Interpersonal Communication Skills Training for IT Staff

Success in any career, especially in an IT career, involves effective interpersonal communication skills, including communication, relationship-building, and conflict resolution. Without effective communication, mistakes are made, deadlines are missed, and tempers flare. By building solid relationships, workgroup members are better able to work together as a cohesive team. By learning successful conflict resolution skills, team members head off skirmishes that get in the way of innovation, creative thinking, and project completion.

In this one-day highly interactive interpersonal communication skills training, your team will ​collaborate on various scenarios in small groups to create workable solutions for a variety of real-world cases.

“Don does an excellent job connecting with technology professionals and bringing home the importance of communication, relationship building and conflict resolution. These often-overlooked skills can really help your IT shop connect with your business partners and customers. Don has the technical credibility, perspective, and delivery skills to make it stick. Highly recommended!”

-Marty Williams, Vice President of Technology at NIC Inc.

​Course Objectives

In this fast-paced one-day professional-level seminar, filled with interactive exercises, your team members will learn:

  • Why communication is so critically important
  • The two communication models required for success
  • How culture affects listening behavior
  • The problem with noise
  • How to use active listening techniques to enhance customer service
  • The importance of awareness
  • How to build relationships remotely
  • Communicating successfully with external customers, internal customers, and colleagues
  • The danger of hiding behind tickets
  • How to use non-verbal communication
  • Top 10 techniques for building and nurturing relationships
  • How people handle conflict
  • Options for dealing with Conflict
  • How to manage conflict
  • The importance of accountability and taking ownership
  • Empathy as a conflict resolution tool
  • Top 10 conflict resolution techniques

Delivery Options

  • Live In-Person

​Course Outline

Section 01: Interpersonal Communication Skills

​Effective interpersonal communication skills enhance collaboration and creativity and heads off mistakes, missed deadlines, and unnecessary conflict. In this module, your team members will learn powerful techniques to enhance communication to ensure projects are completed on time with minimal mistakes.

​Defining Communication

Effective communication occurs when the recipient understands the message the sender intended. So who is responsible for ensuring communication occurs?

  • Reasons why you might want to not communicate.
​Why Communicate?

The answers to the question “Why communicate?” may seem obvious, but they deserve closer scrutiny.

  • P​​hysical need to communicate
  • Relational need to communicate
  • Meeting identity needs
  • Meeting practical needs
  • Defining customers
​Communication Models
  • ​Linear Model
  • Transaction Model
  • When to Use Each Model and Why
​How to Be a Better Listener

One of the most important keys to building successful relationships, whether at work or at home, with co-workers, friends, or family members, is to be a good listener. In this section, you’ll learn how to improve your listening skills to build better relationships.

  • Five levels of listening
  • Three types of listening
  • Misconceptions about listening
  • Common barriers to good listening
  • How culture affects listening behavior
  • Noise
  • How to become a better listener
  • Active listening​​

Section 02: Relationship Building

​Good relationships are key to success in the modern workplace. As technology continues its advance into the workplace, effective human relationships make the difference between a successful organization and one that struggles. In this model, your team members will learn why relationships are important and powerful tools for building successful business relationships at work. They’ll learn how to build workplace relationships that get things done well and on time.

  • Benefits of a good work relationship
  • Being aware of other people
  • Building relationships remotely
  • Commu​​nicating with external customers
  • Communicating with internal customers and colleagues
  • The Danger of hiding behind tickets
  • Understanding how to use non-verbal communication
  • How to build good work relationships
  • Top 10 techniques for building and nurturing relationships

Section 03: Conflict and Resolution

​Conflict is a fact of life, especially in the workplace. The key is knowing how to successfully manage it. Without proper conflict management, productivity grinds to a halt, tempers flare, and projects fail. When team members know how to manage conflict successfully, they can use conflict to craft creative solutions to workplace problems, introduce innovative new ideas into the workplace, and build long-lasting productive relationships. In this module, your team members will learn to identify their personal conflict management style, how to use other conflict management styles when necessary, and 10 powerful conflict management tools they can put to use right away.

​What is Conflict?
  • How do people han​​dle conflicts?
  • Options for dealing with conflict
  • Who are you?
  • The Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode instrument
  • Managing conflict
​Accountability
  • Examples of accountability
  • Responsibility
  • Taking ownership
  • Thinking about the sounds we make
​Resolution
  • Don’t put it off
  • Be a good listener
  • Be impartial
  • Think long term
  • Respect is the key
  • Understanding the real issues
  • Empathy as a conflict resolution tool
  • Top 10 conflict resolution techniques

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the training?

This is a one-day seminar. It is six instructional hours. For the Zoom delivery method, we recommend breaking it into four 90-minute sessions over four days. For the in-person delivery method, it is a single-day presentation, typically running from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break.

What is the recommended and maximum class size?

The recommended class size is 10-30 participants. There is no maximum class size for this training.

Who should attend?

This training is appropriate for any group whose members want or need to improve their ability to work together through improved communication, better relationships, and conflict resolution.

Is this appropriate for groups other than IT people?

Yes, with the understanding that we use language and examples that are most relevant to IT people.

Are there any pre-requisites?

We recommend that participants complete our Customer Service Secrets of Successful IT Pros training prior to taking this course, but it’s not required.

Request Information About In-Person Training for Your Group

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