Communication

Have you ever found yourself at a loss for words in front of an assembled team and what you wanted to say just didn't come across? Do you often lack the necessary persuasiveness in decisive situations? - Then we need to change something about it! After all, situations in which we need to convince with arguments await us every day, in both professional and private contexts. In this e⁠-⁠training, you will learn how to use the Five Part Model to structure your arguments in five steps – or sometimes even five sentences – in a simple and, above all, effective way. You will also learn what makes a good argument, how to package it effectively, and how to select and apply an appropriate counterstrategy for each type of counterargument.

When was the last time you were really convinced or even thrilled by someone’s appearance? Think about it for a moment: What exactly convinced you? Was it the content of the argument or also the person’s voice, speech or body language? Chances are, it was a good mix of all the above, because studies have shown that a convincing performance requires both content and personal persuasiveness. It will probably have been a good mix of everything, because according to studies, a convincing performance requires both content and personal persuasiveness! In this e⁠-⁠training you will learn how to use your voice, your language or even your body language and your interactive behavior and improve your personal persuasiveness. Let us convince you! 

In order to hear what the other person wants to say, it is not enough to simply listen. Important information can be lost if the listener does not fully concentrate on the conversation partner and - where necessary - encourage him to continue talking. One method for shaping this communicative process effectively is "active listening". It provides guidance that allows listeners to understand the concerns of the other party truly. "Active listening" is thus one of the most important communication tools for team workers and managers. "Active listening" shows participants how to achieve better results through concentration and verbal control techniques.

Feedback is an essential tool for managing the cooperation in teams. Feedback is a give and take, both can and must be learned. The importance of feedback for personality development was also recognized in the 1970s by the two social psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingram. They developed the so-called "Johari-window". It shows that self-perception and external perception differ. It also shows that through feedback the "blind spot" can be reduced and the scope for action increased. Positive feedback usually leads to the stabilization and development of the addressed behavior. It clears the way for team-promoting behavioral changes.

Stories convey information more clearly, effectively and emotionally than facts and figures. Storytelling is part of every company and can be used in many situations, be it in conversations within a team or in conversations with customers. The e⁠-⁠learning course explains what storytelling is and how it works. Videos, tips, mnemonics, instructions and overviews show how to build a good story. Questions, transfer tasks and a final knowledge check ensure that the learning objectives are achieved.

The e⁠-⁠learning presents the "eight communication types" according to Friedemann Schulz von Thun. The course is designed to raise the participants' awareness of the fact that people have different communication styles. It also makes them aware of their own preferred communication style. It is not about right or wrong communication styles, but rather about recognizing one's own style and, if necessary, developing it further or opening it up.

Understanding the highly complex "communication" puzzle is simplified by Paul Watzlawick's "Five Axioms". This shows what certain communicative dynamics look like in practice, and how it is possible to shape communication positively. Dramatizations enable the participants to recognize communication patterns, thereby enabling them to communicate in a more goal-oriented manner in the future.

Questions set thought processes in motion. Nothing is more convincing than the answers we give ourselves. With the help of this training course, the participants will learn the fundamental difference between open and closed questions, and will acquire the ability to apply questioning techniques correctly.

This e⁠-⁠learning will present the participants with numerous tools for better and more effective argumentation. They will learn about the five-step technique, the ETHOS scheme and the four i⁠-⁠Words technique. An expert gives advice for professional preparation and the use of voice and body language. Using film scenes the e⁠-⁠learning shows how to deal with blackouts, counterarguments, trick questions and verbal attacks in a confident way.

Those who manage to establish a good relationship with their interlocutor can have more constructive discussions and achieve better work results. The key is: communicating with respect and appreciation. The prerequisite is an "open ear" for one's own sensitivities as well as for the sensitivities of the dialog partner. In this web-based video training, the aim is therefore to build up sustainable relationships with the dialog partners in a specific manner: through clear and precise "I⁠-⁠messages" on the one hand and by being aware of the other person's point of view. This creates the basis for constructive dialog.

Using Friedemann Schulz von Thun's "4⁠-⁠ears-model", the participants are made aware of the complex process of communication. They get to know and understand their personal communication behavior better. The participants also get to know "their" preferred ear. They learn to understand which messages they often send unconsciously. The training course encourages the participants to transfer the acquired knowledge into action competence.