Communicating to Manage Performance Certificate Program

Describing Behavior enables you to communicate clearly and objectively. This course will discuss the necessary reasons why describing behavior is beneficial for both you as the manager and your direct reports. You’ll also discover when to describe behavior and through the online learning application you will learn how to polish your language with this imperative technique.

During this module you will:

• Distinguish between vague and evaluative communication and clear behavior or results-oriented language.
• Recognize the value of using clear, specific and objective language when communicating with employees about their performance.
• Apply describing behavior to day-to-day performance situations.

Using I-Statements enables you to express your viewpoint in a way that promotes personal accountability for speaking, listening and collaboration. I-Statements build personal accountability for your management voice and enhance your level of professionalism in providing feedback both positive and corrective.

During this module you will:

• Recognize the impact and value of using I-Statements versus you-statements.
• Construct I-Statements that promote listening and cooperation.
• Plan how to apply using I-Statements in your day-to-day language.
• Create awareness of the benefit of asking questions.
• Enhance your use of asking questions during coaching for better results.

Giving Positive Feedback helps create the best possible performance by recognizing and reinforcing effective behaviors and results. In a fast-paced world where the words “good job” encompass most of our positive feedback to employees, you will learn how to specifically provide feedback that is informative and useful for your team. This skill builds tremendous trust when others are communicating with you and combined with the skills of Using I-Statements and Describing Behavior allow your professionalism to develop in greater ways.

During this module you will:

• Become aware of the strategic value of giving positive feedback to all employees under different circumstances.
• Develop positive feedback messages that shape and/or reinforce behavior.
• Build positive language that helps performers continue effective behaviors.
• Plan for the use of positive feedback on-the-job.

Active Listening enables you to gain information, engage employees and build trust. Participants will discover how to listen in new ways, how to gain information they aren’t hearing the first time and how to support and develop their teams. Utilizing this skill as a thinking process instead of a hearing process enables you to strengthen your relationships at all levels in your organization.

During this module you will:

• Become aware of your use of the “five fatal flaws” of listening.
• Use active listening responses to demonstrate interest in and understanding of the speaker’s message.
• Learn to practice listening under difficult circumstances.
• Plan for being a more effective listener on-the-job.

Acknowledging Ideas promotes creativity and innovation by creating a climate where people’s input is valued and encouraged. This skill application will allow you to learn how and why your team is — and is not — offering ways to improve day-to-day tasks and develop innovative approaches to change the scope of your department or organization. Participants will also find it beneficial to merge other CMP skills with this technique for stronger use and application.

During this module you will:

• Understand the power of acknowledging ideas to continue idea generation and innovation.
• Gain skills that will enable you to acknowledge proposed ideas effectively.
• Plan to acknowledge ideas day-to-day for application.

Giving Corrective Feedback teaches managers how to provide effective feedback for correcting behavior that is not aligned with the organizational mission or direction. This skill will also provide behavior-based feedback for employees who are exhibiting inappropriate communication or actions. Correcting performance deficiencies is often difficult to deliver, but the 7-step process embedded in this module will allow you a roadmap for delivering tough messages and provides a clear outcome for future expectations in performance change.

During this module you will:

• Develop and practice delivering corrective feedback messages that are future-focused and which improve performance.
• Understand the value of using corrective feedback as a developmental tool.
• Apply a 7-step process for communicating clearly and objectively.
• Learn to give objective, behavior-based feedback that can be applied immediately.