Communication, Keys to Effective

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such, we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work, including the final exam.

Lesson 1
In our first lesson, you'll learn the qualities that make someone a great communicator. I'll teach you the five components of achievable goals and how to create win-win situations. You'll benefit from setting your own communication goals in clear steps that are easy to reach. You'll be able to apply the new skills you learn to your own life, and I'll be right here to guide you in the Discussion Area to help you build your confidence and learn to communicate more powerfully.

Lesson 2
Building rapport is the first great key to effective communication. Great communicators know how to get and keep rapport with others. In today's lesson, you'll learn how to build rapport with almost anyone. The potent tools are easy to understand and use. And after this lesson, you'll become a better listener and know how to keep respect alive in your conversations. You'll also learn the art of reflective listening, and I'll give you lots of examples and stories of how others turned frustrating communications into successful ones.

Lesson 3
Today you'll learn how to pace and lead your conversations toward win-win outcomes. You'll learn how to contain a conversation, keeping it on track and moving toward your goals. You'll understand how and when to use different styles of communication, and you'll learn how to contain a conversation so things go smoothly. Interrupting gracefully and breaking rapport are skills you'll learn to use in uncomfortable situations. I'll give you lots of examples on how this works so you'll learn quickly.

Lesson 4
In this lesson, you'll master the three learning and communication styles. You'll uncover your own learning style and learn to spot the communication style of others. These skills will help you share your views with anyone, even those you previously found difficult to communicate with. You'll learn how your brain works, and we'll go through an exercise to help you mobilize your brain power. This lesson is always a student favorite!

Lesson 5
Today, you'll learn some great ways to regain lost rapport and keep conversations positive. When we lose rapport, disagreements flourish, but a skilled communicator can regain lost rapport. You'll also learn how to acquire flexibility in your communication style, enabling you to stay in great rapport with all types of people.

Lesson 6
In this lesson, you'll learn some useful motivation strategies. People motivate toward pleasure and away from pain. When you understand how to motivate yourself and others, you get more done. So today, you'll find out how to inspire coworkers and family members toward mutual outcomes. As you master your motivation skills, other things fall into place. Relationships heal and communication improves. You'll develop a strong sixth sense about the people you come in contact with. These practical hands on skills are something you can use for the rest of your life.

Lesson 7
Today, we'll explore presentation skills. An effective presenter knows how to communicate fluently and has a sense of the atmosphere in a room. An effective presenter creates win-wins so that everyone is happy with the outcome. After finishing this lesson, you'll understand how to use first, second and third-person perspective to increase your awareness and understanding. I'll also show you ways to feel comfortable in many kinds of group situations.

Lesson 8
Imagine that you're a part of a team in which the leadership is genuine. Imagine knowing how to step into the shoes of a true leader. In today's lesson, we'll explore leadership and teamwork. You'll learn how to build a great work or family team where each team member gives one another equal value and respect. You'll see how a great leader can elicit and set the goals for his or her team and develop the vision for the group. The leader uses the knowledge and capabilities of each person, and places team members so each person performs optimally. Effective leaders inspire, guide, and bring out the best in each and all.

Lesson 9
In today's lesson, you'll learn how to communicate effectively with children. Guiding children is a huge responsibility. Children are very open, and our words go in deeply. You'll learn why the early years of a child's life are so important. This information is relevant at any age, but especially important with young children. Information about brain development and early literacy dovetails beautifully with the other wonderful things you'll learn in this course.

Lesson 10
Your subconscious mind is your deeper mind?it's the part of your mind that's beneath your conscious awareness. When you understand how to talk to your subconscious, you understand how to work with yourself and others to create greater success. In today's lesson, you'll find out how to use affirmations effectively. You'll understand how your subconscious mind works, and you'll learn more about non-verbal communication, which is 96% of communication. I'll also teach you how to apply the strategies to your personal situations.

Lesson 11
Anger is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to healthy relationships. Learning to manage and control your anger makes you a more powerful communicator and keeps goodwill strong. In this lesson, we'll focus on centering and tools to use when you're stressed or angry. You'll understand how to manage transition times so that change is graceful. You'll learn how to hold efficient, productive, and fun family meetings. Family meetings reduce the stress in your home and increase the communication among the members of your household. You'll also find out how to apply these techniques to any group.

Lesson 12
In each of our lessons, the material has been building up to this point, and today is the grand finale. In our final lesson today, we'll pull together and review everything you've learned. We'll go back and take a look at your communication goals to see how far you've come, and you'll set new goals to help you effectively apply your skills to your life after the course. You'll gain further insight, enabling you to move past your stuck spots and into being a very effective communicator. You'll use these strategies for the rest of your life!