Practical Communication Skills For Government - Virtual (Europe)

Get buy-in and support you need through effective communication

Course description:

Discover the art of fostering effective communication within your department and get the buy-in you need. Mastering the skill of defining, engaging, and delivering tailored communication to your target audience in their preferred manner is the key to achieving successful communication outcomes. This program is designed to enhance your communication strategies within government contexts.

What to expect:

• Effective communication and why it’s important
• Explore the 4Ms Model and how to plan your communication
• Ask the right questions and listen to understand
• Learn how to segment your audience
• Produce clear and compelling messages
• Apply the right approach to your communication
• Understand how to measure your communication outcomes

Who should attend:

Government professionals who want to boost their confidence and enhance their communication effectiveness and efficiency.

Career Level: All career levels

Course outline:

The importance of effective communication 

• The pyramid of effective communication
• Why communication matters
• Characteristics and elements of effective communication 
• The impact on departmental and interdepartmental efficiency 

The 4Ms of effective communication

• Introducing the 4Ms Model
• Why key messages are so important
• The importance of good questions and how to take a brief
• Who is your audience and what are their communication needs?
• How to measure the effectiveness of your communication

Mastering the art of conversations

• Why listening is the key to understanding
• Listening vs hearing – become a better listener
• Using clear, concise and inclusive language with the right tone of voice 

Taking the right approach

• Planning your approach to communication delivery
• Exploring some great tools to help you communicate effectively
• Effective short-form writing – News Brief
• Writing to get buy-in and decision – Three minute drill

About the trainer

Adrian Cropley OAM, FRSA, IABC Fellow, SCMP, GCSCE

Co-Founder, Centre for Strategic Communication Excellence

A certified strategic communication management professional and past global chair of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Adrian Cropley is widely recognised as one of the world’s foremost experts and consultants in strategic communication. With a career spanning over 35 years, Adrian has worked with clients worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies, on major change communication initiatives, internal communication reviews and strategies, professional development programs, executive leadership, and coaching. At the IABC he implemented the IABC Career Road Map, kick-started a global ISO certification for the profession and developed the IABC Academy. Adrian pioneered the Melcrum Internal Communication Black Belt program in Asia Pacific and ran that program for over 10 years. He is a sought-after facilitator, speaker, author and thought leader. He has been a keynote speaker and workshop leader on strategic and change communication at international conferences in Canada, the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Malaysia, Singapore, China, India, Hong Kong, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. He has received several awards, including the International Gold Quill Awards for communication excellence and is a two-time recipient of the Rae Hamlin. Adrian is chair of the Industry Advisory Committee for the RMIT School of Media and Communication as well as a non-executive board member with several organisations. In 2017, he was awarded a Medal to the Order of Australia, one of the highest national honours, for his work in professional communication and youth development.

Sia Papageorgiou FRSA, FCSCE, SCMP

Co-Founder, Centre for Strategic Communication Excellence

Armed with an impressive collection of more than 50 awards for strategic communication excellence and leadership, Sia Papageorgiou is dedicated to elevating the value and visibility of communication professionals, empowering them to become trusted, strategic, and in-demand advisors. She is a certified strategic communication management professional (SCMP), a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, and past president of the Victorian chapter of the IABC. She’s also a former board director at IABC Asia-Pacific and past chair of the Global Communication Certification Council. In 2021, IABC Asia-Pacific named Sia Communicator of the Year and in 2022 she was awarded the prestigious IABC Rae Hamlin Award in recognition of her exemplary service in advocating the Global Standard of the Communication Profession and evangelising the power and possibility of communication. The GovComms Institute, a global platform for government communication professionals, named Sia, “one of the superstars of the communication profession.” With every initiative she leads, every team she trains, and every professional she coaches, Sia continues to set the gold standard for strategic communication excellence, inspiring others to reach their highest potential.