Communication and Planning Skills for Administrative Professionals Training Course

Communication is fundamental to the existence and survival of humans as well as to an organization. It is a process of creating and sharing ideas, information, views, facts, feelings, etc. among the people to reach a common understanding. Communication is the key to the Directing function of management.

This Communication and Planning Skills for Administrative Professionals course is designed to help participants develop a ‘toolkit’ of skills and knowledge so that they can demonstrate capability and talent when it comes to communicating with others and achieving success.

Training Objectives

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Determine how to improve the way they communicate with others through a variety of mediums
• Understand how they can enhance the process of knowledge transfer by creating an understanding in others but also by bringing around change in action
• Identify how to make the most of the time they have, ensuring tasks are achieved effectively
• Understand how to demonstrate a change in mindset’ when it comes to having to deal with workloads and other people

Day One

Communication Essentials

• The Communication Process – the Sender / Receiver principle
• Barriers to effective communications and how to overcome them
• Learn how to communicate with just about anyone – understand others’ work personalities
• Vital interpersonal skills to enhance face-to-face communications – it’s about your Words / Music and Dance
• Learn how to engage the thinking brain to develop more assertive communications 

Communication Management

• Learn how to communicate with difficult and demanding people
• Manage others rather than them manage you
• Learn how to say ‘no’ more effectively
• Understanding conflict and why it happens
• Learn a variety of conflict resolution styles and use the 4Ps to aid in reaching an agreement

Day Two

Planning Essentials

• Determine how to set attainable goals to ensure the best chance of success
• Learn the 3 Principles of Effective Time Management
• Learn how to prioritize your workload to aid in planning your tasks effectively
• Discover how to deal with your ’Time Bandits’
• Learn the 5 Steps to the art of ‘Delegation’ – it’s not about ‘Allocation’
• Prioritising
• Handling and making requests
• Personal planning tools and systems
• Managing interruptions
• Project planning and principles of CPA

Day Three

Team-Working and Meetings

• Team development and group dynamics
• Constructive and inclusive discussions
• Challenging ideas and getting agreement
• Improving meetings
• planning and preparation
• participation and control
• follow-up and meeting notes

Day Four

Managing Information and Written Communication

• Principles of information management
• digesting information and making it meaningful
• Report writing
• relevance
• layout
• structure
• Grammar and punctuation
• Editing and proofreading skills
• Writing e-mails and letters
• style
• tone
• structure
• Other forms of written communication
• Determine the 4-point plan for emails and letters
• Discover the 7 steps to effective business writing
• Understand the key principles of effective planning – the Wheel of Success

Day Five

Supporting Presentations/Improving Teamwork and Systems

• Designing slides and incorporating graphics
• Room setup, equipment, and troubleshooting
• Continuous improvement and creative thinking
• Making a case
• Decision – Making and Problem Solving
• Effective Decision making

Decision making Framework

• Introduction to problem-solving
• Identifying and Structuring Problem
• Investigating ideas and solution
• Implementing a solution and feedback