Delivering results

Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions Participants will introduce themselves, describe their strategic planning experience and indicate their expectations for the workshop.
Strategic Communications Planning Sequence • Participants will review and discuss the traditional, non-traditional and participatory approaches to strategic communications planning • Participants will understand how to resolve possible conflicts within participatory planning processes and the leader’s defined role and responsibility for strategy development and implementation • Participants will determine where trust, credibility and reputation reside within the strategic planning process
Vision, Mission, Values and Strategic Outcomes • Participants will discuss the guiding role played by the organizational vision, mission, values and strategic outcomes in the strategic planning process • Participants will learn about the processes necessary to refine the organizational vision, mission, values and strategic outcomes
BREAK
Lead and Facilitate the Strategic Planning Process • Participants will learn how to design and facilitate strategic communications planning processes including planning retreats • Participants will discuss how to anticipate and manage conflicts during the planning process
Exercise Session on Audience and Stakeholder Analysis Participants will use a segmentation model to analyze specific clients, stakeholders and audiences.
LUNCH
Implement Innovative Situational and Environmental Research • Participants will learn to build the research and consultation plan, use scenario planning and define the parameters for the situational and environmental analysis • Participants will discuss how to identify, define and prioritize critical and emerging communications issues that matter
Strategic Priorities, Outcomes and Performance Indicators Participants will discuss the processes required to identify the strategic communications priorities for the plan and identify the communications outcomes to be achieved with respect to each strategic priority including required performance indicators.
BREAK
Exercise Session on Leadership, Buy-in and Commitment • Participants will strategize on how to secure leadership buy-in and commitment for a strategic communications plan • Participants will review best practices for influence, persuasion and diplomacy in an organizational setting
Manage the Strategic Communications Plan Review Process • Participants will learn how to manage the strategic communications plan review process in an iterative manner • Participants will discuss how to ensure that the strategic communications plan becomes a living document and can take full advantage of lessons learned
Wrap-up and Evaluation

You folks have the best materials! I thank you and your colleagues for your continued support. It’s one of the reasons we continue to come back!

Manager, The Canadian Medical Protective Association

Workshop

Communications

Storytelling: Creating and Communicating Compelling Narratives

9:00 am - 12:30 pm •

In-House, Online

Cost: $750

Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

This workshop focuses on oral communications and engaging your audience through the telling of stories. It is not a a story-writing workshop.

Why should you attend?

This one-day workshop has been designed for all communicators: professional and non-professional. In particular, it has been created for those who already understand the potential of stories and narratives and who would like to learn more about building better understanding and incorporating compelling narratives into their work.

Participants taking part in this dynamic workshop will have the opportunity to craft a three to five minute organizational change, internal or external communications story and to participate in an interactive storytelling session.

Stories and narratives are one of the most powerful tools available to us. They have the potential to educate, motivate and activate listeners from all walks of life. Stories and narratives are economical, reliable, easy to use and, most importantly, outcome-driven. A well-crafted story or political narrative has the power to transport the listener from a place of comfort and familiarity to an entirely new location where he or she is ready, willing and waiting to take action.

What will you learn?

By attending this workshop you will better understand and become more knowledgeable about the role of stories and narratives in all aspects of communications. You will learn about the psychology that underlines all storytelling. And, you will learn how to differentiate the soft side of storytelling from punch-packing political narratives.

You will strengthen your knowledge and skills through presentations, discussions and case study exercises. The focus of the workshop will be on:

Understanding the concepts of storytelling in internal and external communications;
Learning about the psychology behind storytelling;
Knowing how to use hard-hitting narratives to capture and sustain listeners’ attention;
The role of the ‘Springboard Story’ in organizational change; and
The skills and techniques required to enhance story creation and storytelling abilities.

What will you take away?

Workbook, handouts and references
Certificate of completion

Professional Competencies

Engagement: Working effectively with people, organizations and partners

Leah Jurkovic, President CEC

Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview • Participant introductions and workshop expectations • Instructor introduction, workshop overview and learning outcomes
Introduction to Storytelling: Once Upon a Time… • During this introductory session, key concepts will be defined and further elaborated • Participants will discuss the dynamic set of interactions that make storytelling possible
The Fundamentals of Story Telling and Communications Participants will learn about the relationship between storytelling and communications
BREAK
The Psychology Behind Storytelling • Participants will focus on the dynamic interrelationship of the storyteller and the listener • The discussion will move from simple storytelling to the role of direct and indirect narratives
Storytelling Preparation Session • The participants will discuss the merits of the story ideas identified in response to the pre-workshop ‘thinking assignment’ • The group will help refine each story idea
LUNCH
The Essentials of Story Selection, Development and Social Media Participants will learn how to identify and build a story including stories that will be used for social media.
Best Practices in Storytelling Techniques Participants will discuss a range of tried and tested best practices in storytelling techniques.
The Political Side of Storytelling • Participants will learn how political narratives are used to capture peoples’ attention and to change peoples’ views • Participants will also discuss the role of stories in organizations including the role of the ‘Springboard Story’
BREAK
Videotaped Presentations and Feedback • While being videotaped and in front of the group, participants will present their stories. Stories will be played back, reviewed and discussed as a class • Participants will be provided with an electronic copy of their respective story presentation upon request
Wind Down and Evaluation Participants will discuss the lessons learned and complete a short evaluation of the workshop.

The tools that were presented will be very helpful in my work and personal environments. Great facility. I will come back for other training.

Program Manager, Office of the Secretary to the Governor General

Workshop

Communications

Storytelling: Creating and Communicating Compelling Narratives

9:00 am - 12:30 pm • Check for more dates available

In-House

Cost: $750

Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

This workshop focuses on oral communications and engaging your audience through the telling of stories. It is not a a story-writing workshop.

Why should you attend?

What will you learn?

You will strengthen your knowledge and skills through presentations, discussions and case study exercises. The focus of the workshop will be on:

Understanding the concepts of storytelling in internal and external communications;
Learning about the psychology behind storytelling;
Knowing how to use hard-hitting narratives to capture and sustain listeners’ attention;
The role of the ‘Springboard Story’ in organizational change; and
The skills and techniques required to enhance story creation and storytelling abilities.

What will you take away?

Workbook, handouts and references
Certificate of completion

Professional Competencies

Engagement: Working effectively with people, organizations and partners

Leah Jurkovic, President CEC

Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview • Participant introductions and workshop expectations • Instructor introduction, workshop overview and learning outcomes
Introduction to Storytelling: Once Upon a Time… • During this introductory session, key concepts will be defined and further elaborated • Participants will discuss the dynamic set of interactions that make storytelling possible
The Fundamentals of Story Telling and Communications Participants will learn about the relationship between storytelling and communications.
BREAK
The Psychology Behind Storytelling • Participants will focus on the dynamic interrelationship of the storyteller and the listener • The discussion will move from simple storytelling to the role of direct and indirect narratives
Storytelling Preparation Session • The participants will discuss the merits of the story ideas identified in response to the pre-workshop ‘thinking assignment’ • The group will help refine each story idea
LUNCH
The Essentials of Story Selection, Development and Social Media Participants will learn how to identify and build a story including stories that will be used for social media.
Best Practices in Storytelling Techniques Participants will discuss a range of tried and tested best practices in storytelling techniques.
The Political Side of Storytelling • Participants will learn how political narratives are used to capture peoples’ attention and to change peoples’ views • Participants will also discuss the role of stories in organizations including the role of the ‘Springboard Story’
BREAK
Videotaped Presentations and Feedback • While being videotaped and in front of the group, participants will present their stories. Stories will be played back, reviewed and discussed as a class • Participants will be provided with an electronic copy of their respective story presentation upon request
Wind Down and Evaluation Participants will discuss the lessons learned and complete a short evaluation of the workshop.

The instructor is outstanding. He created a very welcoming, supportive and engaging learning environment and provided very thorough responses to our questions. I really appreciated the amount of information that the instructor covered in this workshop.

Participant – Communications Competencies

Workshop

Communications

Strategic Communications Planning: Critical Steps and Techniques

In-House

Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

In a complex communications environment, communicators must not simply respond to pressures and events but respond coherently in ways that support and further their organization’s vision, values, mission, strategic outcomes, policies and programs. More and more communicators are required to be strategic, to take a wide view, to think holistically and long-term, and to focus on results achieved for resources expended. Understanding the process and techniques of strategic communications planning is an essential element in being an effective communicator and strategic advisor.

What will you learn?

The elements and characteristics of strategic thinking
Strategic communications essentials
The steps of and technique for accomplishing the strategic communications planning process
Taking advantage of analytical tools such as scenario building, trend analysis and strategic foresight within the strategic communications planning process
How to manage conflict during the strategic communications planning process
Incorporating results-based communications into a strategy
Integrating the multiple elements into the strategic communications plan
Using influence, persuasion and diplomacy to secure to secure final approval of your strategic communications plan

What will you take away?

Notebook consisting of presentation slides
Checklists, how-to procedures/reminders and templates
Exercises and handouts
Certificate of completion

Professional competencies

Thinking Things Through: Innovating through analysis and ideas
Excellence: Delivering results

Tim Weil

Tim Weil is a former Director General in the federal government with 30 years experience developing and managing a wide range of communications plans and activities. He began his career on Parliament Hill, where he developed a strong passion for… Read full bio

Sample Agenda

Day 1

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview • Introductions, outline of the workshop agenda and participant learning expectations • Participants will engage in a warm-up discussion about critical concepts associated with strategic thinking
The Strategic Communications Process Demystified • Participants will discuss several organizational strategic communications planning templates and processes • Participants will discuss the origins of conflict within the planning process and how to manage and/or resolve it
BREAK
Vision, Values, Mission and Strategic Organizational Outcomes • Participants will review the importance of understanding and accounting for the organizational vision, values, mission and strategic outcomes within the strategic planning process
Building the Strategy: Drivers and Situational Analysis • Participants will discuss the first elements of the strategic planning process including; • Identifying the strategic drivers: • Crafting the situational analysis – developing the information base; researching and analyzing the environment; identifying critical communications issues; and defining challenges and opportunities; • Employing tools such as scenario building, trend analysis and strategic foresight analysis to enhance the strategic planning process; and • Learn how to move from the collection of data to assumptions and implications
Case Study Exercise: Developing the First Elements of the Strategy • Participants working in small groups will develop the first elements of a strategic communications plan, including the situational analysis, critical communications issues, challenges and opportunities • Participants will report back on their discussions through instructor-led feedback and discussion
LUNCH
Building the Strategy: The Logic Model and Performance Indicators • Participants will learn the basics of results-based communications planning and learn how to establish final, intermediate and immediate outcomes (long-, medium-, and short-term outcomes) for a communications strategy • Participants will also learn how to create cost-effective performance indicators
Building the Strategy: Stakeholders and Target Audiences • Participants will learn proven techniques to identify and segment key stakeholders and target audiences • Participants will also discuss the necessity of identifying and successfully managing supporters and detractors
BREAK
Building the Strategy: Strategic Priorities and Corresponding Strategic Approaches • Participants will learn how to create and assess the specific strategic priorities or designated strategies that will be required to achieve the expected outcomes established for a specific strategy • As part of this process, participants will learn how to identify and employ specific high-level strategic approaches to achieve designated strategic priorities
Case Study Exercise: Developing the Other Elements of the Strategy • Participants working in small groups will continue to develop the strategic plan, including the logic model and designated strategic priorities and approaches and will report back on their findings
Close and Evaluation of Day One Participants will use a “three-word” evaluation process to discuss the outcomes of Day One.

Day 2

Activity
Lessons Learned from Day One • Participants will identify and discuss the lessons learned from the previous day
Building the Strategy: Positioning, Messaging and Branding • Participants will learn how to develop a positioning statement and create easy to understand messages using a messaging system • Participants will discuss and learn about the concept of branding Mini-Exercise
BREAK
Building the Strategy: Distribution, Resources, Risk and Implementation • Participants will learn how to develop an outcomes-based action plan and the importance of developing communications actions and products that meet the needs of specific target audiences and stakeholders
Case Study Exercise: Developing Other Elements of the Strategy • Participants working in groups will develop additional elements of the strategic plan including a positioning statement, communications themes and messages for specific target audiences and will report back on their results
LUNCH
Building the Strategy: Manage the Strategic Communications Plan Review process and Evaluation • Participants will learn how to manage and assess the strategic plan process and outcomes • Participants will learn how develop monitoring and evaluation mechanisms designed to measure the results/outcomes identified in a communications strategy
BREAK
Navigating Organizational Politics and Securing Approval for Your Strategic Communications Plan • Participants will learn how to position their strategies to ensure fair treatment and secure approval • Participants will discuss influence, persuasion and diplomacy and how to build trust and enhance individual reputations as critical levers of success
Case Study Exercise • Participants will complete the case study: small groups will develop an action plan to implement the strategy and a performance measurement strategy and will report back on their results
Wrap-up and Workshop Evaluation • Participants will complete a short evaluation

I had a really good experience. I heard good things about your training before, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Manager, Transport Canada

Workshop

Communications

Project Management & Communications

9:00 am - 12:30 pm •

In-House, Online

Cost: $750

Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

Project management skills are essential for public sector professionals. Research shows that “communication takes up 90% of a project manager’s time” in long-term project management. Effective communication is a pre-requisite for successful project management. Results-focused communication helps to launch a project’s management on its track for desired success. Managing a project in a time-pressed and resource-constrained environment is challenging enough. Pressures are greater since quality and effectiveness of communication represent added, serious challenges. Further, in project management communication is not sufficient; effective relationship-building is essential (as most projects are run with team-based structures). A project manager plays the most natural role of building up and maintaining relationship with a network of people, both inside and outside the organization.

Communication and human interaction then make or break a project. Project communications involve specific behaviour and techniques used to motivate, lead, delegate, and report back to all stakeholders. Communication affects project performance. Therefore, to ensure high-performance project teams and results, effective communication needs to be entrenched in the overall plan. An effective communication plan will facilitate team development, help project development, and resolving critical issues, and make it easier to keep stakeholders informed.

What will you learn?

After completing the workshop you should be able to:

Identify the role of effective communications in a project
Establish and sustain relationships with project stakeholders
Plan for project communications from start to finish
Effectively communicate your plan to a wide range of audiences
Determine the information to distribute, to whom, when and how
Manage communications and resolve issues
Evaluate the project communications plan for best results

Pre-Workshop Preparation

Participants are requested to prepare a summary of a project they have worked on in the past (change all recognizable details). The purpose of this preparation is to identify:

the factors that led to successful completion of the project;
the factors that caused challenges and the project ran into trouble;
what should be done to ensure success, the second time around.

During the workshop, participants will be able to refer to their summaries and provide input into group discussions, group exercises, and the inter-active process of learning.

What will you take away?

A comprehensive participant work book
A sample communications plan for project management
Significant benefits of project management communications
Examples of best practices related to successful project management communications
A checklist for communication activities during the life of a program/project from planning, development, operation and evaluation
A case study reflecting a public sector project management
References

Professional Competencies

Thinking Things Through: Innovating through analysis and ideas
Engagement: Working effectively with people, organizations and partners
Excellence: Delivering results

Leah Jurkovic, President CEC

Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview
Project Management in the Public Sector Context • Accountability • Approval process (internal and external) • Budgetary issues • Treasury Board requirements relating to project management • Public Service Communications Policy document • Other matters
Communication in Project Management – From Start to Finish – More than a Sum of its Parts • Review of a project’s key steps and the integral part communication plays:Defining a project’s purpose and scope; • Identifying what needs to be accomplished and why; • Knowing the project’s audience and involving stakeholders; • Developing a strategic plan (how to reach the stated goal); • Establishing time line and target dates from start to finish; • Identifying what resources (people, budget and other resources) are needed and by when; • Matching resources to objectives, responsibilities and tasks; • Clarifying team members’ roles and responsibilities; • Starting the project team on the right track; • Tracking progress and sustaining pace; • Keeping everyone informed; • Motivating and facilitating peak performance; • Presenting deliverables to the stakeholders on time; • Being prepared to answer anticipated and “what if” questions; • Bringing the project to closure; • Evaluating the project’s outcome against goals and objective.
BREAK
Communication in Project Management Cont’d The pivotal role of communication in project management via analysis of a public sector project with a focus on key success areas: • Collecting, distributing and storing project information; • Generating the right level of information; • Communicating project information is a timely manner.
Group Exercise Participants in small groups will choose a project from their pre-workshop preparation and: • Identify three key steps in project management critical to the project’s success; • Identify three key steps that would require communication, the need(s) for this communication and the recipient(s) of this information; • Recommend the most effective mode of communication, and justify the choice of the communications mode. Each group will present its results followed by an interactive discussion and instructor feedback with particular focus on start to finish communications in the context of project and program management.
Planning to Communicate Strategically for Project Management Success • Overview of communications planning (inputs to the communication plan including: environmental/contextual factors; project scope statement; organizational “process assets” such as policies, guidelines, forms, life cycle models, templates etc; project management plan…) • Integrating the communications management process pyramid • Identifying communications needs for audiences/stakeholders • Collecting and retrieving information • Ascertaining communications models, tools, techniques and technology needed for communications planning • Anticipating communications problems and challenges • Project communication reliability – using a matrix • Drawing on “best practices” related to project communications
LUNCH
Planning to Communicate Strategically Cont’d • Remaining informed and keeping everyone informed – “Customers” Relationship Management” and sustaining project management relationships • Senior decision-makers • “Stakeholders” • Group members • Regional Offices (if applicable) • Professional support providers • Others as needed Mini Exercise: Participants will undertake a role play/simulation as project consultants and clients.
Project Success with Communication: Clarification of Roles and Responsibilities • Roles and Responsibilities – within and outside of the project group • Interdependence between project group and others • Communication with professionals (e.g., IT, Finance, Media experts…) • Enlisting and sustaining support from professionals • Being prepared to deal with contentious project issues Discussion will include participant’s input based on pre-workshop preparation (project summaries).
BREAK
Developing a Communication Plan for a Project/Program Participants in two groups will work on developing a communication plan for a public sector project based on supplied scenarios. Each group will choose a spokesperson to report back to the plenary who will: • provide an overview of the group’s plan (“a track to run on”); • identify and describe the three elements of the plan most critical to the project’s success
Wrap-up and Evaluation Participants will complete a short evaluation.

Participant – Communications Competencies

Workshop

Communications

Practical Facilitation Skills

9:00 am - 12:30 pm •

In-House

Cost: $750

Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

Whether you work in the public, private or voluntary sector, teamwork has become a critical success factor in achieving organizational results. And a skilled facilitator armed with a diverse facilitation tool kit can ensure that work groups are able to achieve maximum success. Not surprisingly, knowing how to organize a meeting and/or workshop and possessing and applying the skills required to facilitate and guide teams throughout their deliberations and ensure a successful and meaningful conclusion to their proceedings have become increasingly important to all managers and supervisors.

What will you learn?

“Practical Facilitation Skills” will provide participants with the basic skills necessary to design and lead a wide variety of discussions, meetings and/or workshops. Specifically, participants will learn about:

Facilitation basics;
How facilitation helps groups achieve results;
Establishing the foundations for facilitation;
Using facilitation in your organization;
Understanding adult learning styles and habits;
How to design a meeting and a workshop;
Tools for generating information and ideas and making decisions;
Using visual aids;
Managing difficult participants; and
How to evaluate a facilitation process.

What will you take away?

Workbook
Exercises and handouts

Professional Competencies

Engagement: Working effectively with people, organizations and partners

Leah Jurkovic, President CEC

Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview
Introduction to Facilitation Participants will discuss the meaning of facilitation, its value within the organization and be provided with a brief overview of the roles and responsibilities of the facilitator.
How to Design a Facilitation/Meeting Participants will learn how to design a facilitation/meeting agenda and learn how to use ‘icebreakers’ and the importance of opening, closing and evaluating facilitation processes.
BREAK
Basic Facilitation Skills: Verbal Techniques Participants will be introduced to some of the basic facilitation skills they will require, including: verbal and nonveral techniques and recording.
Exercise Based on an illustrative case study that will be provided by the CEC, participants will be asked to develop an agenda and facilitated approach for a meeting.
LUNCH
Basic Facilitation Skills: “Reading” the Group and Consensus Building This session will investigate the importance of learning how to ‘read’ the group and how to move a group to consensus.
Generating and Organizing Ideas Participants will investigate the facilitation tools necessary for generating and organizing ideas and information, including: brainstorming, structured rounds, t-charts, affinity trees, timelines, flow charts, and matrix diagrams.
BREAK
Ranking and Evaluating Ideas Participants will learn about different approaches for ranking and evaluating the ideas and information generated in a facilitated process. The discussion will focus on the following methodologies: Multi-voting; ranking and prioritizing; nominal group technique; force field analysis; quadrant diagram; and decision matrix.
Exercise Working in small groups, participants will build an Affinity Tree. A representative from each group will present and discuss their Affinity Tree.
Wrap-up and Workshop Evaluation Participants will have an opportunity for final questions and clarifications on the workshop content and will complete a short evaluation.

I had a really good experience. I heard good things about your training before, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Manager, Transport Canada

Workshop

Communications

Public Speaking: Making and Maintaining an Impact

In-House

Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

Delivering information in a clear and effective manner when giving speeches and presentations can be a challenge. And it’s a challenge an increasing number of professionals must meet as information overload forces more and more reliance on oral information transmission.

If you need to make a professional, competent and compelling impression before an audience – whether speaking at conferences, at events as part of outreach activities, addressing stakeholder organizations and conducting consultations or presenting to working groups and committees – this course is for you. This course will:

Help you develop a strong voice and physical presence;
Give you the tools you need to make a professional impact on your audience; and
Ensure you get your messages and ideas across.

What will you learn?

How to connect with your audience.
Techniques that will help you project your voice effectively to your audience.
How to create and maintain a physical presence while delivering your core messages.
Other specific public speaking and related techniques.

Each participant will have ample opportunities to practice speaking and receive feedback in an open and creative environment.

What will you take away?

Exercise hand-outs
Participant workbook

Professional competencies

Engagement: Working effectively with people, organizations and partners

Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview
Your Voice as Part of your Public Speaking Image: Self-Evaluation and Discussion How do you perceive your voice, physical presence and overall public speaking skills? How do you think others perceive you as a speaker? Addressing challenges.
Dealing with the Essentials: The Indispensable Components of Public Speaking Define your audience – who are you speaking to and why; what is the context/occasion; what are you trying to deliver, i.e. what are your key messages and ideas; and – what results are you hoping to achieve – to inform? persuade? move to action?; organizing/structuring your remarks.
Exercise Participants take the floor and make a short a short presentation about themselves and their work, followed by instructor feedback.
BREAK
Dynamics of the Voice: Making your Voice your Ally Introduction to the dynamics of the voice; exercises for focus, projection and overall vocal strength.
LUNCH
Making an Impact and Captivating your Audience How to stay focused and connected to one’s message and intent. How to maintain a strong physical presence. What constitutes a powerful and authentic voice and presentation style; the importance of enthusiasm. Exercise: Participants take the floor and make a presentation followed by instructor feedback.
BREAK
How to Win your Audience Reaching and keeping your audience – Developing a unique and authentic presentation style. Examples from famous speeches, theatre, etc.
Wrap-up and Evaluation Participants will complete a short evaluation.

You folks have the best materials! I thank you and your colleagues for your continued support. It’s one of the reasons we continue to come back!

Manager, The Canadian Medical Protective Association

Workshop

Communications

Advising Clients: Influencing Tactfully and Fearlessly

June 18–19, 2026• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm • Check for more dates available

In-House, Online

Cost: $750

Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

This workshop is intended for anyone wanting to hone the skills and techniques required to be a great advisor. Account Executives, Internal Consultants and Strategic Advisors are required to provide solution-oriented advice on a wide range of complex and highly-charged issues that require a mix of skills: strategy, diplomacy, assertiveness and more. This professional development workshop will provide participants with the insights, techniques, and tools necessary to become a sought after and trusted advisor, able to handle any challenge that may arise and earn the trust of challenging clients.

What will you learn?

This workshop will help those working in an advisory capacity to acquire skills and techniques in the following areas:

Determine how to build trust and create reputational capital with clients
Acquire the communications skills necessary to successfully advise diverse clients and client groups
Establish the trust and reputational capital necessary to successfully influence the decisions of tough clients
Successfully engage in the process of relationship building
Secure sustained client buy-in and support
Learn how to challenge clients with tact and diplomacy

Who should attend?

This workshop will be beneficial to all of those individuals who are required to advise and brief upwards in the public, private and/or voluntary sector.

What will you take away?

Workbook deck
Exercises and handouts

Sample Agenda

Day ONE
Introductions and workshop overview Participants will introduce themselves and share one challenge they face working with clients
Role of the advisor and why good advice can be hard to take The roles and responsibilities of the advisory function and the reasons why good advice is sometimes rejected
BREAK
The road to trust and reputation Proven approaches for building trust, creating reputational capital, and establishing a client-focused relationship
The tools of the skillful advisor Techniques for securing client buy-in and appreciation: influence, persuasion, and diplomacy
Exercise Working in small groups,
Day TWO
Navigating organizational politics and negotiation Positive negotiating approaches and strategies to navigate organizational politics
Being assertive and managing difficult discussions How to be a more assertive communicator and better prepare for and manage difficult discussions
BREAK
The road to consensus and the challenge function How to reach consensus and employ the challenge function successfully
Exercise Session Working in small groups
Recap and Wrap-up The participants will have an opportunity to ask final questions and discuss any remaining concerns

Leah Jurkovic, President CEC

The information provided in this course made me think about briefings in a new context. It caused me to reflect on my own strengths and weaknesses. I was already able to apply the lessons learned in a briefing with my manager.

Communications Advisor, Canadian Food Inspection Agency