Communication Skills: Group Work and Networking Course

Lesson 1 • Verbal and Nonverbal Signals

Contrasts spoken language with body language, tone, and silence. Connects signal alignment to credibility in group settings.

Lesson 2 • Active Listening Fundamentals

Teaches deliberate listening techniques that reduce misunderstanding. Positions listening as a core professional competency, not a passive act.

Lesson 3 • Self-Awareness and Communication Style

Identifies personal communication patterns and their impact on others. Builds the reflective habit needed for continuous improvement.

Lesson 4 • Written Communication Essentials

Covers clarity, conciseness, and tone in professional writing. Supports group coordination through well-structured messages and follow-ups.

Lesson 1 • Building Psychological Safety

Defines psychological safety and its effect on team communication quality. Provides practices that encourage honest, risk-free contribution.

Lesson 2 • Roles and Responsibilities in Teams

Distinguishes task roles, maintenance roles, and disruptive roles. Teaches students to identify and fill gaps in team function.

Lesson 3 • How Groups Form and Evolve

Traces the stages of group development from formation to high performance. Connects each stage to distinct communication challenges.

Lesson 4 • Communication Norms and Ground Rules

Guides teams in co-creating explicit communication agreements. Reduces friction by setting shared expectations early.

Lesson 1 • Asking Powerful Questions

Teaches open, probing, and clarifying question types that advance group thinking. Questions are framed as a leadership tool, not just a learning tool.

Lesson 2 • Speaking Up with Confidence

Addresses hesitation, turn-taking, and assertive entry into conversation. Builds the habit of timely, purposeful contribution.

Lesson 3 • Inclusive Discussion Practices

Equips participants to draw out quieter voices and manage dominant speakers. Inclusion is linked to better group decisions and outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Summarizing and Synthesizing Group Input

Teaches techniques for capturing and integrating multiple viewpoints into coherent summaries. Positions synthesis as a high-value group contribution.

Lesson 1 • Facilitating Decisions and Consensus

Introduces decision-making frameworks and consensus-building methods. Ensures groups reach actionable conclusions rather than unresolved discussions.

Lesson 2 • Managing Group Energy and Focus

Provides techniques for maintaining momentum, handling tangents, and re-engaging distracted participants. Keeps the group on track without stifling creativity.

Lesson 3 • Opening and Framing the Session

Teaches how to open meetings with clarity, energy, and shared context. Strong openings set the tone and reduce early confusion.

Lesson 4 • Designing a Productive Meeting

Covers purpose definition, agenda construction, and participant selection. A well-designed meeting prevents most common facilitation problems.

Lesson 1 • De-escalation Techniques

Teaches verbal and nonverbal strategies to lower tension before it becomes destructive. De-escalation preserves relationships and group function.

Lesson 2 • Conflict Communication Styles

Presents five conflict-handling orientations and their situational effectiveness. Students identify their default style and expand their repertoire.

Lesson 3 • Giving and Receiving Difficult Feedback

Provides a structured method for delivering and accepting critical feedback professionally. Feedback fluency reduces recurring conflict in teams.

Lesson 4 • Understanding Conflict Sources

Maps the root causes of group conflict including role ambiguity, resource competition, and value differences. Diagnosis precedes effective resolution.

Lesson 1 • Setting Networking Goals

Teaches goal-setting frameworks applied specifically to relationship-building. Goals provide direction and prevent aimless networking activity.

Lesson 2 • Mapping Your Current Network

Guides students through a structured audit of existing professional relationships. Reveals gaps, strengths, and untapped connections.

Lesson 3 • Redefining Professional Networking

Challenges transactional networking myths and establishes a relationship-first framework. Shifts motivation from self-interest to mutual value creation.

Lesson 4 • Building a Personal Networking Plan

Integrates goals, targets, and tactics into a written, actionable networking plan. The plan becomes the student's ongoing professional development tool.

Lesson 1 • Following Up After First Contact

Covers the timing, tone, and content of post-meeting follow-up messages. Consistent follow-up is the single most important relationship-building habit.

Lesson 2 • Maintaining Long-Term Relationships

Teaches low-effort, high-impact habits for keeping professional relationships warm over months and years. Prevents network decay through intentional touchpoints.

Lesson 3 • Starting Conversations with Strangers

Provides openers, questions, and strategies for initiating contact at events and online. Reduces the anxiety of cold introductions through practised technique.

Lesson 4 • Deepening Professional Conversations

Moves beyond small talk to substantive exchanges that build genuine connection. Depth of conversation predicts relationship longevity.

Lesson 1 • Networking Across Hierarchies

Addresses the dynamics of networking upward, laterally, and with junior colleagues. Each direction requires distinct communication adjustments.

Lesson 2 • Leveraging Events and Conferences

Provides a before-during-after framework for maximising professional events. Structured event strategy converts attendance into lasting relationships.

Lesson 3 • Becoming a Connector and Resource

Positions students as network hubs who create value by connecting others. Connector status accelerates trust and expands influence organically.

Lesson 4 • Ethical Networking and Reciprocity

Establishes the ethical boundaries of professional networking and the principle of reciprocity. Ethical practice sustains long-term network health.