Why Should You Attend?

Organizations and communicators most often focus on external audiences and development of strategies to communicate effectively with them. While the communications environment and challenges may be different, the need for a strategic, planned approach to internal communications and its tools and techniques is the same. How well or poorly internal communication is undertaken affects both individual job satisfaction and achievement of organizational goals and objectives.

What Will You Learn?

The workshop will focus on:

• What is internal communications — principles, linkages and definitions
• Key issues and drivers of internal communications
• Internal communications systems and approaches
• What makes internal communications effective
• Best internal communications practices
• Linkages to external communication
• An integrated strategic approach to planning, developing and implementing internal communications
• Understanding the internal communications environment
• The importance of research
• Using the right tools and techniques
• The essential role of monitoring and evaluation

What Will You Take Away?

• Workbook with checklists, how-to procedures/reminders and templates
• Exercise handouts

Professional Competencies

• Engagement: Working effectively with people, organizations and partners

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Agenda

Day 1

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview
What is Internal Communications – Definitions and Approaches • Government of Canada Communications Policy • Effective organizational communications • Organizational and employee communications needs • Principles and challenges of effective internal communications • Different types, flows and applications of internal communications • ABCs of internal communications system Mini-Exercise: Internal communications Health Quiz

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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

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Programme

Activity
Présentations et survol de l’atelier
Comprendre la communication efficace Les sept « C » d’une bonne communication verbale et écrite. Les limites cognitives de la communication. Les principales différences entre les communications écrites et verbales. Bien comprendre son public. L’utilisation du langage pour capter l’attention du public et avoir une conversation. Langage technique pour un public technique; langage clair et simple pour les autres. L’utilisation du langage clair et simple. Comprendre les messages de son propre point de vue et de celui du public.
PAUSE
Savoir écouter activement Pourquoi est-ce important ? Les principales compétences de l’écoute active : être attentif, ne pas porter de jugement, réfléchir, clarifier, résumer et partager. Exercice pratique en petits groupes : l’écoute active En petits groupes, les participants explorent les compétences de l’écoute active. Les groupes rapportent leur expérience qui fera l’objet d’une rétroaction dirigée par le formateur.
Concevoir des messages efficaces pour une présentation, un breffage et une réunion Les facteurs qui contribuent à la réussite de nos messages. Établir le contenu, la formulation, le nombre et le langage des messages. Comment reformuler un message pour optimiser sa rétention? L’importance d’un langage clair. Reconnaître ce que constitue un bon message. Développer et utiliser une « pyramide du message » structurée.
PAUSE
Exercice pratique en petits groupes : formuler des messages principaux et spécifiques En petits groupes, les participants rédigent des messages pertinents à leur Direction générale. Les groupes présentent leurs messages qui feront l’objet d’une rétroaction dirigée par le formateur.
DÉJEUNER
Exercice pratique en petits groupes : Développer les grandes lignes d’une présentation En petits groupes, les participants développent les grandes lignes d’une présentation. Les groupes présentent le fruit de leur travail qui fera l’objet d’une rétroaction dirigée par le formateur.
PAUSE
L’importance de la confiance, de l’affirmation de soi et de l’assurance La confiance et pourquoi elle est si importante. Comment établir et maintenir la confiance dans votre équipe et avec des clients et des intervenants? Comment s’affirmer – en six étapes. Savoir distinguer entre l’affirmation de soi et l’agressivité. Développer l’assurance de soi : des conseils pour adopter des comportements assurés. Analyse FFPM personnelle. Exercice éclair : le questionnaire « Reina Leadership »
Des communications verbales et non verbales efficaces L’impact de la COVID-19 sur les communications gouvernementales. La prestation de présentations de divers genres, de différentes durées à des publics variés. Le choix des mots et l’utilisation de la voix. Techniques simples et éprouvées pour surmonter la nervosité et répondre aux questions du public. Un système et des techniques pour « s’en tenir à son message ». Pourquoi certaines questions sont-elles si difficiles? Les choses à faire et à éviter lorsqu’on répond à des questions. Exercice éclair : Plénière sur les questions difficiles
PAUSE
Exercice pratique en petits groupes : Rédiger un courriel et prévoir les questions En petits groupes, les participants préparent l’ébauche d’un courriel. Les groupes présentent le fruit de leur travail qui fera l’objet d’une rétroaction dirigée par le formateur.
Mot de la fin de l’atelier, questions et réponses, outils à emporter et évaluation

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Thank you very much for your presentation to our national management team. We were so fortunate to tap into your vast knowledge and expertise. We will definitely be back to talk tools and approaches.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Why should you attend?

This workshop is designed to tune up and strengthen understanding of, and skills in, various aspects of internal communications, as well as to bring examples of best practices from various organizations.

What will you learn?

The workshop will focus on:

• What is internal communications – principles, linkages and definitions
• Key issues and drivers of internal communications
• Diverse approaches to internal communications
• What others do and do not and why
• What works and what doesn’t – sine qua non of best internal communications practices
• Importance of research, monitoring and evaluation
• Linkages to external communication
• An integrated strategic approach to planning, developing and implementing internal communications

What will you take away?

• Workbook with checklists
• Exercises and handouts

Professional competencies

• Engagement: Working effectively with people, organizations and partners

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Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview
What is Internal Communications? • The Government of Canada Communications Policy • Definitions, principles and linkages • Issues and drivers of internal communications in the public sector • “Impact mapping” • Key challenges
BREAK
Internal Communications Approaches • Addressing diverse communications needs • From “HR” to “change” to “crisis communications” • What systems do we use and when • ABCs of internal communications approaches Exercise: Building an internal communications system.
LUNCH
Effective Internal Communications – The Public Sector’s Sine Qua Non • What works • What doesn’t work • How do we find out • Do’s and don’ts of internal communications research, monitoring and evaluation Exercise: Designing a cost-effective internal communications monitoring framework.
BREAK
An Integrated Strategic Approach to Internal Communications • Internal communications matrix • Linkages to organizational strategies and business plans • Internal versus external communications • Planning, developing and implementing internal communications Exercise: Developing an internal communications strategy for flexibility and change.
Wrap-up and Evaluation Participants will complete a short evaluation.

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I … found the sessions not only engaging, but also extremely valuable for my career. Honestly, it was a fantastic learning experience over the past couple of days, and I walked away with practical insights and tools that I’m going to apply in my work going forward.

Participant – Stakeholder Engagement

Why should you attend?

The CEC’s workshop on Administrative Competencies and Effective Communications will provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to be highly functioning administrative officers or assistants.

The focus of the workshop will encompass six essential administrative competencies:

• Organization – Effective management, organization, and prioritization of office functions as well as the workday/week/month for people, management and other stakeholders.
• Communication – Clearly conveying and receiving messages to meet the needs of all. This involves listening, interpreting, and delivering verbal, nonverbal, written, and electronic messages.
• Service Delivery – Understanding and meeting the needs of clients. Clients are individuals or groups who use the organization’s or department’s services.
• Technical – Ability to accurately and thoroughly utilize office technology and to demonstrate practical knowledge of information management, e-mail management and privacy protection issues.
• Adaptability – Personal willingness and ability to work in and adapt to change.
• Interpersonal – Working cooperatively and productively with others to achieve results.

What will you learn?

This workshop will focus on the skills required to be an effective administrative, program or project officer with an emphasis on improving your client relations and service delivery.

The workshop participants will learn:

• How to develop a client service orientation
• An understanding of relationship management techniques
• Approaches to measuring client satisfaction
• How to build trust through key behavioural attributes
• How to communicate effectively in verbal and written contexts
• Essential skills and knowledge which constitute organizational, technical and interpersonal competencies
• How to address diverse challenges presented by difficult clients

Who should attend?

This interactive workshop will be beneficial to all individuals working in an administrative, program, project, advisory or other related positions or functions in public, private or voluntary sectors.

What will you take away?

• Workbook consisting of presentation slides
• Exercises and handouts
• Certificate of completion

Professional competencies

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

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Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview Instructor and participant introductions. Key elements of the agenda. Overview of administrative competencies.
Client Service Orientation • Definitions: Client Service Orientation, Core Motivations and Progression. • Interacting with clients: client understanding, manner, communications, timelines and responsibility. • Using your knowledge: understanding client viewpoints, determining client needs; responding and building relationships. • Providing support and services: Key actions and behaviours. • Measuring client satisfaction: What to measure and what tools can we use?
Small Group Exercise In groups, discuss and identify a minimum of three (3) specific questions in the area of “perceptions of service experience”, to be part of a bi-annual client satisfaction survey. Capture your results in bullet form and present your conclusions to the plenary.
BREAK
Building Trust: Attributes of Effective Advisory and Administrative Roles • Fundamentals of being credible. • Key actions: Knowledge, liaison, delivering, building buy-in, anticipating and mitigating, understanding and acting on changing contexts. • Effective behaviours: Reliability, tact and diplomacy, listening and learning. • Teamwork and collaboration: Key actions and behaviours and strategies for reducing conflict.
Small Group Exercise In groups, using the provided template, discuss and identify what could be changed or adjusted in your existing client relationships. Capture your results in bullet form and present your conclusions to the plenary.
Being Adaptable: Contextual awareness and recognizing the value of new or modified approaches. • Definition and motivation • Scale and progression – what is expected • Key behaviours, attitudes and actions • What is not adaptability! • Links to analytical, creative and active thinking and listening • Being a change agent
LUNCH
Written and Oral Communications Key attributes of written and verbal communications: knowledge, skills, behaviours and actions. When and how to communicate with clients and within the team. How to tailor writing and presenting to different clients. Understanding the communications needs of our clients and management.
Small Group Exercise In pairs, discuss and draft an email to a client requesting a meeting to discuss new delays in the project deadline. Please identify the type of information you will need to share with the client during the meeting to get their agreement to the new deadline.
BREAK
Organizational and Technical Skills, Behaviours and Knowledge Understanding of your role, those of others and the linkages to the organization and broader context. Key actions and behaviours. What do we need to know? – rules, regulations, resources, preferences and project management approaches. Planning for effectiveness and efficiency.
Small Group Exercise In groups, and based on your experience, discuss and identify three key organizational processes or procedures, their impact on your work and potential solutions. Capture your results in bullet form and present your conclusions to the plenary.
Qs and As, Wrap-up and Evaluation Participants will have an opportunity to ask any final questions complete a short evaluation.

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A relaxed space where everybody felt free to talk.

Research Scientist, Health Canada