Communication is the foundation on which all relationships are built – both personal and professional. But when was the last time you really considered your own communication skills and took steps to improve them? Miscommunications cause inefficiency, loss of productivity, and missed opportunities. 86% of employees and executives cite the lack of effective collaboration and communication as the primary cause of workplace failures. SHRM studies show this causes a loss of $64M in larger companies and up to $420,000 in companies with 100 employees. So, when was the last time YOUR company invested in effective communication training? If it’s been a while, 2025 may be the year to put this on the calendar.
Regardless of whether your company functions in person, virtually, or as a hybrid model, strong communication skills are essential to ensuring organizational success. But what type of communications training is right for you? Let’s dive into some of the options and how they can improve your teams’ success.
Effective Communication
Effective communication training covers the basics of communication – which often aren’t as “basic” as they sound. Understanding the impact of tone, nonverbal communication, and body language can be a game changer in both internal and external meetings. Written communication skills that promote clear, concise, and professional messaging help avoid costly misinterpretations. Learning how to build rapport and emotional intelligence can strengthen relationships and increase productivity within teams.
Presentation and Public Speaking
Communicating with confidence is essential regardless of what level of the organization you are in. Learning how to structure your message, use storytelling for impact, create dynamic visual aids, and handle questions with confidence are all skills that ensure your message lands with impact and clarity.
Active Listening and Effective Feedback
Being a great communicator also means being a great listener. By using active listening techniques and learning to structure feedback in a way that encourages improvement rather than defensiveness, you ensure your messages are being heard with the intended result. But this goes both ways! Learning to receive feedback gracefully and use it for growth is equally important to master – and one of the hardest communication skills to obtain.
Handling Difficult Conversations
Nobody enjoys having difficult conversations, but with skill and practice they can be managed with tact and professionalism. Preparing for high-stakes conversations can ease the burden and knowing when to use de-escalation strategies can help diffuse tense situations when they do arise. Balancing being heard and expressing empathy can help keep lines of communication flowing openly, which allows compromise and collaboration to happen.
Technical Communicator
In many industries, it’s a common need for (SMEs) to discuss complex and technical ideas with people who don’t have the same expertise. Learning how to convey this information using plain language and relatable analogies is an important skill to ensure everyone is on the same page. Framing the conversation in a way that speaks to the listener’s organizational goals and focuses on business impact over technical details can make all the difference in gaining buy-in from leadership.
Understanding your Audience
Whether you’re presenting to C-Suite individuals who are focused on big-picture strategy and ROI or frontline employees who need clear, actionable information, getting the right details for your audience is essential. If you miss the mark, you risk losing the attention of your audience, and nobody wants their presentation to be a flop. Learning about the priorities of each level of your organization and how to speak to these priorities ensures your presentation hits a home run each time.
Now is the perfect time to assess the communication gaps in your organization and implement training programs to improve collaboration across all levels. Data shows communication training pays for itself with increased productivity and efficiency. The topics above can be taught individually or combined as part of a larger curriculum. Which ones do you feel would be most impactful for your team?
