Training Workshops
Practical, Engaging Learning for Today’s Workplace
Communication Skills Training
Delivered in person or via live virtual session
At Marathon Leadership, our Communication Skills Training workshops empower professionals to connect with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Whether you’re speaking one-on-one, leading a team, or engaging with stakeholders, communication is more than just words – it’s about intention, influence, and relationship.
Each topic can be delivered as a standalone module or combined with other topics to support a variety of formats and lengths – fully customizable to your group’s timeframe, context, and goals, as long as the same trainer facilitates the sessions.
According to research, engaging in effective communication and building strong workplace relationships are both critical for career success. That is especially true for professionals in today’s work environment, where more and more work is completed by matrixed, cross-functional teams that must communicate effectively to succeed.
To that end, this highly interactive and entertaining course will help participants improve their workplace communication skills. Through self-analysis, case studies, and group exercises, participants will learn immediately applicable communication skills that will help them build stronger, more productive
workplace relationships.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:
- Leverage their individual workplace communication strengths, while compensating for their individual workplace communication weaknesses as identified by the What’s My Communication Style? assessment;
- Identify and overcome triggers that can lead to workplace conflict;
- Demonstrate high levels of emotional self-awareness and self-expression;
- Apply a number of communication tips and techniques designed to improve interpersonal workplace relationships;
- Engage in active-listening skills; and
- Implement the “One Issue” approach to building stronger workplace relationships.
Assessment
What's My Communication Style? (optional)
Delivery Options
In-Person: Two hours, half day, or full day
Virtual: One or two 2-hour instructor-led sessions
This five-session Communication Skills Training Series is designed to help individuals strengthen how they communicate across roles, situations, and audiences. The series focuses on practical, everyday communication skills that improve clarity, build trust, and support stronger professional relationships.
Beginning with core communication fundamentals and emotional intelligence, the series then explores communication styles, conflict navigation, and communication during change. Each session builds on the last, helping participants move from awareness to adaptability to confident application.
Whether participants are individual contributors, supervisors, or experienced leaders, this series provides a practical framework for communicating with intention, credibility, and impact.
Recommended Topics
Communication Skills for Professionals
Build a strong foundation in listening, clarity, intent vs. impact, and everyday workplace communication.Emotional Intelligence
Strengthen self-awareness and empathy to improve communication, reduce miscommunication, and build trust.DiSC Training (Communication Styles)
Learn how different communication styles operate and how to adapt your approach for better results.Conflict Resolution / Navigating Difficult Conversations
Develop skills for addressing disagreement, giving feedback, and navigating challenging conversations productively.Dealing With Change (Communication Through Change)
Learn how to communicate clearly, consistently, and credibly during periods of uncertainty and transition.
Optional Add-On:
Business Writing Skills – Strengthen clarity, tone, and effectiveness in emails, reports, and written communication.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:
Communicate with greater clarity and purpose across a variety of workplace situations.
Recognize and respond to emotional cues to strengthen understanding and trust.
Adapt communication approaches based on individual and situational differences.
Navigate conflict and difficult conversations with confidence and professionalism.
Communicate effectively during change to support alignment and engagement.
Delivery Options
In-Person: Two-hour or half-day sessions per topic
Virtual: One or two 2-hour sessions per topic, depending on depth and interaction level
As more and more organizations move from traditional hierarchical structures to cross-functional, matrixed structures, the importance of building personal influence in the workplace has increased, while the significance of traditional position power has steadily decreased.
To that end, this highly interactive session is designed either as a stand-alone course or as a complementary session to our Communication Skills for Professionals or Leader as Storyteller courses. Through self-analysis, case studies, and group exercises, this session will help participants learn the necessary skills to successfully build and effectively apply their personal influence in the workplace.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:
- Understand the key differences between traditional position power and personal influence;
- Recognize the indicators of power and influence in their organizations;
- Build and apply the five components of Personal P.O.W.E.R.™ in their day-to-day interactions with others;
- Avoid losing personal influence through the actions of themselves and others;
- Apply effective influence strategies, techniques, and tactics; and
- Complete an Influence Application Planner to help them immediately apply the content back in their workplace.
Delivery Options
In-Person: Two hours or half day
Virtual: One or two 2-hour instructor-led sessions
Harvard researcher and author Howard Gardner once observed: “Every great leader is a great storyteller.”
To that end, this workshop is designed to build one of the most overlooked skill sets for modern leaders: the ability to tell relevant, dynamic business stories that inspire employees, attract and retain customers, and reassure investors/shareholders.
Clients sometimes offer this session in conjunction with our Increasing Your Personal Influence course. However, it can be offered as a stand-alone session.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:
- Understand how dynamic business stories influence others;
- Creatively employ the fundamental elements of a good story;
- Apply effective storytelling techniques; and
- Craft and deliver the three types of business stories every great leader must tell:
1. Who we are as an organization,
2. Where we want to be (future story), and
3. Who I am as a leader.
Delivery Options
In-Person: Two hours or half day
Virtual: One or two 2-hour instructor-led sessions
Difficult conversations are inevitable in any workplace. When handled poorly, they reduce productivity, create unhappiness, stress, and tension, and impair or even destroy relationships.
While you can’t avoid these kinds of conversations, you can learn how to handle them more effectively. And that’s where this course comes in. Designed to be immediately applicable, this session will help participants understand the nature of difficult conversations and how to better engage in them.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:
- Understand the nature of difficult conversations and what it takes to handle them;
- Identify the seven stages of handling difficult conversations;
- Use empathy in a way that minimizes negative responses and strengthens relationships;
- Apply best practices for preparing, initiating, and delivering the conversation;
- Recognize the common types of difficult responses and strategies for coping with them;
- Discover how to generate solutions and bring the conversation to a close; and
- Execute their Difficult Conversations Application Planner to help them complete an effective difficult conversation.
Delivery Options
In-Person: Two hours or half day
Virtual: One or two 2-hour instructor-led sessions
As the world becomes more complex, the ability to negotiate effectively is no longer a luxury – it is a necessity. Consequently, individuals at all levels of their organizations must be able to engage in principled negotiations that lead to win-win agreements while effectively balancing the engaged parties’ dual concerns of relationship and outcome.
To that end, this highly interactive session introduces participants to best practices in the field of negotiation skills, then gives them ample opportunity to apply those best practices during focused role plays and case studies.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:
- Understand the key differences between positional bargaining and principled negotiation;
- Recognize the importance of both developing a strong BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement) and accurately identifying the other party’s BATNA;
- Leverage your individual negotiation style strengths, while compensating for your individual negotiation style weaknesses, as identified by the Negotiating Style Profile assessment;
- Apply proven negotiation strategies and techniques; and
- Engage in effective communication skills during negotiations – including dealing more effectively with impasse.
Assessment
Negotiating Syle Profile (optional)
Delivery Options
In-Person: Two hours or half day
Virtual: One or two 2-hour instructor-led sessions