Communicating Up, Down and Across the Organization

It can happen at a moment’s notice: you need to communicate a new idea to senior managers, influence your colleagues to support your proposal or inspire direct reports to make a change. Are you prepared to communicate with anyone in your organization? Do you know how to analyze your audience? Can you frame your message so that people feel connected to you in a corporate setting?

To connect with many types of people while projecting confidence, credibility and trustworthiness requires specific tools and strategies. You’ll focus on improving communication skills and competencies necessary to build mutual understanding and connectivity with others, regardless of your role. You’ll also discover influence strategies and learn how to critically evaluate each unique communication event.

• Analyze your audiences and situations and plan your message
• Create processes to frame your message to specific audiences
• Apply strategies to influence and motivate others throughout the organization
• Understand how communication can impact how much influence you have
• Exhibit a strong sense of self-confidence with your peers, direct reports and managers

• Solving real workplace communication issues
• Recognizing the role of communication in developing influence and improved productivity
• Exhibiting a strong sense of confidence and external image
• Applying strategies to build and use rapport and identification with colleagues
• Targeting your message to the situation
• Planning effective messaging in teams when up/down/across members are present
• Applying message-framing strategies to create a responsive environment
• Practicing how to deliver messages that promote clear and productive communication
• Motivating and influencing throughout the organization
• Evaluating and practicing various motivational and presentation formats

Learning Objectives

• Exhibit a Strong Sense of Self-Confidence with Your Peers, Direct Reports, and Manager
• Analyze Audiences and Situations Appropriately
• Create Processes to Frame Your Message to Specific Audiences
• Apply Strategies to Influence and Motivate

Putting the Best “You” Forward

• Exhibit a Strong Sense of Confidence and External Image
• Create and Maintain Credibility and Trust with Others
• Apply Strategies to Build Rapport with Colleagues

Targeting Your Message to the Audience

• Analyze an Audience to Create Messages That Address Listeners’ Specific Needs

Targeting Your Message to the Situation

• Create Multi-Dimensional Messages That Speak to Both the Mind and the Heart of Listeners
• Choose the Most Appropriate Communication Channel to Be Effective in Various Work Situations
• Assess and Plan Effective Messaging in Teams and Groups When Up, Down, and Across Members Are All Present

Framing the Message

• Apply Message Framing Strategies to Create an Open and Responsive Communication Environment
• Assess Influencing Preferences and Situational Needs to Impact Personal Persuasive Ability
• Practice Skills for Delivering Messages That Promote Clear and Productive Communication

Putting It All Together

• Evaluate and Create Messages to Accomplish a Specific Goal
• Analyze and Refine a Message by Applying Best Practices for Communicating Up, Down, and Across the Organization

Download Extended Seminar Outline PDF