Professional Development: Mindful Communication

Communicating effectively is tough! Conversations are complex and dynamic in nature. They require us to quickly and accurately assimilate what is going on, while at the same time being able to formulate an appropriate response. It demands attention to not only the content being discussed, but all of the unspoken underlying motivations. It's easy to miss some aspect of the experience and end up in completely different realities. To add to this, conversations can challenge our sense of mattering, worth and competence. This can oftentimes lead to unexpected emotional responses that erode connection leaving us feeling misunderstood. For this reason, having the capacity to bring full awareness or mindfulness to conversations is a foundational skill in communicating successfully. It is also the key ingredient for creating a productive and collaborative work environment.

This 4 - 8 weeks series uses interactive exercises and the principles of Mindfulness and Nonviolent Communication to increase both understanding and connection in conversations. The following themes are explored:

Staying present and attuned during conversations

  • Learn how to remain grounded, self-aware and curious during conversations

  • Be able to track nonverbal cues such as body language, tone and underlying emotions to uncover what is really going on for the other person

  • Be able to pause, slow down, and track the impact of what is being said to ensure that your message is being heard

Listening with Empathy

  • Discover your default listening strategies and its effectiveness

  • Practice listening for the speaker’s emotions and underlying motivations, to increase understanding.

  • Improve your empathy skills by using techniques such as matching energy, paraphrasing, summarizing and guessing at speaker’s motivations and needs

Asking for what you want

  • Uncover what gets in the way of asking for what you want

  • Practice formulating clear requests that are specific, doable, positively framed, and that are more likely to get what you want

  • Learn how to transform “no” and “maybe” responses into a yes that works for both parties.

Communicating effectively during conflicts

  • Learn how to shift the conversation from the details of content to the essence of what matters

  • Skillfully ask for pauses, interrupt conscientiously, and remain deactivated in heated discussions

  • Transform judgements into clear objective observations to be better heard and understood by others

  • Practice negotiating and collaborating to find a win-win strategy that meets everyone’s needs