Talent-Primarily based Branching Situations For Communication
Develop great communication skills through competency-based branching scenarios
Every online communication skills training course has the same theme: Messages can be misinterpreted when delivered in a “plain text” format. It is a nuanced concept that cannot be conveyed in practice either. However, more of us deal only with text on a daily basis: email, social media, and even our collaboration tools. Are we really equipped to communicate with power, passion and authenticity in a digital world? First and foremost, we need to use these technologies to our advantage, and using eLearning tools to provide competency-based branching scenarios can give us the skills to excel in communication: verbal and non-verbal.
Competency-based learning: putting learning into action
At the end of an online training course, we want to be sure that we can apply our knowledge to new situations. This is why competency-based training is so important: it is the leap from acquiring knowledge to acquiring skills. A competence-based approach offers learners in companies the opportunity to put various skills to the test. Branch scenarios, online training simulations and other interactive elements enable learners in companies to apply their new knowledge along with their other experiences. In this way, learners in companies can also judge for themselves whether they now have the skills they need to cope with a particular situation. Leaving an online training program with new information is a stepping stone to adoption, while the emergence of demonstrable new skills is a behavior change.
Communication skills and competency-based branching scenarios are a natural fit
There are several basics for training communication skills online. The traditional approach tells a corporate student what to do in order to communicate effectively, but not how to do it. Just making a list of what is good and what is bad when communicating with colleagues is proven not to change anything. Learning a skill like good communication is about putting it into practice. And the problem is, after completing an online training course, there may not be an opportunity to practice everything. Without this real use, we don’t commit to memory and don’t adopt the behaviors.
Focusing on competency-based branching scenarios has a direct impact on the embedding of communication skills, as learners can practice on-site in companies. These basics of good communication skills can all be incorporated into your branching scenario design:
1. Active listening and asking
Active learning is a really simple skill that can be practiced in an online setting. You can turn it into a quiz: pick important details and ask about gaps. Design a real-world branching scenario based on your target audience. Corporate learners could perhaps have a conversation with a customer or a member of another department. Then evaluate their own performance to see where they can improve.
2. Notice non-verbal cues
Use a video here, followed by a branching scenario to help them apply their newfound knowledge. Imagine you are in a conversation with the person in the video. What do you feel and think? Incorporate online training signs with different expressions and body languages that employees can decipher.
3. Speak with clarity and authority
This is a skill that can take years to perfect. However, there are numerous activities in online training that can help corporate learners communicate with confidence. Ask them to describe a situation in as few words as possible. Let them try and try as many times as they want. Then you will find competency-based branching scenarios to help them choose their words carefully. For example, each decision point has 4 different answers, one of which is the most precise way of rejecting a customer bribe.
4. Use storytelling techniques
In online communication skills training, stories can be extremely powerful as they provide a picture of what can go wrong. Use humor where appropriate, and make sure you describe a relatable branching scenario. The learner in the company can then use a quiz to identify what could be improved. For example, the story shows a character who is in conflict with a colleague. The learner in the company must determine which communication skills the protagonist should work on and how he or she may deal with the situation differently.
5. Be present: focus and ignore distractions
Encourage your corporate student to focus solely on the online training and highlight the point about distractions. Make sure you describe the methods for doing this and reflect them in the modules: be precise, separate difficult concepts, provide breaks. All of these properties are also crucial steps in the communication process. You can also develop timed branch scenarios where the problem needs to be fixed quickly. This actually causes them to focus on the task at hand and be present in the moment.
6. Communicate with empathy
Competency-based branching scenarios are a fantastic way to teach empathy to corporate learners because you can provide many different perspectives at the same time. Your corporate student then needs to figure out what problems people are facing and how to respond to them. Again, use online training characters that will immerse you in the situation and reflect a wide range of personalities. They can even hone their empathic skills in the branching scenario to avoid making mistakes in the real world, e.g. B. the misinterpretation of a person’s emotions based on their facial expressions.
Conclusion
It’s obvious why an interactive approach is best for online training with communication skills, since communication is not a one-way street! Corporate learners need to be able to make mistakes and see for themselves what works and what doesn’t. So when you learn that corporate learners try out their skills against a specific, bespoke industry-specific scenario, their decision-making skills will be focused and trained. Applying this to communication can help them decide how to react in a particular situation, e.g. B. when they convey bad news. For example, make sure the environment, online training characters, and situations are as realistic as possible. Apply a specific knowledge to a specific branching scenario and your corporate student can use that information for pragmatic skills training. Don’t forget to ask for and respond to feedback from corporate learners and help them collaborate with their peers. Turn your communication skills training into a branching scenario and make it real.
What other skills do learners need to work on in companies? Use our free online directory to find an outsourcing partner who specializes in soft skills training. You will find ratings, reviews, and a complete list of solutions to help you make the best buying decision.
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