Communications Case Studies

Communicating for Success

Industry: Financial and Professional Services

The firm’s audit staff with 2 to 3 years of experience needed to improve their fundamental communication skills. The firm’s partners wanted the audit staff to demonstrate confidence and maturity when communicating with key clients and even with fellow audit staff.

The National Education team drafted core competencies that captured the required Communications skills. Then this team asked us to partner with them to customize and deliver communications skill building that would develop these competencies.
Critical Issues

Critical Issues

• Write clear, concise and appropriate emails.
• Send clear, concise and persuasive voicemails.
• Demonstrate confident face to face communications skills.
• Develop clear and concise messages appropriate for contributing effectively in a small group meeting.

Solution/Results

Novations customized a one-day, one-facilitator Communication for Success Everyday (CFSE) program to meet this goal and objectives:

Goal: To improve your ability to communicate more concisely, clearly and persuasively in your common business interactions internally and with clients: e-mail, voice mail, one-to-one and small group face-to-face interactions.

Objective #1: Use Novations Rule of 3 and Cornerstones to improve your message clarity and persuasiveness.
Objective #2: Using the Novations Cornerstones, compose effective email and voicemail.
Objective #3: Demonstrate natural and confident delivery skills.

In the morning, participants worked on using the Novations Cornerstones and the “Rule of Three” to develop clear and concise messages suitable for voicemail, email or face to face interactions. In the afternoon, participants switched their focus and practice to delivery skills. Participants also completed 3 videotaped exercises as well as several pair or small group exercises. Participants received spoken and written feedback from their peers and the Novations facilitator.

The firm chose to train several hundred auditors in only 3 months. To meet this need as cost effectively as possible, Novations created a train the trainer process to enable a special team of facilitators to deliver all of the programs across the country. Every facilitator became subject matter expert on the needs of the auditors.

Results

The National Education team and the participants were “thrilled.” Communicating for Success Everyday was the highest rated training program in the summer audit training sessions. Participants found the skills relevant and easy to apply back on the job. The Novations facilitators were rated as very professional, knowledgeable and well prepared to provide examples the auditors could relate to.

view all case studies