Cutting through the noise:
Communication skill-building for people managers
Effective communication at work is more important today than ever before. Teams are increasingly adopting flexible and hybrid schedules, spread across locations around the world, and using online collaboration tools to get work done. This new normal creates a dynamic where employees are receiving more written communication than ever before and where opportunities for synchronous “live” communication are more limited than in the past.
People managers are the linchpin in this new dynamic. According to Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report, managers account for 70% of the variance in team employee engagement, and when organizations increase the number of engaged employees, they improve a host of organizational outcomes, including profit, retention rates and customer service.
People managers need to be able to cut through the noise to ensure their team members receive, read, understand, and apply the information they need to perform effectively in their job. They also have a responsibility to communicate outward from their team – to escalate issues, communicate progress, and shine a light on achievements. Simply put, people manager communication has an outsized impact on a company’s operations and the employee experience. To ensure that impact is positive and productive, people managers need to bring structure, intention, and self-awareness to how, what, and when they communicate.
Workshop description:
This four session course is designed to give people managers a practical set of tools, techniques, frameworks, and real-time feedback to strengthen the quality and impact of their communication to their team. The interactive learning experience will focus on two foundational aspects of effective people manager communication: a cadence of communication and writing for impact & action.
Week 1, Session 1: A cadence of communication - principles & frameworks
Week 2, Session 2: A cadence of communication - review of take-home assignment, breakouts
Week 3, Session 3: Writing for impact & action - principles & frameworks
Week 4, Session 4: Writing for impact & action - review of take-home assignment, breakouts
Each weekly session is 60 minutes long with roughly 60 minutes of “homework” after sessions 1 and 3. The default format is VC (Zoom or Google Meet) to accommodate distributed teams. In-person workshops can be arranged upon request (travel costs will apply).
Recommended cohort size: 10-15 learners. This course is typically hosted by a company, with all learners in a given cohort coming from that company. A pre-course survey will further shape the focus of each 4 week learning experience.
Cost: Email daria@dariakissner.com for pricing information. Standard cost includes four interactive sessions over video chat with live feedback and coaching, a take-home list of reading and online tools for exploration, and digital handouts with plug-and-play communication frameworks and templates.