Communication and Feedback Course

Lesson 1 • The Communication Process Model

Examines sender, message, channel, receiver, and noise as an integrated system. Establishes the vocabulary used throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Written Communication Essentials

Covers clarity, conciseness, and tone in professional writing. Connects written habits to credibility and relationship quality.

Lesson 3 • Barriers to Effective Communication

Catalogues perceptual, semantic, emotional, and cultural barriers. Equips learners to diagnose breakdowns before applying corrective techniques.

Lesson 4 • Verbal and Nonverbal Channels

Contrasts spoken language with body language, tone, and silence as message carriers. Highlights how nonverbal cues reinforce or contradict verbal content.

Lesson 1 • Levels of Listening

Distinguishes passive hearing from active and empathic listening levels. Provides a framework for choosing the appropriate depth of attention.

Lesson 2 • Paraphrasing and Summarising

Teaches restating content in one's own words to confirm understanding. Directly reduces miscommunication and builds speaker confidence.

Lesson 3 • Asking Clarifying Questions

Covers open, closed, probing, and reflective question types for deeper understanding. Connects questioning technique to feedback quality in later chapters.

Lesson 4 • Removing Listening Barriers

Identifies internal distractions, assumptions, and multitasking as listening killers. Teaches practical habits to sustain focus during conversations.

Lesson 1 • Defining Your Communication Purpose

Establishes the habit of identifying intent before composing any message. Prevents vague or off-target communication that wastes time.

Lesson 2 • Tailoring Messages to Audiences

Covers adapting vocabulary, detail level, and tone to different professional audiences. Builds on communication style knowledge from Chapter 1.

Lesson 3 • Confirming Message Receipt and Understanding

Teaches closing loops by verifying that the intended message was received correctly. Prevents silent misunderstandings from compounding over time.

Lesson 4 • Plain Language Principles

Applies plain language rules to eliminate jargon, passive voice, and wordiness. Directly improves comprehension speed and reduces follow-up questions.

Lesson 1 • What Makes Feedback Effective

Defines feedback as specific, timely, actionable, and behaviour-focused information. Distinguishes effective feedback from criticism, praise, and evaluation.

Lesson 2 • Receiving Feedback Productively

Trains learners to receive feedback without defensiveness, denial, or dismissal. Builds self-awareness and growth mindset as professional competencies.

Lesson 3 • Psychological Safety and Feedback

Explains how trust and safety determine whether feedback is heard and acted upon. Connects to listening skills and communication style from earlier chapters.

Lesson 4 • Feedback Timing and Frequency

Covers when to give immediate vs. delayed feedback and how often feedback should occur. Addresses common errors of over-feedback and feedback avoidance.

Lesson 1 • Opening the Feedback Conversation

Teaches how to frame the purpose and tone of a feedback session to reduce defensiveness. Builds on psychological safety concepts from Chapter 4.

Lesson 2 • Inviting Dialogue and Response

Shifts feedback from monologue to conversation by eliciting the receiver's perspective. Uses active listening skills to process the response constructively.

Lesson 3 • Closing with Action and Commitment

Guides learners to end feedback conversations with agreed next steps and follow-up plans. Converts feedback from a one-time event into a development process.

Lesson 4 • Delivering the Core Feedback Message

Applies SBI and STAR models to deliver the central feedback point with precision. Emphasises observable behaviour over personality or intent.

Lesson 1 • Delivering Unwelcome Messages

Applies direct, compassionate language to deliver bad news, rejections, and performance concerns. Balances honesty with respect for the receiver's dignity.

Lesson 2 • Resolving Conflict Through Communication

Introduces interest-based conflict resolution using collaborative dialogue. Moves parties from positional arguing to shared problem-solving.

Lesson 3 • Staying in Dialogue Under Pressure

Teaches techniques to keep conversations productive when emotions escalate. Builds on active listening and message clarity skills from earlier chapters.

Lesson 4 • Anatomy of a Difficult Conversation

Breaks down difficult conversations into content, feelings, and identity layers. Helps learners diagnose which layer is driving the difficulty.

Lesson 1 • Upward Feedback to Leaders

Equips learners to give honest, constructive feedback to managers and senior leaders. Covers framing, timing, and risk management in upward communication.

Lesson 2 • Team Feedback Rituals and Routines

Introduces structured team practices such as retrospectives, after-action reviews, and check-ins. Normalises feedback as a routine team behaviour.

Lesson 3 • Feedback in Performance Systems

Connects informal feedback practices to formal performance review and development systems. Ensures consistency between daily feedback and formal evaluations.

Lesson 4 • Building a Feedback Culture

Identifies the norms, leadership behaviours, and systems that sustain a feedback-rich environment. Connects individual skills to organisational outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Stakeholder Communication Planning

Teaches mapping stakeholders by influence and interest to tailor communication strategies. Applies audience analysis skills from Chapter 3 at a strategic scale.

Lesson 2 • Communicating Change and Vision

Applies strategic communication to lead organisational change and articulate compelling vision. Addresses resistance, uncertainty, and the need for repeated messaging.

Lesson 3 • Measuring Communication Effectiveness

Introduces qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating whether communication achieved its goals. Closes the feedback loop on communication strategy itself.

Lesson 4 • Framing and Narrative Techniques

Covers how framing shapes perception and how narrative structures drive engagement. Learners reframe messages to shift audience perspective and motivation.