Utrecht, Netherlands

Advanced Communication Skills: Between Persuasion and Empathy

when 12 August 2024 - 22 August 2024
language English
duration 2 weeks
credits 4 EC
fee EUR 995

Effective communication is key for high performing professionals. If you want to bring your communication skills to the next level and work on your personal development, then this course is here for you! Two experienced professionals teach you the most valuable skills they learned themselves over the past 15 years. This course takes you beyond the ‘basics’. You will amongst others learn the highlights from principle-based negotiation, empathic communication, critical analysis, influencing group dynamics and inspirational speaking.

Previously this course course was rated with a score of 9 out of 10 by the participants.

Week 1:
Day 1: The vibe – inspirational speaking and learning to motivate an audience
• Overview of the course and establishing personal learning objectives
• People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. So, what inspires you? What is your vision? What do you stand for?
• How to inspire your audience and establish a common ground

Day 2: The challenge – putting your communication and negotiation skills to the test
• Negotiation simulation
• Personal reflection on three levels: personal leadership, communication and ethics
• Inquiry into collective action problems

Day 3: The connection – empathic communication in a professional context
• How to listen to others beyond opinions and positions for feelings and needs
• Which character strengths do you bring with you?
• Creating a balance between your needs and those of others

Day 4: The argument – critical analysis, investigating what’s true, what’s right and what’s valuable
• How to build your argument so your audience can understand them
• Using debates for better substantive discussions
• How to identify and address weakness in arguments

Day 5: The source – the freedom of honest communication
• How to communicate openly and honestly in a professional context
• The power of vulnerability
• Creating deep connection with others

Week 2
Day 1: The group – understanding group dynamics and your role in teams
• What role fits you in a team?
• How can you adjust your communication to people with different roles?
• How to avoid the false consensus effect?

Day 2: The peace – bridging differences
• How to deal with disagreements before it becomes resistance or even conflict?
• How to create decisions with a group that are truly supported by everyone.
• What do you do if others play it mean? And dealing with nasty discussion tricks.

Day 3: The practice – deepening empathy
• Effectively dealing with criticism
• Personal leadership when you are under attack
• How to stay calm when the going gets tough?

Day 4: The jump – bringing it all together
• The difficulty with communication techniques is in applying them in your life, so let’s get real.
• Participants will present a personal case to practice with
• How to continue practicing and growing: the hero’s journey

Course leader

Jan Reinder Rosing & Imre Végh

Target group

This course is meant for advanced bachelor and master students and (young) professionals.

Fee info

EUR 995: Course + course materials
EUR 450: Housing fee (optional)

Register for this course
on course website