Communication training - How do we get the “Tiger Pension” passed as law?
Paul Watzlawick stated: "You cannot not communicate". Both privately and professionally, we are all in constant communication with our fellow human beings. In the consulting environment, we have daily situations in which we present, negotiate or simply exchange ideas with customers or in a team. To further improve our communication, we met for a communication training course.
The setting
Last week, we met with part of the team at the Ruby Hans workspace in Hamburg. It has become a tradition that the German train conductors go on strike during our internal events, so we had to rely on alternative means of transportation again this time. As the training with Dr. Werner Dieball promised exciting content, we all got down to business and were able to start as planned.
The challenges
The consulting experience in our group ranges from one to over ten years. This meant that there were also different expectations of the training. While some participants had already completed several communication and presentation training courses, for others the training was the first of its kind. However, we were united by the goal of improving our individual communication skills. We focused on the impact of and in presentations, both live and in online meetings. How can we communicate so that participants want to actively engage with us and not dive into the "mental or digital garden" from time to time? The key question is: how can we present content in such a way that our counterparts or participants enjoy listening to us? It is therefore primarily about how something is said and presented.
The training content
Where do we currently stand? After a short introductory session, Dr. Werner Dieball threw us straight into the deep end. We started with what is probably our least favorite part of the training: video analysis. After watching the short sequences together and collecting initial feedback, we moved on to the theory. We received lots of tips and suggestions on how to speak in a more structured way, how to use our voice and body language consciously and how to present ourselves effectively. We then had the opportunity to put what we had learned into practice – the second round of video analysis. The third and my personal favorite exercise aimed to prepare us for the unpredictable. Each participant was asked to tell a short story in which they had to include four nouns from the audience. On this occasion, we were introduced to the "Tiger Pension” (Tiger(r)ente) as the model for the state pension scheme of the future. The afternoon was well filled with a detailed theoretical part with many practical examples.
The learnings
The communication effect is central to the transmission of content and – like many other skills – can be trained. So we all went home with a three-week plan and look forward to applying what we have learned and building on it through daily practice.
Do you also enjoy communication and consulting? Feel free to contact us. We look forward to welcoming new members to the team.
Author: Anne Pinke